How does my car’s exhaust work?

When your car is running, thousands of explosions occur every minute. These explosions produce leftover gases that can be harmful to your health. The chemicals in gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons. These gases need to be routed away from the engine compartment so they don’t get into the cabin, and then into your lungs. Your exhaust system is responsible for this. 

The exhaust system starts with the exhaust manifold, that connects the engine to the rest of the exhaust system. On one side of the manifold are individual tubes that connect to each of the engine cylinders. They merge together in the manifold and come out of the other side in a single tube. The oxygen sensor is usually located in the exhaust manifold and measures how much oxygen is in the waste gases. This is important because your engine mixes fuel with fresh air to produce air for your vehicle to move. To reach the ideal fresh air to fuel ratio, the engine control unit analyzes the oxygen amount the oxygen sensor provides and ensures the proper amount of fuel needed to maintain this ratio. The catalytic converter cleans up the harmful gases produced in the engine. The converter breaks down the nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and oxygen. This greatly reduces the emissions produced by your car.

Your vehicle’s exhaust system also works to reduce noise. The mufflers in your exhaust system muffle the sound waves that are produced inside, routing the sound waves through tubes and chambers inside the muffler.

How do I know if my vehicle needs an exhaust repair?

The following are some signs and symptoms that your car needs an exhaust repair:

  • Overly noisy engine.

If you have a faulty exhaust manifold gasket, it will cause an exhaust leak that sounds like a hissing or tapping sound. The sound is especially loud during a cold start or when you accelerate the vehicle.

  • Decreased power and acceleration.

If it takes more effort than usual to accelerate your car, there is likely a problem with your exhaust system.

  • Decreased fuel efficiency.

Along with decreased acceleration, if you are getting less mileage from your vehicle than before, there may be a problem with your exhaust system.

  • Burning smell from the engine bay.

If your exhaust system leaks into your car’s engine wires or any parts under the hood that are made of plastic, the heat from the exhaust gases could cause these parts to burn. This causes a burning smell and even smoke coming out of your vehicle. It is imperative that you bring your vehicle in for repairs as soon as a burning smell is noticed.

  • Hanging exhaust pipe.

If any part of the exhaust pipe breaks and is hanging or dragging out of your vehicle, take your vehicle in for repairs immediately.

  • Gas smell.

If you smell gas inside your car while you are driving, it is usually caused by one of the exhaust pipes or tubes gets damaged and starts to leak. 

Your exhaust system is integral to a safe driving experience, so when the time comes to get it repaired, you can bring your vehicle to Clintonville Automotive Repair Service. Serving residents of Columbus and beyond, our number one goal is to provide high-quality customer service and repair services to every customer, every day. 

Your Trusted Shop for Exhaust Repair

If you are having an issue with your exhaust system, Clintonville Automotive Repair Service in Columbus is your place to go. Our team of highly-trained technicians have decades of experience and are experts in all things auto repair. Here are some reasons you can trust us:

  • We service all passenger vehicles and trucks, regardless of model and make.
  • Rental vehicles are available for your use while your car is in our shop.
  • We have ASE-Certified technicians.
  • We provide standard preventative maintenance as well as larger engine and transmission repairs.
  • All of our work comes with a 3-year/36,000 mile warranty.

If you are in Columbus or surrounding areas, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with Clintonville Automotive Repair Service, either online or via phone at 614-300-2995.

Exhaust Repair in Columbus, OH
Auto repair

For reliable Exhaust Repair or replacement, visit Clintonville Automotive Repair Service in Columbus, OH. Call us today or use our convenient online form to book your visit.

I gotta’ reach out to C.A.R.S. of Clintonville, they’ve got my 99 Accord running great. I keep going there because the guys there are honest, know what they’re talking about and not trying to rip you off. They know if they don’t make a good impression…you won’t return. If you’re in the Columbus area and your car’s having issues, try them, it’s a family owned business, they care about doing the right thing and making sure you’re happy.

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Thanks again to Clintonville Automotive Repair Service (C.A.R.S.) for keeping the U.S.S. Happy running. There are probably 20 other problems with the vehicle that they could have said were related, but they weren’t, and they didn’t. They got to the source of the problem and fixed it quickly and at a very reasonable price. They’re very knowledgeable and very open about sharing that knowledge, even if it doesn’t always add up to a sale. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.

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