One of the crucial components of your vehicle is your exhaust. However, you’re probably guilty of skipping it when you perform your car maintenance routine. You should know that your exhaust plays an important role in directing harmful fumes away from the passengers, as well as drastically reducing the noise levels of your vehicle. Moreover, it improves your car’s fuel consumption and performance.
Why Clean your Vehicle’s Exhaust?
Whether you bought your vehicle from a dealership or a Japan auction, you need to learn how to clean and maintain your exhaust. It releases fumes that contain carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons. These particles fuse to your exhaust as they make their way out, turning the inside of the pipe black. Of course, this is aesthetically unappealing. However, you need to be concerned about the fact that when carbon excessively builds up, it can prevent the exhaust from releasing fumes properly.
One of the by-products of combustion is water vapor. So, you can expect it to be present in the exhaust whenever your vehicle is running. Once you turn off the engine, the vapor inside your exhaust will start to condense and turn into water. It will remain the system and cause the pipe to rust.
It is also worth noting that the outside of the exhaust can also start to rust due to exposure to the elements. During the winter months, the corrosion process speeds up because of the salt scattered to the roads. Needless to say, you should make exhaust cleaning a part of your car maintenance routine. This way, you can save yourself from costly repairs and replacement down the road.
Things You’ll Need When Cleaning your Car’s Exhaust
- Gloves for protection
- Warm, soapy water
- Degreaser
- Metal polish
- Steel wool
- Microfiber cloth
- Hard-bristled brush
How to Clean your Car’s Exhaust Like a Pro
Here are the guidelines for cleaning your vehicle’s exhaust:
1) Start with Warm, Soapy Water
The first thing you need to do is wash the dirt off your car’s exhaust system by using warm, soapy water. You can clean the tip by using an old piece of cloth. You can push it further with the help of a brush. Make sure that the exhaust is free of dirt before moving forward.
2) Use a Degreaser
The next step is to apply a degreaser to the inside and outside of the exhaust tip. Remember to use a dry cloth when performing this step. What the product does is loosen up the rust and carbon deposits.
3) Remove the Degreaser
Let the degreaser sit in the exhaust system for some time. After that, use a steel wool to apply the product in small quantities. Doing so will allow you to get rid of any carbon build-up, tarnish, and rust. If the debris is thicker, you might need to perform this step repeatedly until you achieve the ideal result.
4) Apply the Polish
Now, take the microfiber cloth, then wipe down the exhaust to get rid of all moisture and dust. Once you’ve done that, you can take the steel wool and apply polish to the inside and outside of the exhaust.
5) Remove the Polish
Let the polish sit for a few minutes. After that, you can take the microfiber cloth and remove the polish. Performing this step will make your exhaust system look new.
So, there you have it… all the essential information you need to know when cleaning your vehicle’s exhaust. We have more tips car maintenance tips, including knowing what the color of an exhaust smoke means. If you want to get more info about caring for your used JDM car, make sure you browse through our blog!
