Why is the exhaust system in cars with internal combustion engines clogged? How to understand the clogged exhaust and what are its symptoms? What happens if the exhaust is clogged?
When combustion occurs in the engine of an automobile, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, oxygen, nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide gases are released. These extremely dangerous gases are filtered through the exhaust system before being released into the atmosphere. Inside the exhaust pipe there are parts called catalysts and silencers. But over time, the catalyst in particular fills up and becomes clogged. This is called exhaust blockage. To prevent your car’s exhaust from clogging, it can sometimes be useful to use high-speed and exhaust cleaner additives.
However, in the exhaust system, especially hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide gases can cause clogging. You can think of it just like the stove pipes that used to be in our homes. Soot adhering to the exhaust pipe will fill up over time, causing clogging.
What happens if the exhaust pipe is clogged?
If you don’t immediately notice when your car’s exhaust pipe is clogged and you don’t solve the problem right away, it can cause you to be stuck on the road or even your vehicle not to start. Because when the gas in the engine is not expelled, there is no space for fresh air and fuel to enter. In short, your vehicle’s engine will be drowned.
1- Starting the Engine with Sound
A drowned engine will start to work audibly. That is, in the combustion chamber there will be air, fuel and exhaust gas at the same time. As a result, vibrations and audible work will be seen in the engine.
2- Engine Overheating (Heat)
A drowning engine will overheat. Since exhaust gas is already a very hot thing, it will make the engine warm up much more quickly. If for no reason your car’s engine is heating up much more than it should, the exhaust pipe may be clogged.
3- Increase in Fuel Consumption
One of the most common symptoms of an exhaust-clogged car is increased fuel consumption. Because the load on the engine will increase tremendously due to the clogged exhaust, as a result, your car will start to burn a lot.
4- Decrease in Engine Performance, Traction Loss
If your car has been experiencing traction difficulties lately, fainting when it comes to the ramp, it may be due to a clogged exhaust pipe. This is due to the lack of the right air/fuel mixture due to engine choking. A car with a clogged exhaust does not pull.
5- Idle Surge
In order for your vehicle to idle, the air/fuel mixture must be in the most precise way. When the exhaust is clogged, the gas cannot be expelled. There will be fluctuation in idle as this disrupts the correct mixing rate. Idle fluctuation is when you do not step on the gas with your foot, but the rev hand falls and lifts one another.
6- Car idling
As we said before, it takes a very precise air/fuel mixture for the car to be able to idle correctly. However, since the clogged exhaust disrupts this mixing rate, the necessary conditions for idling may not be met. As a result, your vehicle’s engine may stop at idle.
Why Does the Exhaust Clog?
There are too many factors for clogging a car’s exhaust pipe. However, if you have a diesel-powered vehicle, you will find that it fills up much earlier. This is because the substances produced by diesel exhaust gas are much more. The exhaust pipes of gasoline vehicles can also become clogged. The causes of exhaust clogging are;
- Driving the car at constant low rev
- Getting poor quality fuel
- Continuous short distances and long periods of use in congested traffic
- A leak in the exhaust system
How to Open a Clogged Exhaust?
If you think your vehicle’s exhaust system is clogged, the first thing you need to do is use it at high speed. However, if it does not open, exhaust cleaner agents can also be useful. However, if it does not open, the exhaust pipe is removed by going to an auto exhauster. Then the blockage can be opened with the help of water cannons. But if the metal of the exhaust pipe is too old, you may need to replace it.
Source: Why Does the Exhaust Clog
