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- Symptoms Of Cracked Exhaust Manifold Civics
- Symptoms Of Cracked Exhaust Manifold Civic Center
- Symptoms Of Cracked Exhaust Manifold Gasket In Volvo Xc70
Your car has two manifolds – an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold. Both serve essential purposes, but the one most likely to experience problems over the long term is the exhaust manifold. Depending on your make and model, your manifold might be a single piece of cast iron with channels/ports built into it, or it could be a collection of pipes tied together. The basic job of the exhaust manifold is to take the gases from each cylinder and send them to the exhaust pipe.
Why manifolds crack and leak
As you can imagine, exhaust manifolds are subject to intense heat. They’re also subjected to considerable expansion and contraction as they heat up and cool back down. Over time, this leads to metal fatigue (both cast iron and other types of exhaust manifolds are subject to this). As the fatigue becomes worse, it’s possible for the manifold to develop cracks.
More to the point, a cracked exhaust manifold can result in fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.. But I am just really curious what you all think about if this can cause a lowering in fuel economy.. I have a 2001 Honda Civic LX with a crack in the Exhaust manifold, how long can i drive my car that way? There is a small crack in the exhaust manifold. How soon should this be fixed? Sometimes the check engine light flickers on and off when I start the car. Also, some of the components near the exhaust manifold shake. 1998 Honda civic: emissions inspection.cracked exhaust manifold. My 1998 Honda civic failed emissions inspection. Symptoms of a cracked exhaust manifold William Zane Updated July 19, 2017 An engine's exhaust manifold (or manifolds) is an integral part of the exhaust system. Replied by mckrishes on topic Cracked exhaust manifold My exaust manifold was cracked on my 1999 civic. I changed it because it was interfering with the O2 sensor and because I could smell the fumes inside my car.
Another potential problem lies with the exhaust manifold gasket. The gasket sits between the manifold and the engine block, and is designed to seal the small gap that exists between these two components. Like the manifold itself, the gasket is subjected to significant heat, as well as expansion and contraction. It will eventually fail (this is normal, and cause by nothing more than general wear and tear). When it fails, it will begin to leak.
A cracked intake manifold on your vehicle is a serious problem that can lead to expensive repairs. If you suspect your vehicle has a cracked intake, you should stop driving it and have it towed to a repair shop as soon as possible to avoid doing further damage to your vehicle.
Problems associated with manifold cracks and leaks
There are several problems created with exhaust manifold cracks and leaks. First, hot exhaust gases are now being vented under the hood, rather than being sent downstream through the exhaust pipe. This can damage plastic components in the engine bay. It can also become a health hazard, as the exhaust fumes can enter the car’s cabin.
There’s also the possibility that it will affect engine performance. If your exhaust manifold is cracked or leaking, the back pressure in the exhaust system will be incorrect, which can reduce engine power, cause sputtering and other problems. Of course, you won’t pass emissions testing, either.
Next Step
Schedule Exhaust Manifold Repair
Depending on your engine and type of vehicle, the exhaust manifold can either be a set of pipes or it can be a cast iron manifold assembly. Essentially the exhaust manifold takes the burned exhaust gases from the engine’s cylinders and ejects the gas through the exhaust system and out through the ca... LEARN MORE
SEE PRICING & SCHEDULINGA vehicle's exhaust manifold plays the leading role in a car or truck's exhaust system. It connects to each exhaust port on the engine's cylinder head, and it funnels the hot exhaust down into one simple exhaust pipe. With the help of the exhaust manifold gaskets, it also prevents the toxic exhaust fumes from sneaking into the vehicle and harming the occupants. Needless to say, it's pretty important to have your exhaust manifold in good working order.
The average V-shaped engine has two exhaust manifolds attached to it. One is for cylinder bank one, and the other is for cylinder bank two. The vast majority of inline engines have just one exhaust manifold. Rotary engines? They usually have just one exhaust manifold, though the turbocharged models have 'down pipes' on the hot side of the turbo as well. Naturally there are exceptions to all of these rules, but in the real world, these exceptions are fairly rare. When it comes to the construction of exhaust manifolds, they are either going to be cast iron, or welded tubular steel.
Cast Iron Exhaust Manifolds
Cast iron exhaust manifolds last a long time, and they are cheap to make. That is why so many cars and trucks come with them from the factory. In modern cars, exhaust manifolds are designed to fit into small spaces and live long lives. Maximizing horsepower is rarely a factor. That is why cast iron exhaust manifolds are often replaced with more free-flowing tubular designed 'headers' when the vehicle's owner is on the hunt for increased horsepower and torque. Cast iron manifolds are also heavy, and can become brittle with heat cycles and age. If they crack, the check engine light will pop on, and the vehicle will likely become embarrassingly loud. Not to mention, all of those toxic exhaust fumes would be able to escape the confines of the manifold, and dance their way into the interior of the vehicle. The same thing will happen if the exhaust manifold gaskets blow out, or the mounting studs break off.
Tubular Steel Exhaust Manifolds
Since tubular steel exhaust manifolds typically have better flow, they are most often found on performance-oriented applications, like sports cars. However, there are a few automotive manufacturers out there that prefer using tubular manifolds on non-sport models as well (I'm looking at you, Jeep!). This style exhaust manifold can be made from mild steel or stainless steel depending on which the car manufacturer preferred. As you can imagine, mild steel is cheaper to produce, but it won't last as long as a stainless steel exhaust manifold would. The steel tubing that the manifolds are constructed with is welded to the cylinder head flange, and at all of the points where the tubing intersects. Many tubular exhaust manifolds also have built in flex-pipes that allow the different areas of the manifold to flex independently with the temperature changes. Unfortunately, like the cast iron exhaust manifolds, tubular steel manifolds crack too.
Exhaust Manifolds vs. Headers
Many people ask what the difference is between an exhaust manifold and a header. An exhaust manifold is an OEM-style part. Aftermarket exhaust manifolds look and fit just like the exhaust manifold that came on the car when it was new, with similar flow characteristics. Like we mentioned in the 'cast iron' section above, exhaust manifolds are often designed with longevity and fitment in mind, not horsepower. Headers on the other hand are designed purely for maximum horsepower and torque. They are built with steel tubing, they are often mandrel bent, and most have equal length piping so that each cylinder has similar flow. Headers can be tuned to gain more or less performance in certain areas of the engine's power band. For maximum benefit, a full performance exhaust would be necessary when using headers, because great flowing headers are worthless if the pipes after them are overly restrictive.
Symptoms Of Cracked Exhaust Manifold Civics
Here is even more information on the topic of exhaust manifolds vs. headers.
Cracked Exhaust Manifold
A cracked or broken exhaust manifold is most often caused by one of two things. The first reason is heat cycles and/or age. Over time, the manifolds just can't take the heat anymore (literally and figuratively), and cracks begin to form in them. The cracks then turn into small holes, and it doesn't get any better from there. The second common reason for exhaust manifold failure is because of broken exhaust system hangers. Your whole exhaust system is supposed to be held up with a bunch of hangers. If those hangers break off, or the rubber donut exhaust hangers tear apart, all of that weight becomes the responsibility of the exhaust manifold. Sadly, they aren't built for that kind of action. Before long, they give in to the extreme weight hanging off of them, and fail in grand fashion.
The most common symptoms of a cracked exhaust manifold are:
Symptoms Of Cracked Exhaust Manifold Civic Center
- Visible cracks (obvious, I know)
- Extremely loud noises coming from the exhaust
- Decreased fuel efficiency and performance
- Burning smell orienting from the engine bay. Occasionally, you may notice the smell from the interior of the vehicle.
In states that have emissions inspections like California, Vermont, and Massachusetts, you will find that having a cracked exhaust manifold will instantly get you a rejection sticker. That's because when you have a hole in the exhaust system, it throws off the oxygen sensor readings, and will cause your vehicle to run inefficiently. You could also lose a few miles per gallon, and be a nuisance in the neighborhood because of all the noise pollution. You do want to be on good terms with the neighbors, right?
Exhaust Manifold Replacement
Replacing an exhaust manifold will be a different procedure for each vehicle, so grabbing a service manual is a great start. That being said, there are a few noteworthy tips for replacing any exhaust manifold.
Symptoms Of Cracked Exhaust Manifold Gasket In Volvo Xc70
- Spray the bolts with some type of rust penetrating fluid in advance so that removing them is drama free.
- If the oxygen sensor is in the exhaust manifold, remove it before removing the manifold from the engine. Removing it once the manifold is off of the vehicle is twice as difficult.
- Removing the O2 sensor when the manifold is hot often makes it come out easier. Just be sure not to burn yourself!
- If any of the bolts are questionable looking, plan on replacing them at the same time you replace the exhaust manifold. Nuts and bolts are cheap. If you can swing the price of stainless hardware, your engine will thank you.
- Always replace the exhaust manifold gaskets when replacing a manifold. You don't want the new exhaust manifold to leak worse than the old broken one did!
- When reassembling, use anti-seize on the bolts that attach the exhaust manifold to the rest of the exhaust system. This makes bolt removal 100 times easier for the next person taking it apart!