By now you should know that every gasoline and diesel powered vehicle driving around Pasadena has an engine which burns these fuels and spits out hot waste gases through an exhaust system. Depending on your vehicle, the exhaust manifold can be either a set of individual pipes or a cast iron assembly. What the exhaust manifold does is take these burnt gases from the engine’s cylinders and route them into your vehicle’s exhaust system, out through your car’s tailpipe.
These gases consist of air and burned fuel residue from the combustion process in your engine. Over time, the constant expansion and contraction of these components, caused by being subject to extreme temperature changes, may cause this manifold to crack and leak. These leaks can be hazardous, because the hot gases that escape can damage other components in the engine compartment, as well as adding excessive pollution to the environment and possibly impacting engine performance.
Some common symptoms of a leaking exhaust manifold are loud noise from your engine, a loss of performance, check engine light, and strange smells, such as plastic components near the exhaust manifold melting from escaped heat.
To fix a leaky exhaust manifold, first we must determine if the manifold is cracked or broken. Then the faulty exhaust manifold must be removed and replaced. After this, all exhaust studs should be inspected, any carbon deposits and the old gasket should be cleaned, and then the new gasket and exhaust manifold must be installed. When it’s all done, we will start the engine and check for any exhaust leaks.
Sometimes exhaust manifolds may start to leak because a mounting bolt has broken. If this happens, the broken bolt or stud will have to be removed, which can increase the labor time needed to fix the problem.
The cost of the job may also increase, depending on the severity of the situation.
The exhaust manifold is subject to extreme temperatures, and an eventual leak is unavoidable. By installing the new manifold correctly, future problems can be avoided, but not forever.
A leaking exhaust manifold is a health and safety concern, because the hot gases that escape can melt nearby plastic components in the engine compartment and cause a fire hazard. Therefore, it should be replaced as soon as possible – but it shouldn’t cause any serious issues if not done immediately.
If you suspect a problem with your exhaust manifold, call our certified mechanics at (626) 793-2220 or come in to your Certified Auto Repair Specialist of Pasadena today.