Modern cars almost never backfire but when they do, here's what it means

Modern cars hardly ever backfire anymore.

It is a mechanical phenomenon that seems to have died out with certain technology.

But that is not to say that it doesn’t still happen on occasion.

And here is what it means when a modern car backfires.

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Okay, what actually is a backfire?

Most younger car users might very well have never experienced this before.

So, what actually is a backfire?

Put simply, a backfire is the result of when combustion occurs outside of the cylinders in the exhaust system.

Backfires often produce an ear-shattering pop and can potentially shoot flames out of the tail pipe.

If you’ve ever seen Uncle Buck, then you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.

The end result sounds a bit like a cannon firing out of the back of your car.

Such issues can be due to a variety of problems, like vacuum leaks, clogged injectors, and a faulty engine air filter. 

So, how can this be caused in newer, modern cars?

In newer cars, which are often fuel-injected, an improper oxygen-to-fuel mixture can be a leading cause.

Backfires are often caused in older vehicles as the result of a damaged distributor cap, which is designed to route electrical current to the car’s spark plugs.

If the cap is damaged, it can often allow moisture into the system.

This, in turn, leads to a de-synching of combustion between the cylinders.

What happens if backfiring isn’t addressed?

Thankfully, modern cars are much, much less susceptible to these loud bangs.

That is because modern cars don’t have a distributor cap – as the air-to-fuel mixture is managed by the engine control module (ECM).

But what actually happens to your car if the problem isn’t addressed?

The first (and most obvious) side effect is the car’s performance.

Because of the improper ratio, the engine certainly won’t be able to run optimally.

Sluggish performance and acceleration will be two immediate symptoms of the problem.

Expensive components such as the catalytic converter can also eventually wear out.

A replacement of the catalytic converter can run you well over $2,000.

This makes it extremely important to recognize these issues – and fix them quickly.