How To Diagnose Exhaust Restrictions

23 Mar

If you’re experiencing poor performance, overheating, pinging, or having trouble getting up hills you might want to check to see if you have a restricted exhaust. An engine needs to breath which means that not only does it need to take in air but it also needs to get rid of the spent air, much like we do when we exhale. If it’s not able to do that properly you’ll experience all kinds of performance issues including lack of power. This video shows an easy non obtrusive way to check to see if you have an exhaust restriction using a vacuum gauge. A vacuum gauge can tell you a lot about how your engine is running including if you have a restricted exhaust. If you do find that you have a restriction you can confirm it by either dropping the exhaust at the manifold or removing an O2 sensor and taking it for a drive. If it runs better you likely have an exhaust restriction. Don’t assume it’s the catalytic converter though as I’ve seen mufflers and exhaust pipes cause restrictions as well. Here’s a video on how to check your Catalytic Converter should you suspect it’s bad.