Midwest Auto Care can help if you end up with a cracked exhaust manifold in your vehicle’s exhaust system. Generally, excess heat places too much stress on the manifold’s steel and this is what cracks it. If you have been driving your vehicle with an overheating engine, you run the risk of not only cracking the exhaust manifold but also the head gasket or engine block.
Check Engine Warning
As mentioned in the title of this blog post, when the exhaust manifold cracks, it fills the engine with the gases that make up your vehicle’s exhaust. This will cause problems that we are going to discuss below. The crack in the manifold will also cause problems with the exhaust system. As such, your vehicle’s main computer chip will turn on the check engine light.
Iffy Performance
In addition to this dashboard warning, your engine’s performance will be reduced by the gases that are filling up the engine. Unfortunately, these gases can fill the combustion chamber. When this happens, the engine has problems producing combustion and its performance lags.
Reduced Fuel Mileage
Your automobile can not get good gas mileage if it is having problems performing. Consequently, the crack in the exhaust manifold will indirectly affect your gas mileage. If you are on a tight budget, this can make things even more difficult for your finances.
Tapping or Hissing
The common noises that a cracked exhaust manifold makes are tapping or hissing. It is easiest to hear these noises when you first start your automobile. The thing that is making the noise is the exhaust leaking out of the crack in the manifold. If you hear squealing, this, too, can also be a sign that the exhaust manifold is cracked.
Burning Engine Odors
The cracked manifold is also going to increase the heat of the engine because the exhaust flowing into it is extremely hot. Unfortunately, you will not only smell burning engine odors, but you will also notice that the temperature gauge needle is quickly heading toward the red zone.
Strong Exhaust Odors
Finally, we caution that you avoid driving your automobile if the exhaust manifold is cracked. The reason why is that the exhaust can be drawn into the passenger cabin by the ventilation system. This means the cabin will fill with exhaust that you will inhale while you are driving.
Midwest Auto Care in Lake Station, IN, would be happy to help, so call us today.
