Taking care of your exhaust

Tips for taking care of your exhaust system

When you think of engine performance and efficiency, the exhaust system is probably the last on your list to check.

However, it is of utmost importance that you pay attention to the needs of your vehicle’s exhaust system.

The exhaust system of your car might be breaking down or failing due to any reason that might include corrosion or any of the sensors going south

No matter what the problem may be, you can avoid all of these and avert a possible disaster by taking care of your car’s exhaust system and checking it from time to time.

The exhaust system of your car is supposed to transport all the harmful gases out, reducing the pile up in the engine itself.

Taking care of the car’s exhaust system not only improves the fuel efficiency of your car but also helps in ensuring the safety of your family and the environment itself.

So here are some hard and fast tips to take care of your car’s exhaust system to ensure a long run without any trouble or compromise.

First things first

The check engine light of your car might indicate a trouble for a variety of reasons.

If the light is on, you need to get and fetch the OBD or onboard diagnostics system that can alert you on any kind of fault or deterioration of the engine and exhaust system components.

Be it a loose gas cap, failed O2 sensors, engine misfire or bad catalytic converters - you need to identify the problem and then repair it at the earliest to avert further damage.

Fixing the leaks

You might have heard how leaks always get into the systems and destroy everything - the same is true for your car as well. Most of the times, it's the gasket that fails and starts to leak.

However, even the engine exhaust manifest is a common place where the leakage might begin and settle in quickly.

The exhaust system of your car is subjected to pressure and intense heat along with a lot of turbulence or vibrations that not only weaken the system and pipes, but makes it vulnerable to leaks.

So whether it is heat, a defect or corrosion that is causing the leak, make sure that all your leaks are fixed soon enough.

Leaks can be dangerous, they can literally put you and your car down the pit for good. Just to be safe, get the car regularly checked for all internal or external leaks.

Repairing the components and ready to go

The exhaust system is a critical system of your car and for it to function properly, you do need some very important components.

Even though are some of them are supplementary, they do help a lot in overall performance.

For example, the exhaust hangers are important but they do get damaged easily. The damage to such parts can hurt the engine and sag the system. Such broken components should be replaced, if any.

Maintaining a good exhaust system isn’t that difficult if you do realise its importance. Get your car regularly serviced and checked for precaution, it's better to be safe than sorry!

If you’ve read this far, you obviously care about your car. A lot. So next time you need a service, repair or inspection, visit AutoGuru

We let you search, compare and book from over 1600 qualified mechanics who eat car troubles for breakfast.

Image credit: Exhaust close up Clément Bucco-Lechat