subject: What Is The Purpose Of The Muffler On Your Car Or Truck? [print this page] The muffler is the piece of your engine that hooks to the bottom of the car and goes out the back. There are pipes involved, a catalytic converter and then the muffler itself all within the exhaust system of each car. No matter what type of car or truck you have, they will all contain those pieces. The muffler keeps your car quietly traveling down the road while the catalytic converter keeps the harmful chemicals and pollutants inside and from getting out in to the atmosphere and damaging the ozone.
The Muffler and Emissions Control Problems
The muffler is just a part of the exhaust system on your vehicle. The muffler is the piece that muffles the noise from the engine and makes it seem like you have a very quiet car. And you probably won't pay two seconds worth of attention to the muffler or even the exhaust system in your car until there is a problem. Because a problem will be loud and clear when it happens as you are traveling down the road! A muffler problem is usually detected when the vehicle you are driving is very loud as it goes down the road.
Detecting a Problem with the Exhaust System
Problems with the muffler can develop over time or they can be sudden. Have you ever gone past a pothole in the road and seen some piping lying next to it? That is probably a piece of someone's muffler and it is suddenly very loud. Or maybe your own vehicle started up that morning and seemed to be growling a little instead of purring like it usually does. A small hole might be starting in the pipe. That hole can grow in to a larger hole, which causes a louder noise as it gets bigger. Rust and road conditions can contribute to the decay of a muffler and the exhaust system, so have them checked when you are getting the oil changed. A small hole can be repaired easily rather than a large hole. And you won't have the embarrassment of traveling down the road sounding like a freight train either.
Detecting an emissions problem from the exhaust system will probably require a technician. The problem might show up during an emissions test or it might be in a diagnostic code that goes off on the dashboard. Either way, once a problem is detected it needs to be handled properly in order for your vehicle to be safe and legal as it goes down the road.
Fixing a Problem With the Muffler
Fixing a problem within the muffler or the exhaust is usually fairly easy. An ASE master technician can look at the vehicle and then make a diagnosis based on their evaluation of how the car is running or what the diagnostic codes said to them. Depending on what they find, usually an entire new muffler is put on the car. When the entire exhaust system needs replacing it can be expensive, so you will want to be sure the diagnosis is made by someone who knows what they are doing.
