{"id":181493,"date":"2025-08-22T21:19:05","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T04:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/?p=181493"},"modified":"2025-08-22T21:19:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T04:19:08","slug":"what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does a Car Muffler Look Like?"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<div class=\"summary-widget\">\n    <h3>Summary<\/h3>\n    <ul class=\"summary-grid\">\n            <li class=\"summary-grid-list\">\n            <div class=\"sm-item\">\n\n                                    <p class=\"sm-title\">\n                        A car muffler is a cylindrical or rectangular metal component (steel or aluminum) with inlet and outlet pipes, designed to withstand heat and drain water through a small hole in its casing.                    <\/p>\n                \n            <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n            <li class=\"summary-grid-list\">\n            <div class=\"sm-item\">\n\n                                    <p class=\"sm-title\">\n                        Located behind the rear axle and before the tailpipe, the muffler reduces engine noise using chambers, tubes, and baffles that absorb, redirect, or disrupt sound waves.                    <\/p>\n                \n            <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n            <li class=\"summary-grid-list\">\n            <div class=\"sm-item\">\n\n                                    <p class=\"sm-title\">\n                        While it gets hot, the muffler does not usually require a heat shield, unlike the catalytic converter, since it operates at lower temperatures.                    <\/p>\n                \n            <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n        <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The typical <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/muffler\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"car muffler\">car muffler<\/a> has a cylindrical or rectangular body with pipes sticking out of both ends. It&rsquo;s made of metal, either steel or aluminum, and covered by insulation or heat-resistant coating to protect against high temperatures. That being said, the muffler doesn&rsquo;t typically need a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/exhaust-heat-shield\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"heat shield\">heat shield<\/a> like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/catalytic-converter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"catalytic converter\">catalytic converter<\/a> does. It gets hot but not as hot as the catalyst.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pipes leading to the engine are inlet pipes that take in exhaust gases. Meanwhile, the pipes on the opposite side are outlet pipes that release them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/car-muffler-1024x680.jpg\" alt=\"car muffler\" class=\"wp-image-181494\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A muffler installed in a car | Image Source: Richard McCuistian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The car muffler is an acoustic device that reduces the noise produced by hot gases as they leave the engine and pass through the exhaust system. On most cars, the muffler is found behind the rear axle and in front of the tailpipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There will be a small hole in the end of the muffler casing on a good muffler and this hole is supposed to be positioned so that water from the exhaust can drain out and won&rsquo;t gather in the muffler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"pro-tip-widget\">\n\n    <div class=\"pro-tip-item\">\n        <figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/image\/upload\/f_auto,dpr_auto,q_auto,c_pad\/carparts\/blog\/widgets\/protip\/services-icon\" alt=\", P0442 Code: Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (Small Leak)\" class=\"kb-img\"><\/figure>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div class=\"protip-desc\">\n        <div class=\"help-tip\">\n        <p><strong>Pro Tips<\/strong> are nuggets of information direct from ASE-certified automobile technicians working with CarParts.com, which may include unique, personal insights based on their years of experience working in the automotive industry. These can help you make more informed decisions about your car.<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"help-caption\">\n            <p>\n                <strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong>\n                The engine makes about a gallon of water for every gallon of gasoline it uses. This water goes out the exhaust, which is why you see steam from the exhaust of vehicles in the winter until the exhaust system warms up so that the vapor isn&rsquo;t visible.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/common-types-of-mufflers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"design\">design<\/a>, the muffler contains a series of chambers, tubes, and baffles that silence the exhaust gases in one of several ways. Some mufflers absorb the sounds. Others redirect the sounds back to the engine or remove energy by forcing the gases through a narrow passage. Some mufflers disrupt the sound waves to reduce the noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips on How to Access the Car Muffler<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Take steps to prevent your car from moving while you&rsquo;re under it. Park your car on a level surface to prevent it from rolling. Make sure the parking brake is engaged and the transmission is in park. Block the tires with wheel chocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wait for the engine and exhaust system to cool down. Wear heavy-duty gloves to protect your hands from residual heat and sharp edges.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>The typical car muffler has a cylindrical or rectangular body with pipes sticking out of both ends. It&rsquo;s made of&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1651,"featured_media":181494,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1034,52,3750],"tags":[633],"ppma_author":[2607,2985],"class_list":{"0":"post-181493","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-auto-repair","8":"category-diy","9":"category-exhaust-system","10":"tag-muffler","11":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Does a Car Muffler Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The car muffler is a useful part of the exhaust system. Learn what it looks like, what it does, and where you can find it.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Does a Car Muffler Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The car muffler is a useful part of the exhaust system. Learn what it looks like, what it does, and where you can find it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-08-23T04:19:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-08-23T04:19:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/car-muffler-e1755922305924.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"531\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CarParts.com Research Team, Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CarParts.com Research Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"1651\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"jobTitle\":\"Expert Automotive Writer\",\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com&#039;s thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.\",\"knowsAbout\":\"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews\",\"publishingPrinciples\":\"\\\/blog\\\/our-team\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/thecpteam\\\/\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/carpartscom, https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/CarPartscom, https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@CarPartscomOfficial\\\/, https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carpartscom\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"1651\",\"name\":\"Richard McCuistian\",\"jobTitle\":\"ASE Master Automobile Technician\",\"description\":\"Richard McCuistian has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, and a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others. Richard is ASE certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.\",\"knowsAbout\":\"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews\",\"publishingPrinciples\":\"\\\/blog\\\/our-team\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/richardmccuistian\\\/\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/richard-mccuistian-2681891b\\\/, https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/McCuistian\"}],\"headline\":\"What Does a Car Muffler Look Like?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-23T04:19:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-23T04:19:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":326,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/car-muffler-e1755922305924.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Muffler\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Auto Repair\",\"DIY\",\"Exhaust System\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/\",\"name\":\"What Does a Car Muffler Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/car-muffler-e1755922305924.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-08-23T04:19:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-23T04:19:08+00:00\",\"description\":\"The car muffler is a useful part of the exhaust system. Learn what it looks like, what it does, and where you can find it.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/car-muffler-e1755922305924.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/car-muffler-e1755922305924.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":531,\"caption\":\"car muffler\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/cp-itg-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/cp-itg-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":398,\"caption\":\"CarParts.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@CarPartscomOfficial\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9f8a8b00e1b9f62f86295617b525e1f0\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/thecpteam.jpg485c93be26f8b27acc17cbe4a2313397\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/thecpteam.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/thecpteam.jpg\",\"caption\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\"},\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/thecpteam\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carpartscom\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/CarPartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@CarPartscomOfficial\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/thecpteam\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Does a Car Muffler Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com","description":"The car muffler is a useful part of the exhaust system. Learn what it looks like, what it does, and where you can find it.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Does a Car Muffler Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com","og_description":"The car muffler is a useful part of the exhaust system. Learn what it looks like, what it does, and where you can find it.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/","og_site_name":"In The Garage with CarParts.com","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","article_published_time":"2025-08-23T04:19:05+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-08-23T04:19:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":531,"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/car-muffler-e1755922305924.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"CarParts.com Research Team, Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom","twitter_site":"@carpartscom","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CarParts.com Research Team","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/"},"author":[{"@type":"Person","$id":"1651","name":"CarParts.com Research Team","jobTitle":"Expert Automotive Writer","description":"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com&#039;s thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.","knowsAbout":"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews","publishingPrinciples":"\/blog\/our-team\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom, https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom, https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CarPartscomOfficial\/, https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carpartscom\/"},{"@type":"Person","$id":"1651","name":"Richard McCuistian","jobTitle":"ASE Master Automobile Technician","description":"Richard McCuistian has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, and a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others. Richard is ASE certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.","knowsAbout":"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews","publishingPrinciples":"\/blog\/our-team\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/richardmccuistian\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/richard-mccuistian-2681891b\/, https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/McCuistian"}],"headline":"What Does a Car Muffler Look Like?","datePublished":"2025-08-23T04:19:05+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-23T04:19:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/"},"wordCount":326,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/car-muffler-e1755922305924.jpg","keywords":["Muffler"],"articleSection":["Auto Repair","DIY","Exhaust System"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/","name":"What Does a Car Muffler Look Like? - In The Garage with CarParts.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/car-muffler-e1755922305924.jpg","datePublished":"2025-08-23T04:19:05+00:00","dateModified":"2025-08-23T04:19:08+00:00","description":"The car muffler is a useful part of the exhaust system. Learn what it looks like, what it does, and where you can find it.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-does-a-car-muffler-look-like\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/car-muffler-e1755922305924.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/car-muffler-e1755922305924.jpg","width":800,"height":531,"caption":"car muffler"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/","name":"In The Garage with CarParts.com","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"CarParts.com","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cp-itg-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cp-itg-logo.png","width":2048,"height":398,"caption":"CarParts.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/x.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CarPartscomOfficial\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f8a8b00e1b9f62f86295617b525e1f0","name":"CarParts.com Research Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg485c93be26f8b27acc17cbe4a2313397","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg","caption":"CarParts.com Research Team"},"description":"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carpartscom\/","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CarPartscomOfficial\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/car-muffler-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/car-muffler-600x600.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"CarParts.com Research Team","author_link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/"},"authors":[{"term_id":2607,"user_id":1651,"is_guest":0,"slug":"thecpteam","display_name":"CarParts.com Research Team","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg"},"author_category":"","user_url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/","last_name":"","first_name":"CarParts.com Research Team","job_title":"","description":"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust."},{"term_id":2985,"user_id":1646,"is_guest":0,"slug":"richardmccuistian","display_name":"Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/richard-mccuistian.png","url2x":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/richard-mccuistian.png"},"author_category":"","user_url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/richardmccuistian\/","last_name":"McCuistian","first_name":"Richard","job_title":"ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician","description":"<div class=\"auth-social-links\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/richard-mccuistian-2681891b\/\" class=\"btn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"linkedin\" aria-labelledby=\"linkedin\">LinkedIn<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/McCuistian\" class=\"btn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"instagram\" aria-labelledby=\"instagram\">Youtube<\/a><\/div>\r\n\r\nRichard McCuistian grew up in Alabama learning from his father who ran an automotive repair shop. Richard has worked for nearly 50 years in the automotive field as a professional technician, an instructor, a freelance automotive writer for Motor Age, ACtion magazine, Power Stroke Registry, and others (published every year since May 2000). He has developed training courses and written or edited training material for companies in the U.S. Canada, and the Netherlands, and even Bulgaria. He maintained an \u201cask a mechanic\u201d website for 10 years answering questions emailed to him from all over the world.\r\n\r\nRichard has an instructional automotive YouTube channel \u201cMcCuistian\u201d with 13,500 subscribers and over 1,300 videos. Much of his professional work requires photography and videography in shop environments, but Richard also enjoys taking pictures of landscapes, skyscapes, old barns and houses, small towns. He has produced a coffee table book of digital watercolors called \u201cMemories of South Alabama\u201d created from his personal photos, along with a dozen Christian fiction short original novels and a collection of short stories, all available in Kindle or softcover format. Richard has written a 2,500-word Bible study every week for the past 20 years and uses it to teach a small group at his church every Sunday morning.\r\n\r\n<strong>Credentials:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"author-list\">\r\n<li><p>ASE Certified for more than 30 years in 10 categories, including L1 Advanced Engine Performance and Light Vehicle Diesel.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Professional Mechanic\/Technician for 25 years with experience on diesel and gasoline engines, vehicles and equipment (including hydraulics).<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Spent 5 years in fleet maintenance, 20 years in independent shops and dealerships (VW, Mazda, Renault, Jeep, Ford, Lincoln), specializing in driveability and electronics for the last 14 years of his career at the same dealership.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Senior Contributing Editor at Motor Age Magazine, first published in Motor Age in May of 2000 and every year since. He has won two International Automotive Media Awards for technical articles published in trade magazines.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Has attended hundreds of hours of automotive training from OEMs including GM, Volkswagen, Mazda, Renault, Jeep, Chrysler, as well as additional training at events like KC Vision and MACS (Mobile Air Climate Systems Association).<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Taught college level auto mechanics for 19 years.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Has written for automotive training companies (including course development work for training companies in Canada and the Netherlands) and has been hired to teach professional trade show technician courses at multiple training events in Texas and Alabama.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>While still teaching at the college level, Richard launched a new automotive program in Geneva, Alabama, setting up a dual enrollment department in a new building, organizing the shop and classroom, teaching morning classes to high school students for 2 years while still teaching at the college in the afternoon.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<li><p>Richard\u2019s college program at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College worked at professional shop speed during his tenure to prepare graduates for production level work in the real world.<\/p><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181493"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181493\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/181494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181493"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=181493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}