why is exhaust so "sooty?"

[K11_Dave]

Getting a bit cheesed off with the amount of crap my exhaust is chucking out. I have had it tuned and re-set the ECU, but still having to wash it more than once a week to get the soot off the whole of the back of the car.

This is after 3 days from clean though camera doesn't really show up the amount of crap everywhere

Hope someone can help - hoping to spray in about 2 weeks, and want to get it sorted first

 

[Ed]

If you drive a car for many short journeys when its warming up the car will run rich making that carbon, also the exhaust gasses form from condensation and this will spit out and do exactly what you see there. (why do you think so few car exhaust have a bumper etc beneath them?) There is nothing wrong with your car, its just one of those things cars do, but are not usually noticed.

 

[James]

I experienced this first hand at Donny:

:glare:

 

[chrisuk]

mine is doing the same at the moment, just one of those things that u can't really get around

 

[Titch]

He he - sorry James.

Anyway, you should see the state mine gets in to mate, and no doung it will be worse when i've got my new manifold on

Titch

 

[Ed]

Cars tend to do it alot more when you idle for ages when cold. That is because the exhaust never gets hot enough to dry the system out. This also leads to exhaust corrosion much quicker than normal.

 

[Craig]

Is that not also that water is a by-product of the combustion process?

 

[Titch]

Belive that a K&N has an effect on this to?

 

[Ed]

In an ideal world all you would get form and engine is water and carbon dioxide, in real life you get CO and HC as well. So yes water definately part of the combustion process. You just dont ususally notice it as the exhaust gets hot and the gasses never turn to a liquid in the exhaust - Except like the pic above when its been idling for a long time or is cold! A K&N will have absolutely no effect on this at all.

 

[wilsonian]

my engine has been running rich for some time, with the decat and K&N it doesn't help. but i've gotted use to see my freshly clean zorst get black with in a few days of use.

 

[Craig]

In an ideal world all you would get form and engine is water and carbon dioxide, in real life you get CO and HC as well. So yes water definately part of the combustion process. You just dont ususally notice it as the exhaust gets hot and the gasses never turn to a liquid in the exhaust - Except like the pic above when its been idling for a long time or is cold!

Like hydrogen/oxygen fuelled rockets
If steam cools you get water, i am in agreement

 

[K11_Dave]

Ta guys, but it's certainly been more noticable since induction kit was fitted. As long as it's not likely to be an engine prob i'm happy :blush: