There are a lot of folks who argue a basic understanding of car maintenance should be part of driver’s license exams, and it’s difficult not to appreciate their point of view after seeing this Reddit post.
DocHollywood710, a user on the popular application, shared a video to the site’s r/AskA[expletive]Mechanic sub. In it, they recorded a person at the car wash using its vacuum cleaners in an unusual way. Numerous users who replied to the clip had jokes for days about the driver’s external application of the interior-cleaning vacuums.
Tailpipe suck
In the video, Doc records a black Chevrolet SUV parked in front of him at the car wash. Its driver has connected a vacuum cleaner hose to the vehicle’s exhaust, which prompted a strong reaction from the Reddit user.
“I was at the car wash and saw someone using the vacuum cleaner in their exhaust!” Additionally, they narrate what they’re seeing in the clip and their voice can be heard off camera. “Well, I’m at a car wash and I look over and I see that somebody has the vacuum in their exhaust pipe.”
At this point in the video, they zoom into the car’s exhaust to show off its new vacuum cleaning attachment. Next, they asked anyone watching the video if this is something that they’ve witnessed before. Moreover, they also wanted to know if there’s a specific reason why anyone would do such a thing.
Why?
Doc went on, “Anybody ever seen it? Is this something new to clean a car where you put something in the exhaust? Never seen anything like that before. Does it help clean out your exhaust?”
This does indeed seem like an odd maneuver to pull on a car. However, there are some who’ve attached shop vacs to their car’s exhaust system. And due to the fact that this person in the Reddit clip is at a car wash, it might make sense.
The FCP Euro blog detailed how a shop vac can be used to diagnose a car’s exhaust system. According to the auto enthusiast, it’s an effective way of seeing whether or not a vehicle’s exhaust contains any leaks. Furthermore, folks will have to get underneath their car for this method to work. Or, at least, get some visibility of its underbelly to determine if there’s indeed a leak.
How it works
Similar to the image presented in Doc’s video, the blogger affixes a shop vac hose to the car’s tailpipe. It’s been secured with tape to ensure that it stays affixed and so that air is being sucked out its exhaust system.
After turning the shop vac on, this will ensure a constant air flow out of the car’s exhaust system. Following this, the car owners can get to work. They can grab a spray bottle filled with soapy water. Then, they get underneath the car and spray exhaust system components.
If there are any leaks, damage, or holes in these parts, the soapy water will start to bubble. This is due to the constant stream of air being sucked from the exhaust. It’s a similar strategy service techs use to determine whether or not there’s a hole in a tire.
For instance, smaller punctures may not emit an audible sound of the air emitting from the tire. However, if there is air expelling from a puncture, the soapy water will bubble up. This allows the tech to pinpoint exactly where the source of the damage is so they can fix the tire.
The same principle applies to the shop-vac-attached-to-the-exhaust trick. Commuters can peek under their vehicle to see if there’s any soapy buildup. If there is, then they know where the leaks in their exhaust system are. Subsequently, they can perform necessary repairs on these affected components.
Redditors laughed
Considering that the Chevrolet SUV driver in question is at a car wash, they might be trying this repair out. Soap and water are readily available, and the vacuum cleaner setups perform similar functions to shop vacs.
Throngs of users on the application found the maneuver ridiculous. One person made an Anchorman reference, “I always do this before an emissions test. And 40% of the time, it works every time.”
Another Reddit user quipped, “I thought California banned automotive conversion therapy.”
Meanwhile, someone else wasn’t afraid to get crude with it. “I too enjoy a vacuum cleaner in my tailpipe.”
Is this how you add horsepower?
byu/DocHollywood710 inAskAShittyMechanic
Misguided?
Although there was one person who referenced how vacuum pumps can up a car’s horsepower. However, the implementation is nothing like what is presented inside of this video. Vacuum pumps are installed inside of cars’ crank cases, for instance, for boosted performance. Fixing one to an exhaust won’t do much, as the Reddit user points out.
“Scavenging. Pulls exhaust out lowering backpressure increasing horsepower. Why you need more horsepower sitting tbere idling, I couldn’t tell you.”
Another user on the app echoed the aforementioned sentiment. However, they too ridiculed this method. “I’m glad someone else gets it. Engines are just air pumps. Throw a vacuum on that sum’[expletive] and you got more power flowing. Simple methamatics.”
However, someone else had another theory: jump starting the car. According to them, it’s a way of helping a car with a dead battery turn its engine over. “The car has a dead battery. So they are cranking the engine by sucking the exhaust so it will start turning. It’s also the equivalent of bumpstart, but for cars with automatic transmission.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Doc via Reddit direct message for further comment.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
