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                 Your car's exhaust system carries away the gases created when the fuel and air are burned in the engine's combustion chamber.  Here are the major components of the exhaust system.

• Exhaust begins at the exhaust manifold.  The exhaust manifolds attach to the cylinder heads and then combines each cylinder's exhaust gases into one pipe.  The manifold can be made of steel, aluminum, stainless steel, or more commonly cast iron.  
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• Oxygen sensors measure how much oxygen is present in the exhaust.  From this the computer can add or subtract fuel to obtain the correct mixture for maximum fuel economy.  The oxygen sensor is mounted in the exhaust manifold or close to it in the exhaust pipe. Many vehicles are now equipped with multiple sensors.

• Catalytic converters convert harmful carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons to water vapor and carbon dioxide.  The converter is mounted between the exhaust manifold and the muffler.
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• Mufflers quiet the exhaust, or noise from the combustion of the engine, down to acceptable levels.  Most mufflers use baffles to bounce the exhaust around causing frequencies to combine and cancel each other out.  Some mufflers also use fiberglass packing which converts the sound energy as the "sound passes" through.  The type of internal design determines the tone, sound, and performance of the engine.
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• Exhaust pipes connect the manifolds to the catalytic converters and also connects the catalytic converter to the muffler.  Many exhaust pipes are fitted with a stainless steel flexible section to absorb the shock from engine vibration.
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• Tail pipes carry the gases from the muffler out the rear or side of the vehicle. The tailpipe is the last part of the exhaust system to exit the vehicle.