{"id":2469,"date":"2022-07-28T04:28:28","date_gmt":"2022-07-28T04:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/?p=2469"},"modified":"2023-01-09T03:25:54","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T03:25:54","slug":"how-hot-does-a-muffler-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/emissions\/how-hot-does-a-muffler-get\/","title":{"rendered":"How Hot Does a Muffler Get?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The purpose of a car&#8217;s exhaust system is to route gases away from the vehicle, and a muffler dampens the noise that a straight exhaust system produces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below is more information on vehicle mufflers and the normal temperature ranges in exhaust gas dispersal systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"How Hot Does a Muffler Get\" class=\"wp-image-2470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_71 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Contents<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/emissions\/how-hot-does-a-muffler-get\/#Hot_Exhaust_Meaning\" title=\"Hot Exhaust Meaning\">Hot Exhaust Meaning<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/emissions\/how-hot-does-a-muffler-get\/#Why_Do_Mufflers_Get_Hot\" title=\"Why Do Mufflers Get Hot?\">Why Do Mufflers Get Hot?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/emissions\/how-hot-does-a-muffler-get\/#How_Hot_Does_a_Car_Muffler_Get\" title=\"How Hot Does a Car Muffler Get?\">How Hot Does a Car Muffler Get?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/emissions\/how-hot-does-a-muffler-get\/#How_Hot_Does_a_Muffler_Get_On_A_Small_Engine\" title=\"How Hot Does a Muffler Get On A Small Engine?\">How Hot Does a Muffler Get On A Small Engine?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/emissions\/how-hot-does-a-muffler-get\/#How_Hot_Does_a_Diesel_Exhaust_Muffler_Get\" title=\"How Hot Does a Diesel Exhaust Muffler Get?\">How Hot Does a Diesel Exhaust Muffler Get?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/emissions\/how-hot-does-a-muffler-get\/#Typical_Exhaust_Gas_Temperature\" title=\"Typical Exhaust Gas Temperature\">Typical Exhaust Gas Temperature<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/emissions\/how-hot-does-a-muffler-get\/#What_Is_the_Hottest_Part_of_the_Exhaust_System\" title=\"What Is the Hottest Part of the Exhaust System?\">What Is the Hottest Part of the Exhaust System?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hot_Exhaust_Meaning\"><\/span><a><\/a>Hot Exhaust Meaning<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>While it does depend on the exhaust system, the average temperature at the muffler is usually between 300 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your vehicle engine produces extremely hot gases in the process of using combustion to power the vehicle forward or backward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those gases transfer to the back of the vehicle and out of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without this transfer, the following could happen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\">\n<li>The engine could stall.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deadly exhaust fumes could rise upwards and permeate the vehicle cabin.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The overall temperature of the vehicle, particularly in and around the engine, could get so hot that it could hinder the vehicle&#8217;s performance, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usfa.fema.gov\/downloads\/pdf\/publications\/fa-243.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a fire could start<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The transferred gases are called &#8220;exhaust.&#8221; Exhaust is an umbrella term that covers several different gases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following are a few of the gases that are part of any <a href=\"https:\/\/www.p65warnings.ca.gov\/fact-sheets\/gasoline-engine-exhaust#:~:text=Gasoline%20Engine%20Exhaust%201%20Gasoline%20engine%20exhaust%20is,is%20also%20a%20mixture%20of%20many%20chemicals.%20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gasoline exhaust system<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/compound\/Benzene\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Benzene<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Formaldehyde<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Carbon Monoxide<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/compound\/Ethylbenzene\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ethylbenzene<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/compound\/1_3-Butadiene#section=2D-Structure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1, 3-Butadiene<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This exhaust is the product of the engine&#8217;s extremely hot gas dispersal system. When that exhaust exceeds a normal temperature range, it&#8217;s called &#8220;hot exhaust.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When that happens in some vehicles, a warning light will come on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Do_Mufflers_Get_Hot\"><\/span><a><\/a>Why Do Mufflers Get Hot?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your engine uses combustion to power itself. That combustion is a constant series of ignitions and explosions that turn engine components. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each combustion produces incredible heat that transfers into gases simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When gases exit the engine, they are the hottest they will be and reach over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those gases cool somewhat as they move through the exhaust system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The muffler is the last point they reach before being pushed into the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The muffler has several components made of different materials, but the predominant material is metal. Just like a fireplace poker absorbs heat when thrust into a fire or hot coals, the metal in a muffler absorbs heat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That raises the overall temperature of the muffler as well as the rest of the <a href=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/under-the-car\/exhaust-system\/\">exhaust system<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The exposure of the muffler to extremely hot gases is prolonged and constant, even if the vehicle is idling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since metal will not catch fire and has a higher melting point, the temperature of the muffler has time to build and eventually reaches several hundred degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Hot_Does_a_Car_Muffler_Get\"><\/span><a><\/a>How Hot Does a Car Muffler Get?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The heat of a muffler depends on two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\">\n<li>The revolutions per minute (RPMs) of your engine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How fast you are moving the vehicle via combustion in the engine.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A muffler in an extreme situation can exceed 700 or 800 degrees Fahrenheit, which is still 200 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the average exhaust temperature when it leaves the engine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On average, however, a muffler will range between 300 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference between when the exhaust leaves the engine and when it reaches the muffler depends on the <a href=\"https:\/\/nepis.epa.gov\/Exe\/ZyNET.exe\/P100TSYK.TXT?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&amp;Client=EPA&amp;Index=2000+Thru+2005&amp;Docs=&amp;Query=&amp;Time=&amp;EndTime=&amp;SearchMethod=1&amp;TocRestrict=n&amp;Toc=&amp;TocEntry=&amp;QField=&amp;QFieldYear=&amp;QFieldMonth=&amp;QFieldDay=&amp;IntQFieldOp=0&amp;ExtQFieldOp=0&amp;XmlQuery=&amp;File=D%3A%5Czyfiles%5CIndex%20Data%5C00thru05%5CTxt%5C00000037%5CP100TSYK.txt&amp;User=ANONYMOUS&amp;Password=anonymous&amp;SortMethod=h%7C-&amp;MaximumDocuments=1&amp;FuzzyDegree=0&amp;ImageQuality=r75g8\/r75g8\/x150y150g16\/i425&amp;Display=hpfr&amp;DefSeekPage=x&amp;SearchBack=ZyActionL&amp;Back=ZyActionS&amp;BackDesc=Results%20page&amp;MaximumPages=1&amp;ZyEntry=1&amp;SeekPage=x&amp;ZyPURL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">catalytic converter<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The catalytic converter can reach more than 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, but most top off at around 1000 degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get2-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"How Hot Does a Muffler Get\" class=\"wp-image-2471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/How-Hot-Does-a-Muffler-Get2.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Hot_Does_a_Muffler_Get_On_A_Small_Engine\"><\/span><a><\/a>How Hot Does a Muffler Get On A Small Engine?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since there is no catalytic converter on some smaller engines, the temperature of the muffler will be about the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;A <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnmowerguru.com\/how-hot-does-a-lawn-mower-engine-get\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lawn mower engine<\/a>, for example, will be about 300 degrees Fahrenheit to about 400 degrees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because the exhaust system is shorter and there is no catalytic converter, the hot exhaust from the engine pours directly into the muffler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Hot_Does_a_Diesel_Exhaust_Muffler_Get\"><\/span><a><\/a>How Hot Does a Diesel Exhaust Muffler Get?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Diesel molecules need more heat to ignite. That means diesel will burn hotter from the beginning. As that heat transfers to emission gases, it leaves the engine hotter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The typical exhaust temperature of diesel ranges from 1000 to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit.<\/strong> That means the muffler will get hotter as the exhaust moves out of the vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Typical_Exhaust_Gas_Temperature\"><\/span><a><\/a>Typical Exhaust Gas Temperature<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Exhaust temperature is determined by how much heat is needed to make different molecules ignite. Gasoline molecules, for example, are not as heavy as diesel, which means they burn at a lower temperature range. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Diesel molecules, because they are heavier, ignite at a higher temperature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gasoline typically ignites at a temperature range of 700 to 1100 degrees Fahrenheit. Diesel ignites at a range between 1000 and 1200.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, diesel exhaust is hotter than gasoline when it leaves the engine. That holds through the muffler, but the range for both is typically between 300 and 900 degrees Fahrenheit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>Factors Affecting Temperature of Exhaust Gas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Affecting the typical temperature is a combination of factors. The first factor is the RPMs of the engine. The higher those are, the hotter the exhaust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second factor is the length of time the vehicle is in operation. A vehicle <a href=\"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/issues\/car-running-hot-but-not-overheating\/\">running for a short time will not be as hot<\/a> as a vehicle that has been in operation for miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The third factor is the state of the engine. Engines that run inefficiently or bun a lot of gas through the exhaust system will usually be hotter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clogged engines can increase the temperature of all the components because they must work harder to get to the desired speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The quality of gasoline also affects the temperature of the exhaust as well as exhaust components. Poor quality gasoline makes the engine work harder, which produces higher temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of all those variables, there is no &#8220;typical&#8221; temperature so much as a temperature range that is normal versus abnormal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_the_Hottest_Part_of_the_Exhaust_System\"><\/span><a><\/a>What Is the Hottest Part of the Exhaust System?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The hottest part of the exhaust system is at the point that the exhaust transfers out of the engine. Temperatures at that point can exceed 1000 degrees.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As soon as gases leave the engine, they start to cool. Although, occasionally, the cooling is minimal, resulting in a very hot catalytic converter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The purpose of a car&#8217;s exhaust system is to route gases away from the vehicle, and a muffler dampens the noise that a straight exhaust&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-emissions","wpcat-13-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2469"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2791,"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2469\/revisions\/2791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mycarmakesnoise.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}