I searched the thread and didn't seem to locate anything that matched up.

It seems that my exhaust tips are always blackend with soot. I was told by the dealer it was because it was breaking in, which I thought it would be fine for first couple thousand miles....20K later, they seem to be as bad or worse.

Anybody with any ideas...the car is going in this Weds to have...the dash mat replaced, the cold start issue looked into and...whatever else I can come up with between now and Weds.

Thanks.

S

 

it's running rich. what's the cold start issue?

 

Sounds like that will require some ecu work from the dealer.

on the cold start. Lately in the mornings after it's sat awhile, when starting it will choke and sputter, stall and die. It may happen once or twice before it fires up. Once its warm there are no problem.

Every so often when it is warm there is a sudden drop in rpm then it revs back up and no problems...that one is very intermittent.

 

R56? I had the same cold start issues on my '05 and '06. Dealer said 'no problem found'. All they'll do is reflash the latest ECU tune from MINI.

 

Yeap, it's the r56, we picked it up in May, it was an April build.

 

Black soot is carbon. Carbon is a byproduct of combustion. Unless there is an obscene amount and it is all over the bumper the dealer probably will tell you normal condition. Still a question worth asking at the dealer. Keep us up to date with their answer.

 

I painted my tips. It's always clean.

 

i have that same problem with the black soot. its kinda eating away at my chrome

 

Your right, over the phone he said it's normal and they all do it. It's not on the bumper, but pretty much cover the tips. However it seems to me at least it's a bit more than normal. Now coupled with my cold start issues, I wonder if they are connected?

 

the carbon build up is basically the same as the carbon that builds up on the injectors and throttle body. there really is nothing you can do. its just something that happens with the fuels that we use. happens all of the time on my '06 mcsa and on my wifes '06 g6gt.

 

Well while looking over in the Mods forum, I just seen an Alta exhaust that was matte black...maybe that will ease my issue...I just won't see it then and a few more hp's to the mix.

 

Everyone who looks at my tips says "what's wrong with your car?"

I've not had any issues in 1600 miles but it is annoying that my once chrome tips are now black. Is there a good way to clean them? Now that I'm a little past break-in maybe I can clean them and they won't be so bad. I'll ask in the detail forum.

 

mother's chrome polish paste thingy definitely might do the trick.

 

If indeed you have an issue that is causing a cold start issue it may, may, be related. When the car is cold, the engine managment computer is programed to run a "richer" mixture until the engine starts to warm up, if there is a programing issue or issue with one of the sensors the ecm uses as a reference it could lead to running rich for too long, hence more soot than normal. There is really alot of reasons for a cold start issue hard to tell from here. On the other hand my last car 330i BMW had alot of soot also, more than my last car, but alas it was normal.

 

Just clean the tips every time you wash the car!

The reason it's noticable and not on most other cars is that most other cars don't use chrome rolled edge tips, just single wall cut tubing. If you look on a dirty Porsche they have carbon build up on their pretty rolled edge tips too.

 

I have the same black carbon residue, and I've used Rust Check on a cloth to clean off the tips; it seems to work quite well.

 

I use my maguires chrome wheel cleaner on it....spray it on...walk away to get the hose...come back and rinse...and voila its clean and looks good as new. no wiping no scrubbing and it doesn't hurt it

 

I get the black carbon build up on my Magnaflow tips...

Everytime I make it to the track they come away shiny & clean!

....something about running her all day really really hard seems to clean it up, and it's fun while you're at it!!

Forget the soap, you need to take it out & wind her out to burn off the residue. I don't think you can achieve this safely on the street in the U.S..