What you need to know
Although there are no moving parts in an exhaust system, it's function
and placement on the vehicle means it is one of the hardest worked
components on the car. Effects of rust and corrosion by toxic wastes
combine to attack the metals of the system leading to noisy and
dangerous failures. A 'blown', noisy exhaust is illegal and can
lead to a fine. In addition, the leakage of toxic fumes from a failed
exhaust into the car can lead to headaches, sickness and drowsiness,
with the possibility of catastrophic results. Here are the key components
of a typical exhaust system:
Tail Pipe
The tail pipe allows free exit of the exhaust gases into the atmosphere.
Silencer Box
There may be more than one silencer box fitted to your car. The
silencer is specially designed to absorb sound waves created by
the engine and reduce this noise to a legally and environmentally
acceptable level.
 Exhaust Manifold Connection
The front piece of the exhaust pipe has a special coupling designed
to be attached directly to the exhaust manifold which in turn is
part of the engine. To absorb the varying stresses of the engine's
vibration, the front piece of the exhaust pipe may contain a flexible
section to avoid damage to both the exhaust system and the engine.
Catalytic Converter
Modern exhaust systems are designed to remove most of the harmful
pollutants from the exhaust gases before release into the atmosphere.
This is done by a component fitted into the exhaust system called
a Catalytic Converter, or CAT.
A specially lined box filters and converts the hot polluted exhaust
gases into a much more environmentally friendly mixture. This mixture
then passes along the exhaust pipe to the silencer or silencers
before being expelled through the tail pipe and into the atmosphere.
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