5 Quick Checks That Will Help Keep Your Exhaust System Healthy

Your exhaust is one of the most important parts of your car engine’s emission system. Its primary function is to direct the gases produced during your engine’s combustion cycle away from your car, keeping you, and it, safe.

For this reason, it’s also very important to keep your exhaust system in good condition, which is why we’ve listed a few checks you should regularly perform to ensure the general health of your exhaust, or how you can know when it should be brought in for a service.

Get rid of the rust

You should make it a habit to get rid of rust that accumulates on the surface of your exhaust. It may hide small holes which will allow air to be drawn into the system and ignite unburnt fuel. This causes the tell-tale back-fire, and damages your car and exhaust.

Joints and connections should be tip top

Keep an eye out for black streaks of soot around your exhaust’s flanges and connections. These are signs of gas escape, and luckily are easy to fix, as the clamps holding the joints together might need tightening, or the studs may be rusted and will have to be replaced.

Support is everything

Older models normally use straps to secure the exhaust manifold to the car, where more recently manufactured cars use rubber loops. Whatever support your exhaust system has, make sure they are placed correctly throughout the system, and are still flexible, and not worn.

Check the catalytic convertor

If you’re hearing rattling sounds coming from your exhaust system, you might have to get your catalytic converter checked, as it might need replacing. CATs often get damaged if your engine isn’t running at optimal levels, or leaking fuel into the exhaust unit, which means if it’s damaged, it might be an indicator of a more serious problem.

Diesel cars have to stretch their legs

If you own a diesel car, it will have a diesel particulate filter, which helps to keep your exhaust system clean. The filter works best at certain temperatures, which means that if you only use your car for short jaunts, you should think about going for a 30min drive every now and then, to give the filter a chance to breathe.

We understand conducting these tests could be complicated. So if you need any more information about your exhaust system, or want to find out whether it needs a service, don’t hesitate to contact us today!

 

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