All About Mufflers

What is a muffler?

Mufflers are called mufflers because they muffle the sound of a vehicle. They are part of a car’s exhaust system. In the Philippines, some see it as an accessory for their car and try to attach the biggest muffler possible on their cars.

When a car’s engine burns fuel, it creates explosions in the car’s cylinder, which is what creates the noise. As it travels to the exhaust pipes, the noise builds up and once the valves open up to release highly pressurized gas, a very annoying sound comes out. Mufflers minimize this sound before it exits the exhaust system.

Mufflers have three purposes: the first is to absorb and dissipate noise, second is to reduce exhaust gases, and third is to maintain power while it’s doing its first two purposes. Adding a performance muffler reduces the heat and improves exhaust flow, which can help reduce the wear on your car’s engine components. However, performance mufflers can also make more aggressive sounds come out of your tailpipe.

Types of Mufflers

There are three types of mufflers; the first one is called a chambered muffler which is usually used on muscle and street cars. Inside it are several chambers with varying lengths. These chambers bounce the sound against each other, which causes them to cancel each other out.

The next type of mufflers is the glass pack muffler – also called the “straight through” muffler. This one is usually used in performance rides. Inside a glass pack muffler is a straight, perforated pipe covered in a sound absorbing material like fiberglass packing. Also ideal for racing, exhaust fumes flow through the pipe with not much restriction and has less noise reduction than chambered mufflers because of its design. This is also the reason why it’s popular among custom car builders.

Another type of muffler is the turbo mufflers. Inside of it is a set of perforated tubes in the shape of an S. Because of the shape of its tubing, exhaust gases travel much longer which helps with noise reduction. The material inside turbo mufflers also have sound deadening materials that helps further smother the sound. This is the reason why turbo mufflers produce less sound than both chambered and glass pack mufflers.

Aluminized or Stainless Steel Mufflers

Since mufflers handle highly pressurized exhaust gases, road impact absorption, and corrosion resistance, they are built to be tough. They are usually made of aluminized or stainless steel composed of an outer shell, an inner case, and some insulation in between. If you are considering buying mufflers for your vehicle, you should know that aluminized steel mufflers are generally cheaper than stainless steel. However, stainless steel mufflers are more durable, has better corrosion resistance, and has a longer life span compared to its counterpart.

Vehicle owners in the Philippines often rely on their auto mechanic or auto service station to handle the maintenance of their vehicles, but there is much to gain in knowing the parts of your car. Exhaust systems in the Philippines are often the most misunderstood part of a car. Knowing a bit about your car’s muffler and exhaust system will allow you to easily discern the noises that your car emits, in order to care for your vehicle better.