Are You Exhausted with Not Understanding Smog Devices?
If you don't understand how certain components and systems of your vehicle work or what's wrong with them, you can feel drained and overwhelmed. As applied to emissions and smog checks, your exhaust system might leave you feeling exhausted. If you're feeling a little burned out, let the ASE and ATRA certified technicians at West Automotive Group in Escondido, California, help. We can explain your system in easy terms as well as make expert repairs when needed. Since 1993, we've been helping our clients relax a bit about passing our state's smog check requirements.
Exhaust System Overview
The function of your vehicle's exhaust system is to take care of the byproducts of combustion. After each small, controlled explosion within your engine, some chemicals are leftover. Specifically, your exhaust system needs to keep these nasty leftovers away from people inside the automobile and limit the number of harmful chemicals spewed into our environment. Combustion emissions include three toxic compounds--carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and nitrogen monoxide--as well as three more that are not deadly. To eliminate these byproducts, your car's exhaust manifold funnels them away from the cylinders and sends them through the front pipe, a single place for expelling these gases.
Next, the fumes then go to the catalytic converter. This component uses the metals platinum and rhodium to "scrub" the exhaust. Harmful chemical compounds are changed to and released as less toxic emissions (inert gases). Those gases then move to the muffler, a silencer that prevents all the explosive noises of combustion and expelled gas from bending the ears of everyone nearby. The muffler works using tubes engineered to bounce sound waves off the tubes and one another such that the noise is canceled out. If your muffler becomes worn (by age or puncture), even a tiny hole will disrupt the noise canceling process. Everyone will know that the muffler has gone bad. Finally, the exhaust gases leave through the tailpipe, which sends the fumes away from the passenger cabin.
Why Does It Matter?
Your vehicle's exhaust system is a necessity for safety, courtesy, and passing a smog check. West Automotive Group in Escondido, CA, can assist you with all three. As described, some of the fumes produced during combustion are toxic. People can become sick and even die from inhaling carbon dioxide. Also, your vehicle will make a lot of noise without a properly functioning muffler. While this may be "cool" at a muscle car show, it will be irritating at 3:00 am when your neighbors are trying to sleep. Further, California requires that your auto pass a smog check to protect the environment.
