The majority of cars on the road today are peaceful and quiet. If you like your car running this way, then you need to thank your exhaust system. There was a day when a vehicle’s exhaust system would need to be replaced on a regular basis. A whole automotive repair industry sprang up to specifically address the issue of faulty exhaust. Many of you can remember the days when the highways were littered with old rusted out mufflers and exhaust pipes.

Auto manufactures, under pressure from the Federal Government and overseas competition, decreased the noxious fumes and corrosive vapors being produced by the engine. Additionally, auto manufactures’ began to use composite metals that resist corrosion and rust in the exhaust. Many of those franchised “muffler shops” were faced with the daunting task of re-branding themselves as something other than a muffler shop in order to maintain market share. Many could not make the change and as a result are now no longer in operation.

The catalytic converter is the most commonly replaced part of the exhaust system. Unfortunately, the catalytic converter is also the most expensive part of the exhaust system. You cannot operate a modern vehicle without a catalytic converter, no matter what your gear-head uncle tells you. In 1975, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required all vehicles to have catalytic converters. In 1981, the three-way catalytic converter was introduced and has been used in vehicle emission control systems ever since. Increases in vehicular technology and emissions control have forced the catalytic converter to take a more prominent role in environmental protection and vehicular operations. Removing the catalytic converter is not only a

violation of federal law; it will make your car run worse than before.

Replacing a failed catalytic converter is like treating the symptom and not addressing the cause. The catalyst inside the converter is made of a honeycombed ceramic substance designed to filter the toxins out of the exhaust. The ceramic in the converter can physically melt or break apart and clog your exhaust. Your car will act like it has no power or feel like it’s running out of gas if the exhaust is clogged. A rich fuel mixture is usually to blame. Replacing the converter will allow the exhaust to breathe, but there was a reason why the converter failed. Without addressing the cause, you will eventually destroy the new catalytic converter and be forced to buy a new one again.