Rommel's Random Ramblings

I took my car in for a tune-up in preparation for a smog check. I also had something else in the engine checked out. It had been making a loud sound for a while that people thought it was somehow modified. Vroom vroom! Yeah, sure... Anyway, I found out that the exhaust manifold has this big crack around it. The air leaking out through the crack was what was making the sound. It's sort of like how some people put larger mufflers in their cars to allow air to flow out more freely but end up being louder in the process. Ahhh... that manifold will cost a lot to fix. The car still runs fine, but the exhaust is messed up. That means that emissions control wouldn't work properly, and the car is unlikely to pass a smog test until I get it fixed. The mileage is most likely affected, too. I don't know why the designers decided to manufacture the exhaust manifold out of cast iron (which does crack) instead of out of steel like the rest of the engine. Oh well, what can you do...?

The car was making the sound before the accident so the problem isn't due to that. Speaking of which, I saw the police report the other day. It says that the other driver didn't have proof of insurance. I hope my insurance company can resolve the accident situation with her.

No picture this time, but aren't you tired of these car stories yet? Maybe I should have taken a picture of the crack while I was at the mechanic.