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When people are on the hunt for a new car, they often consider things like fuel efficiency, horsepower, and safety features. What many don’t realize is that water can also play a significant role in their vehicle’s performance and maintenance. While we associate water with washing our cars or keeping them hydrated with coolant, it can also find its way into unexpected places, like your exhaust system.

If water does make its way into your exhaust system, it can cause problems such as rusting and corrosion. Here we are going to explore how to get water out of your exhaust and why keeping an eye on this aspect of your vehicle’s health is important.

How to Get Water Out Of Your Exhaust?

How to Get Water Out Of Your Exhaust

When it comes to cars and their maintenance, there are simple tasks that every car owner should be aware of. One common issue is having water in exhaust pipe. This can be a result of driving through deep puddles or heavy rain. If you find yourself in this situation, just keep calm! follow these steps that help you how to get water out of your exhaust.

Locate your coolant reservoir

The first thing you can do is, locate your coolant reservoir under the bonnet. The reservoir will have markings indicating the maximum and minimum levels for its contents. Open the reservoir and fill it up with water until it reaches the maximum level mark. This step helps increase the temperature in your engine which promotes faster evaporation of the water inside your exhaust pipe.

Find your exhaust pipe

After that, find the exhaust pipe underneath your car or truck. You’ll see several bolts connecting the exhaust pipe to other parts of the vehicle. Locate these bolts and unscrew them using a wrench or pliers so that you can remove the entire exhaust system.

Extract the turbocharger from the exhaust manifold

Now unscrew the head pipe from the turbocharger. This will allow for easier access to the entire exhaust system. Once this is done, extract the turbocharger from the exhaust manifold. This will provide access to any water that may have accumulated in these areas. Be sure to wear protective gloves when handling these parts as they can be quite hot.

Inspect the turbocharger 

Once you’ve removed the turbocharger, inspect it for any signs of damage or corrosion. If everything looks good, set it aside and move on to the next step: unscrewing the exhaust manifold from the engine. This will give you better access to all parts of your exhaust system, making it easier to locate and remove any water that may be trapped inside.

Methods of Getting Water Out Of Your Exhaust

How to Get Water Out Of Your Exhaust

Cooling of Engine and Water Extraction 

Here are some effective techniques you can use to ensure that your car remains in top condition.

The most common way of getting water out of your exhaust is by running the engine until the water evaporates. Maybe this method will not be effective as it only removes the visible water droplets from the tailpipe. To ensure that all the remaining moisture is removed, it’s best to let your car cool down first before starting it again.

You may think about how to cool down, it’s so simple. You can do this by turning off the car and allowing it to sit for a few minutes. Once the engine has cooled down, you can start removing any excess water that may have accumulated in the tailpipe or muffler using a towel or cloth after that apply a corrosion inhibitor. 

You can also try using a vacuum cleaner or air compressor to blow out any remaining water droplets from inside the tailpipe. This method is highly effective and guarantees that no moisture will remain in the exhaust system after cleaning. After removing excess water from your exhaust system, you should start up the engine again and let it run for a few minutes.

Try This Out

Follow these simple steps:

  • Start the car, once the engine has warmed up look for the point where the steam comes out from the tailpipe.
  • Position yourself on one side of the vehicle and find a spot below it where you can see this stream more clearly.
  • Once you have found this point or water outlet place a towel over it to catch any drips that may come from within.
  • After placing the towel over the water outlet underneath your vehicle turn off its motor and let all remaining heat dissipate from within before removing the said towel.
  • Make sure that the car engine is turned off. It is important to take this safety measure before attempting to remove the towel from the exhaust pipe.
  • Now, get a bucket of water and submerge the towel completely in it. This will help loosen up any stuck-on debris or dirt on the towel.
  • Once the towel is properly soaked, pull it off of the exhaust pipe by using a firm grip and pulling it down slowly.
  • If there is still excess water left inside the exhaust pipe, use a dry cloth or rag to wipe away as much as possible before starting up your car again.

Drive on an Empty Road

Still, experiencing water in your car’s exhaust? Don’t worry. Try out these ways:

Drive on an empty road: This is the most effective way to get rid of water in exhaust. Driving at high speeds on an empty road will create enough heat to evaporate the water out of the muffler and tailpipe.

Let the vehicle idle: If driving on an empty road is not possible, letting the vehicle idle for about an hour can also help. But this method is not cost-effective as it wastes fuel and time.

Use a hairdryer or heat gun: For a quick fix, you can use a hairdryer or heat gun to blow hot air into the tailpipe and muffler.

Vacuum Cleaner Mechanics

A vacuum cleaner’s ability to remove air molecules from an enclosed space and create a decrease in air pressure allows it to draw water vapor molecules out of the exhaust system. This can be helpful for a variety of reasons, including improving engine performance and reducing the risk of damage caused by excess moisture.

Try out these steps to get water out of your exhaust: 

  • Connect a hose attachment to your vacuum cleaner and insert it into the tailpipe. Turn on the vacuum cleaner and allow it to run for several minutes until all visible moisture has been removed.
  • Use a wet-dry vacuum with a large capacity tank to suction out any standing water that may be present in your exhaust system.
  • For more stubborn cases, consider using compressed air or an air compressor to blow out any remaining traces of water from exhaust pipe and muffler.

What happens if water gets in your exhaust pipe

Water getting into your exhaust pipe can cause several issues for your vehicle. Here are some things that can happen if water gets in your exhaust pipe:

Hydrolock

If enough water enters the engine, it can cause the pistons to lock up, which can lead to serious engine damage.

Corrosion

Water in exhaust system can cause accelerated corrosion and rust, especially if it’s saltwater from driving through flooded areas.

Stalled engine

Water that’s trapped in the exhaust system can prevent proper airflow, causing the engine to stall or not start at all. Do you wanna know? Facts about Oil Flammability, we’ve put our thoughts on this, visit our webpage.

Decreased performance

If water is present in the oxygen sensor or catalytic converter, it may affect their ability to function correctly, leading to decreased performance and fuel efficiency.

Follow the given youtube video if you are curious about why water comes out of Your Car’s Exhaust Pipe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH5S5P9RCYE

Conclusion

If you want to maintain the health of your car’s engine and prevent any further damage then getting water out of your exhaust is important. Follow the various methods on How to Get Water Out Of Your Exhaust and extract the water out of your car’s exhaust. Once you’ve identified the issue and applied the appropriate method, it’s essential to ensure proper maintenance of your vehicle.

Regular check-ups and preventative measures can often help avoid such issues from occurring in the future. So, if you encounter water in your car’s exhaust, don’t panic. Just follow these simple steps and methods, and you’ll be back on the road in no time!

FAQs

Does It Normal For The Exhaust To Smoke?

It is normal for the exhaust to smoke when the car is first started. This is because the engine is cold and there is not enough fuel yet in the system. After the engine warms up, the exhaust should no longer smoke.

How Can I Get Water Out Of My Tailpipe?

There are a few ways to get water out of your tailpipe. 
[1]: Use a plunger. 
[2]: Another is to pour a pot of boiling water onto the tailpipe and wait until the water has cooled. 
[3]: You can also use a vacuum cleaner to suck the water out.