You’ve heard it before; that telltale sound of a car that has a performance muffler on it tearing down the street is unmistakable. Your ears might hate it, but the driver loves it. It gives the sense that the car has a more powerful engine and sounds aggressive. Does a muffler affect performance in a vehicle?
The muffler does affect the performance of a car. The quieter the muffler, the less horsepower you will have. Fitting a performance-enhancing muffler will allow more air into the engine, increasing performance and horsepower. Sounding mufflers usually increase the sound effect of the car as well.
Some restrictions in an exhaust system can significantly increase pressure due to used gases trapped inside of it. This will result in the engine losing power and affect the performance and fuel usage. If you replace the muffler with a higher performance unit, it can significantly reduce the pressure on the system.
Contents
Why Does My Car Need A Muffler?
The muffler is needed to reduce the raw sound that the engine produces. Because it generates so much power, there are pulsating sounds that reverberate through the exhaust valves. The engine creates thousands of pulses per minute, and without a muffler that works, your car is going to sound like a NASCAR contender.
Inside a muffler, you will find the following things;
- Chambers
- Baffles
- Tubes
These components work in conjunction to absorb and reflect the sound waves from the engine. Because of the internal design of the muffler, the sound waves cancel one another out. Some mufflers are designed to increase noise significantly.
How Does A Muffler Break?
The muffler is not a moving part of the car, but it does have wear and tear lifespan. The muffler is typically exposed to;
- Moisture
- Heat
- Cold
- External obstacles like rocks, sidewalks, etc.
Moisture can cause rust inside the muffler, or you could inadvertently hit a rock, and it damages the muffler. Well, how do you know something is wrong with the muffler?
- Your car will suddenly get louder.
- The smell from the exhaust is unpleasant
- You notice an increase in fuel usage
What Is The Mufflers’ Effect on Performance?
Although primarily to reduce noise, it also affects the overall performance of your vehicle. The effects on performance are;
- The engine can generate more power faster
- Expel exhaust gasses quicker
- Increase in horsepower
Where Is The Muffler Located On My Car?
The exhaust system of a vehicle or pickup truck is usually made up of 6 components as follows;
- The headers
- A catalytic converter
- The resonator
- The muffler
- The exhaust tip or tailpipe
As mentioned above, the inside of the muffler is not just one chamber; it is comprised of the following and is the final part in the exhaust system that reduces noise;
- An inlet tube,
- The resonator chamber,
- A set of perforated tubes to reflect the incoming soundwaves.
Should You Remove A Muffler?
So what will happen if you had to remove the muffler from your exhaust system? Besides waking the dead when you start your car in the morning, in later model cars, the onboard computer will freak out. The ‘check engine light will come on, and it will affect the performance of your engine.
In older and classic cars, removing the muffler can increase the horsepower, make the car a lot louder – not that classics need it – but here is the downside. It will mess with your car’s emissions, and sorry to say, it’s illegal to remove it, and you could face penalties under the traffic laws.
Helpful Hint
If you like that aggressive straight pipe sound on a car, there are DIY kits you can buy with clamps eliminating the need for welding.
Now, let’s see some pros and cons of removing the muffler:
Pros
- You gain a lot more horsepower at high engine RPMs
- Better acceleration
- More aggressive exhaust sound
Cons
- A droning sound at cruising
- Poor engine idling
- Mediocre performance from the engine
- Dirt buildup
- Emissions failure
5 Best Muffler Systems
These are the five best muffler systems you can look at fitting on your car;
- Flowmaster 953047 Super 40 Muffler
- Dynomax 24215 Race Bullet Muffler
- Thrush 17651 Welded Muffler
- MagnaFlow 14832
- Walker 18558 SoundFX Muffler
Muffler Q & A: What Else Do I Need To Know?
What does a bad or ‘off’ muffler sound like?
A: If you are the car’s regular driver, you will immediately hear the difference in noise from the rear. It might make a tapping, hissing, or droning noise. It will become louder when you accelerate.
Which muffler is best for a V8?
A: The Flowmaster 953047 Super 40 is the best muffler for a V8. The sound is powerful and profound and will make your V8 sound even more aggressive and up the performance.
Does the muffler placement make a difference?
A: The placement of the muffler makes all the difference. A muffler placed further back allows the engine noise to become significantly reduced. Further back on the exhaust system, it is cooler, and the muffler performs better.
Does a loud exhaust cause increased fuel consumption?
A: The loudness of exhaust in itself does not affect the fuel consumption of a car, but in a powerful vehicle that is boosted or modified, the louder the car, the more power it is generating, and then it will use more fuel.
Which way does the muffler get fitted?
A: It makes no difference how the muffler gets fitted unless specified that it’s a directional muffler. An arrow will indicate the direction.
If I remove the muffler, will it damage the engine?
A: Removing the muffler will not specifically damage the engine. It will reduce the car’s sound and increase horsepower, which will influence fuel consumption.
Conclusion
The muffler’s primary function is to reduce the excess engine noise and create a quieter ride, especially at cruising speed. Whether the muffler is fitted or removed will affect the cars’ performance. Ensure you stay within the given parameters of the relevant traffic laws in your state should you wish to remove the muffler.