I was just reading Tom and Ray’s latest column at http://www…atest.html
The answer kind of shocked me. Couldn’t there be another answer?
The first thing I thought was, “They must drive this Explorer only on short trips, allowing moisture to build up in the exhaust system.” When I considered whether or not this moisture could block the exhaust, it seemed plausible since water expands when it freezes.
What do you think? Can you think of a better explanation? Tom and Ray’s explanation seems kind of far fetched to me.
My first thought when reading it was the same possible solution they suggested- someone backed into a plow bank and stuffed the end of the tailpipe with hard packed snow. Would take the perfect set of circumstances to have it work out correctly but not impossible.
I back one of my cars up close to a small hill by my front garage. Snow always accumulates by the back of the car from naturally accumulating there as well as snowblowing, plowing and shoveling operations to clear the driveway. Many times, the rear end is buried in snow and cleaning it all out ends up packing some into places it shouldn’t be.
Sounds pretty near-fetched to me. Expanding water-turning-to-ice would also expand in the horizontal axis, i.e. out the end of the tailpipe. Does it seem likely that you could accumulate enough water in the exhaust system to actually block it when and if it froze?
In response to both of you, I just don’t see how water could freeze inside a flaming hot muffler. Wouldn’t it melt and drain from the drain hole before it has a chance to freeze?
Aren’t you the guy who said “The first thing I thought was, “They must drive this Explorer only on short trips, allowing moisture to build up in the exhaust system.””?
Mufflers have drain holes?
Sounds like they were saying the ice was in the tailpipe, not the muffler.