Difference Between an Exhaust and a Muffler

What is the difference between an exhaust and muffler? 

1. Role
2. Components

Have you ever asked yourself what is the difference between an exhaust vs muffler? It’s a valid question, especially if you own your own vehicle and you’re considering taking better care of your car or if your car needs repairs when it comes to the exhaust or the muffler. 

If you want to improve your automobile’s performance, it’s best to know first of all what exhaust systems and mufflers are. By the end of this article, you will know how the exhaust is different from the muffler by two degrees of understanding — their distinct roles (what they do) and their components (what they’re made of and what the parts are called). 

What Is The Function of An Exhaust and Muffler?  

Automobiles are designed to bring the driver, passengers, and any other objects from one point to another point. For traditional non-electric cars, this is done by harnessing the power of a fuel, usually gasoline or diesel by an engine. 

The engine provides energy which is then transferred to the wheels that make the vehicle move with speed and power. However, the engine is not fully efficient because it produces waste in the form of fumes, which is the residue of burnt fuel. This is where the muffler and the exhaust play a major role. Continue reading to learn more! 

Role

What does each one do? Starting with the obvious, a muffler’s role is to muffle or to silence the sounds coming from your automobile’s engine. 

If you don’t know how an engine works, it does so via internal combustion. In other words, it does so by explosions — tiny explosions that repeat hundreds of times, and maybe even thousands per minute depending on what kind of engine you have. 

Since the explosions are loud, it’s unavoidable for your vehicle to become loud as well. The muffler has the sole job of making sure that the streets do not get disturbed every time your car comes around the corner because of noises.

While it is true that the exhaust system is made of components that make sure your car’s noise level is reduced, its main role is to take care of gasses that form in the engine’s combustion chamber. 

When fuel gets burned from the engine, the resulting fumes are harmful to human lungs if it’s expelled raw. The exhaust controls the byproduct of the internal combustion process. The parts of the exhaust system that remove harmful gasses include the catalytic converter, exhaust pipes, exhaust manifold, and more. 

Components

The entire exhaust system is what begins from the engine itself all the way until the tailpipe which is what you see at the rear end of the vehicle. In order to carry out its role, the exhaust system requires certain components. 

It begins with the exhaust manifold which comes straight from the engine itself, channeling the still-toxic fumes towards the heart of the exhaust system which does most of the work. This is known as the catalytic converter. 

Catalytic converters are highly valuable car parts. In general, the catalytic converter takes harmful chemical gases from the engine such as nitrogen oxide, carbon, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide then turns them into carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and harmless water vapor. This is the reason why catalytic converters are often stolen from cars. They contain special parts made of precious metals such as palladium, rhodium, and platinum. 

It may come as a surprise to you, but the muffler is a component of the exhaust system and it’s attached right before the tailpipe. By contrast, the muffler is simpler and it’s made of chambers and perforations in the pipes which reduces the vibrations and limits the noise. Some car owners, by choice, alter or remove their mufflers in order to make more noise for the sake of style. 

This is possible because an exhaust is inherently part of the automobile and cannot be removed, but it’s okay to remove a muffler from the exhaust.

Key Takeaway

At the end of this article, we hope you understand the difference between an exhaust vs muffler. The exhaust is different from the muffler as they serve different roles. The exhaust gets rid of gas pollutants that result from the engine burning fuel, but the muffler gets rid of noise pollution. The exhaust is part of the car, but the muffler is part of the exhaust system. 

At Roberts, we make it easier to find a replacement muffler for your car or motorcycle. When you work with us to maintain your exhaust system, you’re guaranteed to be satisfied with Roberts. Click here to inquire now!