The intermediate pipe is an important component of your car's exhaust system. It connects the downpipe leading down from your engine's exhaust manifold to the catalytic converter. This pipe is just like any other component of the exhaust system; it is susceptible to corrosion and leaks. The sad part is, if this part of your vehicle's exhaust system develops a leak for any reason, you have both your comfort and safety to worry about. Here's why. The intermediate pipe comes right before the catalytic converter and much further before the resonator and muffler. The catalytic converter's job is to decrease the toxicity of the engine's exhaust gas, while the resonator and the muffler are both made to primarily tone down the exhaust. That is, to silence your vehicle's exhaust. Now, that's where the problem lies. Since the intermediate pipe comes before all of these crucial components, that means any leak on this part will involve exhaust gas that hasn't been processed by the catalytic converter and hasn't been silenced. Now, do you see the problem? The bottom line is that you're going to suffer from ear-splitting exhaust noise, and you and your passengers will be put at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Do you really want that? You know what you have to do. Order a replacement intermediate pipe right here at Car Stuff.