The difference between muffler and exhaust simply is that the muffler is a part of the exhaust system and it is located at the exhaust pipe tail. The silencer also called the muffler does the job of keeping the engine noise down.
It also makes it possible for the engine to take in the right amount of oxygen needed to burn fuel and produce power. The exhaust controls fuel management through oxygen intake measured by the sensor allowed by the muffler.
When there is a leak in the exhaust system then there would be more oxygen intake by the exhaust. If the oxygen sensor senses more oxygen intake in the system then it requires more fuel or gasoline to burn the excess oxygen. Now let’s see the difference between the muffler and the exhaust in an elaborated sense
Difference Between Muffler and Exhaust
Contents
The main difference between mufflers and exhaust systems is that mufflers are usually fixed to the car whereas an exhaust system is usually made up of several parts.
Mufflers and exhaust systems are both parts of a car’s exhaust system. They are designed to decrease the noise of the engine by using sound-absorbing materials and to reduce air pollution by capturing some of the engine’s emissions.
The muffler is a device that reduces the noise of an engine by slowing down and cooling the exhaust gases. The exhaust system is a set of pipes that carry exhaust gases from an engine to the environment.
An exhaust system consists of a series of pipes, one or more mufflers, and one or more catalytic converters. It is used for venting out combustion gases from the engine and it also helps to reduce air pollution.
Functions of the Exhaust
Pips are the major components of the exhaust system itself in the car. These pipes do the job of guiding harmful gases produced in the combustion chamber.
The exhaust also makes sure that the toxic gases are not sucked into the vehicle’s air cabin. If these gases by any means suck into the vehicle’s air cabin in high concentration, it can lead to the death of the vehicle’s occupants.
A simple explanation of how the exhaust works is that the exhaust manifold collects the gas and directs it to the piping and finally releases the environmentally-friendly exhaust gas into the muffler. Below is a better step-by-step explanation of how it works
- Exhaust Manifold collects the gas
- Directs the gas out of the engine
- Then the exhaust leads the gas out through the piping
- The catalytic converter breaks down the toxic gases into less harmful compounds
- Piping directs this relatively environmentally-friendly exhaust gas into the muffler
Above is a breakdown of the full functions and importance of the exhaust. The exhaust is a very very important component of the exhaust system.
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Functions of The Muffler
The muffler, on the other hand, does the job of transmitting the exhaust gas outside the vehicle. It also suppresses the engine noise thereby allowing the engine to run while producing lesser sound.
The sound effect of the muffler varies from car to car depending on the model and specific design made for it. So this means that a muffler design made for a Dutch Durango might not work for a Mercedes Class.
The silencer suppresses the noise through chambers, partitions, and tubes. The muffler can act as a cushion to absorb the noise or chamber to reduce high-pitched frequencies. Finally, the gases are released into the atmosphere through the tailpipe.
The Components of the Exhaust System
- Exhaust Manifold
The exhaust manifold collects the exhaust from each cylinder and combines it into one pipe. This is more like a junction in which the exhaust pipes from the rear part of the engine meet and then leads to the exit.
- Oxygen Sensor
Mounted on the exhaust manifold, the oxygen sensor measures how much oxygen is present in the exhaust and adds or subtracts fuel based on this measurement. This is why when there is a leak in the exhaust system, the oxygen sensor will notice it and the system will require more fuel to burn the excess oxygen.
- Catalytic Converter
The catalytic converter converts the harmful gases released from your engine into water vapor and carbon dioxide. The toxic gases when collected by the catalytic converter are then channeled into the exhaust then released outside.
- Muffler
The muffler quiets the exhaust as it escapes your vehicle. It’s very easy to spot a car with a faulty muffler you’ll hear it coming from a mile away!
Exhaust Pipe: The exhaust pipe connects all the parts listed above and carries the gases along their journey through the exhaust system.
Which is better straight pipe or muffler?
This depends on personal interest and motive behind the exhaust modification. For a drag racer, it is obvious that car’s weight is a very important factor.
If you are trying to avoid too much weight then the straight pipe is the best choice for a better performance. A straight pipe provides a better fuel economy.
By removing the a straight pipe exhaust weighs much less than the original exhaust. Better fuel economy: A lot of people don’t know that by removing the mufflers and catalytic converter, the engine will create less backpressure. This means that you will get a lower fuel consumption with a straight pipe exhaust.
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