Engines use combustion to burn fuel and produce energy to allow your vehicle to move. While this is a safe and necessary process when handled properly, it does release toxic gases as a byproduct. The exhaust and muffler are both involved in cleaning this pollution but they perform different roles and work together to help your vehicle's engine run efficiently and cleanly.
Exhaust
The exhaust system of your vehicle helps to minimize the presence of harmful gases in the air that passes out of the engine. It does this by passing air from the engine through a device called a catalytic converter that reacts with pollutants like carbon monoxide in the exhaust. Most of these pollutants are safely removed and only carbon dioxide and water are released into the environment.
Without a functioning exhaust system, your vehicle would produce a lot of pollution and be an environmental hazard. The pipe running out the back of your vehicle is actually the exhaust pipe tip or tailpipe which is the very last section of pipe air travels through before leaving the exhaust system. Before that, however, it passes through the muffler.
Muffler
The muffler is also part of the exhaust system but it doesn't remove pollutants from the air. Instead, this part serves to muffle sound exhaust and improve airflow through the engine. Improved airflow makes it easier for the exhaust system to do its job effectively and can help the engine to function more efficiently too.
While the purpose of a muffler is usually to minimize sound so that the engine runs quietly, some aftermarket mufflers shape the engine's sound instead. Shaping is what gives sports cars that characteristic roar when the engine is running and this kind of muffler can improve the performance of your car by improving airflow through the engine itself.
Your vehicle runs efficiently, quietly, and cleanly when the exhaust and muffler are both functioning correctly. Changes in the sounds your vehicle makes during operation, or the gases emitted from the exhaust system can indicate that the muffler or exhaust aren't working correctly and require maintenance.
If you need muffler or exhaust repair, we invite you to bring your vehicle to our auto repair shop today!