Exhaust carbon...

[Addicted]

So, I left my exhausts for ages as I preferred them black but decided to actually clean them, and boy what a joke!

Bad idea to leave them black, the carbon and oil buildup is ridiculous.

Wtf do I do? Using gtechniq all metal Polish and it's barely touching it with a cloth, so decided to go the wire wool method, #0000, except now it's as if I've removed a coating and it's looking s**t underneath?? Check pic 2 to see what I mean.

I don't get it, they're steel not chromed, so wtf do I do, keep polishing? I can feel the bumps. Not going to use the wool on the other ones until I know wtf to do.

Cheers

 

[Mr Plums]

Autosol? I find this easily the best metal polish.

 

[Addicted]

What do I do about the what appear to be holes in the finish though, surely that should not happen?

Seems fine everywhere else, but f**k it'd stubborn and the finish on that tip is a bit worrying.

 

[AdDaMan]

I use autosol on mine.

 

[Addicted]

I use autosol on mine.

Yeah, very similar to the GTechniq stuff, this hasnt been done for months you can see how thick it is as it comes off in pieces!!

Dunno what to do about the exhaust with the tiny imperfections on the surface now though, I didn't even apply the wool hard, which is utterly ridiculous imo.

 

[Gally]

So have you removed the chrome?

 

[Addicted]

So have you removed the chrome?

Nah, I thought I had - only touched one with wire wool, the others I didnt use any and used different techniques to clean the carbon off, its pitted - all of them even (one of them wasn't very dirty at all and the pitting is visible even ignoring the carbon so was there already!!) :/

Utter bs tbh, surely that can't be right considering the age? I guess my only way now is to just leave them to build up again, and leave them black. I'd of presumed it was the carbon or me causing it, but as one of them already has it before I touched it, not sure what it was from. Reading up, lots of salt can do it? Doubt that's the case in less than a year imo.

 

[Addicted]

Reading up, I don't think they're chrome plated, so maybe I didn't look at it properly? Will take a good look tomorrow..

 

[MarkCup]

The tips on my ST were like that recently when I gave the car its first thorough post winter clean.

I probably spent half an hour on my knees and used 1/3 tube of Autosol but got them back looking like new in the end.

 

[Knuckles]

Good excuse to get a new exhaust?

One without oval exhausts

Sorry, hope you get it sorted. Autosol and perseverance would be my plan A

 

[Addicted]

The tips on my ST were like that recently when I gave the car its first thorough post winter clean.

I probably spent half an hour on my knees and used 1/3 tube of Autosol but got them back looking like new in the end.

Good excuse to get a new exhaust?

One without oval exhausts :blush:

Sorry, hope you get it sorted. Autosol and perseverance would be my plan A

Cheers guys, will buy some tomorrow 100%. Hopefully I can sort them

Worth noting I NEVER had the Clio exhausts this bad in the whole 4 years I owned it, stock exhaust and yozza... I didn't clean these for 2 months and they are a nightmare lol.

 

[Knuckles]

Cheers guys, will buy some tomorrow 100%. Hopefully I can sort them :smile:

Worth noting I NEVER had the Clio exhausts this bad in the whole 4 years I owned it, stock exhaust and yozza... I didn't clean these for 2 months and they are a nightmare lol.

#.:Rproblems

 

[Gus]

I bought one of these brushes http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-250311-Wheel-Cleaning-Brush/dp/B001C7QZJ0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429918435&sr=8-2&keywords=wheel brush
snapped the handle off and attach the brush part to a cordless drill. then use liberal amounts of metal polish with it and go at it. It fits perfectly into a miltek exhaust (also tried a yozza which is the same bore). The brush is a few mill bigger than the exhaust bore so makes it a breeze to clean. Just stand there holding the drill for a few minutes.

 

[aucky]

The inward rolled tip is starting to pit on mine as well. No amount of polishing will undo that

Still looks shiny from a few feet away though.

 

[JD]

Try one of these;

Worked well on dads four exhausts.

 

[Addicted]

The inward rolled tip is starting to pit on mine as well. No amount of polishing will undo that 😧

Still looks shiny from a few feet away though.

Pretty s**t isnt it? Not even a year old ffs!

Ty for suggestions guys, I'll just polish as is for now, nothing will stop it sadly.

 

[Paprika123]

The trims slide off - might be easier to do that and soak them in something?

 

[dajones]

If the tips can be removed get them off and dremel them or as mentioned above the powerball thing.

 

[Addicted]

There's no trims, @Paprika123 its part of the exhaust, welded on

 

[benji93]

i use auto finesse mercury with 000 grade steel wool, tips go perfect every time, i just cleaned up my cobra 3" catback from my old vxr to sell aswell and it made short work of the yellow staining

 

[Addicted]

Yeah, it was hard to get a pic any closer, but those tiny dots are not actually just carbon, but where the exhaust has pitted!

Will clean them up normally each wash now (weekly), but doubt I'll polish them properly, as I'd have to go down to wherever the pitting stops, and the metal is obviously pretty thin already!

 

[davo172]

Yeah, it was hard to get a pic any closer, but those tiny dots are not actually just carbon, but where the exhaust has pitted!

Will clean them up normally each wash now (weekly), but doubt I'll polish them properly, as I'd have to go down to wherever the pitting stops, and the metal is obviously pretty thin already!

s**t german build quality GET A FRENCH CAR !! :wink::smile:

 

[BoatNonce]

Stealth exhausts FTW.

 

[AdDaMan]

There's no trims, @Paprika123 its part of the exhaust, welded on :smile:

Apparently they are not welded on mate..

 

[AndyStew]

This was highlighted in the Top Gear review, didn't you see it...?

 

[Addicted]

s**t german build quality GET A FRENCH CAR !! :wink::smile:

Yep, #firstworldproblems - had the Yozza for 3 years, and this exhaust looked worst less than 24 hours into ownership!

 

[Mr Plums]

Yep, #firstworldproblems - had the Yozza for 3 years, and this exhaust looked worst less than 24 hours into ownership!

Now that's what you call game changing!

 

[Addicted]

Apparently they are not welded on mate..

Oh, will take a look again then! Could have sworn they were,

Now that's what you call game changing!

Flol! VAG taking note of french cheese stock exhausts

 

[dajones]

Theres probably a grub screw holding them on.
Ive scratched my exhaust trims with autosol. Turns out they cant be polished!

 

[Paprika123]

They're not welded.

Part numbers are 5G0253825D and 5G0253826, Google them and you'll get a few high res images showing the clips that are on the inside.