If you've ever ridden in a car with a faulty or missing muffler, you understand why they’re required by Hawaii state law. The low, rumbling growl is impressive while you're idling, but the noise volume becomes almost unbearable once you step on the accelerator. Tire Warehouse Kauai, the premier auto repair shop and tire store in Lihue, HI, explains what mufflers do and how they work.

What Do Mufflers Do?

The purpose of your car's muffler is to reduce the amount of noise generated by the engine, which, after all, propels your car forward through the controlled use of thousands of explosions every minute. Although it is part of the exhaust system, the muffler has no real exhaust function. Rather, it is a soundproofing device that uses "acoustic quieting" to make the engine's exhaust less noisy and obnoxious.

How Do Mufflers Work?

Mufflers are designed, in part, by acoustic sound engineers—the same people who design concert halls and acoustic instruments. These engineers have an intimate understanding of how sound waves travel and interact with each other, amplifying or canceling each other out. Engine noise enters the exhaust system and is funneled into a series of baffles that "tune" the noise and cause the sound waves to bounce around in such a way that they cancel each other out. Because of this acoustic quieting, the sound output from the muffler is a much lower volume than it was at input, and the frequencies of the sound are constrained.

Tire Warehouse Kauai offers fast, reliable, and affordable muffler auto repair to keep you in compliance with the law. Since the company's founding in 1974, their expert muffler repair technicians have helped their customers avoid noise violation citations and kept their vehicles operating at top performance. Visit their website to view hours and contact information, or call (808) 245-6754 to discuss your auto repair needs with a friendly, knowledgeable professional.