Why do cars have exhausts? This seems like a really simple question with some fairly obvious answers doesn’t it?
However, when you take a moment to think about it, you realise that the major purposes of car exhausts are actually contradictory.
A car exhaust has several purposes:
a) To remove the by products of combustion from the car’s engine
and vent them into the atmosphere away from passengers
b) To silence the noise of the engine
c) To clean up car engine emissions before venting them into the
atmosphere (post 1992 cars only)
Point ‘a’ is simple. All you need is a length of pipe that is correctly shaped to direct away the by product gases.
However, fulfilling point ‘b’ makes it much harder to carry out Point ‘a’.
Point ‘c’ makes fulfilling point ‘a’ even harder.
These contradictory factors means there will always be a trade off when buying a new exhaust for your car. One thing that does hold fast is the list of considerations that need to be taken into account before purchasing an aftermarket car exhaust:
• price
• durability
• weight
• ease of fitting
• compatibility with your make and model of car
• performance
• sound
• quality of construction
When you decide to buy an exhaust it’s worth doing some research on the internet. Perhaps starting with companies who offer an 0800 phone number to keep your call costs down.
In an economic down turn cost considerations can be a crucial deciding factor. However, it’s a good idea to think long and hard. The cost of a stainless steel exhaust may considerably outweigh that of a mild steel one but in reality will prove to be a better investment as it will last many times longer.