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      12-07-2016, 03:21 PM   #1
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After 20,000 miles the two outside exhausts tips have blackened. Normal car cleaning stuff is not working on the chrome surface.

Any non-scratching cleaning suggestions?
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      12-07-2016, 03:25 PM   #2
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You should try to polish them with a piece of steel wool.
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      12-07-2016, 04:17 PM   #3
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Steel wool and metal polish...
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      12-07-2016, 04:34 PM   #4
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To clarify, use VERY FINE steel wool - 0000 grade. And only with a good metal polish, for lubrication.

That said, your exhaust tips don't look that bad. Always start off with the least aggressive technique.

Try this first (P21S metal polishing soap):

http://www.detailedimage.com/P21S-M1...P84/105-oz-S1/


With this (Powerball polishing ball on a drill):

http://www.autogeek.net/marine-powerball-mini.html

More often than not, this is all you'll need to get both the outside AND inside of the tips looking like a mirror.

If that doesn't work, THEN try 0000 steel wool, with a good metal polish.

Most importantly, after all of your hard work to get them looking fantastic, use a good metal sealant. Wolfgang's is excellent - http://www.autogeek.net/wolfgang-metal-sealant.html

More recently, I have been using a ceramic coating to seal the exhaust tips on our cars. It works AMAZINGLY well. After polishing, I'll apply the ceramic coating (I use Pinnacle Diamond wheel coating - it will handle the heat of an exhaust easily), and for a LOOOONG time, all it takes is a rinse with a water hose - at most, I rub my fingers around the edges with a quality car wash and sponge), and the tips are perfect again.


Hope this helps!
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Last edited by TTBear; 12-08-2016 at 09:37 AM..
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      12-07-2016, 08:12 PM   #5
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Ahhhh, Mister Clean Magic Eraser!!!!!

And I'm not joking either.
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      12-07-2016, 08:31 PM   #6
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0000 steel wool. Just cleaned my F15 tips the other day.
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      12-08-2016, 09:14 AM   #7
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I use Klasse with just a micro fiber - seems to work well for me.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Klasse-...P54/500-ml-S1/
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      12-08-2016, 09:19 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TTBear View Post
To clarify, use VERY FINE steel wool - 0000 grade.

That said, your exhaust tips don't look that bad. Always start off with the least aggressive technique.

Try this first (P21S metal polishing soap):

http://www.detailedimage.com/P21S-M1...P84/105-oz-S1/


With this (Powerball polishing ball on a drill):

http://www.autogeek.net/marine-powerball-mini.html

More often than not, this is all you'll need to get both the outside AND inside of the tips looking like a mirror.

If that doesn't work, THEN try 0000 steel wool, with a good metal polish.

Most importantly, after all of your hard work to get them looking fantastic, use a good metal sealant. Wolfgang's is excellent - http://www.autogeek.net/wolfgang-metal-sealant.html

More recently, I have been using a ceramic coating to seal the exhaust tips on our cars. It works AMAZINGLY well. After polishing, I'll apply the ceramic coating (I use Pinnacle Diamond wheel coating - it will handle the heat of an exhaust easily), and for a LOOOONG time, all it takes is a rinse with a water hose - at most, I rub my fingers around the edges with a quality car wash and sponge), and the tips are perfect again.


Hope this helps!
Is P21S safe to use on black, chrome exhuast tips also?
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      12-08-2016, 09:35 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by neurotichamster View Post
Is P21S safe to use on black, chrome exhuast tips also?
That's question I've been asking for ages, without a definitive answer.

My gut feeling on this is that in order to obtain the black chrome finish, the exhaust tip has to be clear coated (with the clear coat having a candy-coat tint in it). As such, I'd treat the finish just as I would with any clear coat - i.e. - I would NOT use P21S on it, just as I would not use it on my paint.

For this, I'd start safe, and use a good polish - Menzerna Super Intensive Polish would be a great start. If you need to get more aggressive, then go to a more aggressive polish, like Menzerna Fast Gloss (FG400), and follow either of them up with a finer polish (like Menzerna Final Finish (FF3000)).

If the tip is very blackened with exhaust soot, you could use 3000 grit sandpaper (it's safe for clear coat finishes, say, for scratches that are too deep for polishing), and then follow up the resulting haze with Menzerna Super Intensive Polish and then Final Finish.

And of course, apply a sealant/coating once clean - you'll be VERY thankful you did, because cleaning subsequently will be a breeze!

That's what I would do, anyway. YMMV
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      12-08-2016, 09:36 AM   #10
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Just a quick "thank you" to the many helpful answers, will post a grateful "cleaned tips" picture when done.

By the way, I thought that "carbon blackened" exhausts were gone with the last '70s carburetor Ferraris.

Our X5 M engines must be running heavily rich to produce so much carbon particulates - I must be missing something, as I believed that direct injection gasoline engines were intrinsically leaner.

Or it may be caused by our driving, rarely using more than 10 to 20 % of max engine power :-(
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      12-08-2016, 10:49 AM   #11
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i clean the tips every week, so i never have this issue.
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      12-08-2016, 08:40 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dkhm3 View Post
i clean the tips every week, so i never have this issue.
This is the right way to do it!
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      12-08-2016, 10:09 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TTBear View Post
That's question I've been asking for ages, without a definitive answer.

My gut feeling on this is that in order to obtain the black chrome finish, the exhaust tip has to be clear coated (with the clear coat having a candy-coat tint in it). As such, I'd treat the finish just as I would with any clear coat - i.e. - I would NOT use P21S on it, just as I would not use it on my paint.

For this, I'd start safe, and use a good polish - Menzerna Super Intensive Polish would be a great start. If you need to get more aggressive, then go to a more aggressive polish, like Menzerna Fast Gloss (FG400), and follow either of them up with a finer polish (like Menzerna Final Finish (FF3000)).

If the tip is very blackened with exhaust soot, you could use 3000 grit sandpaper (it's safe for clear coat finishes, say, for scratches that are too deep for polishing), and then follow up the resulting haze with Menzerna Super Intensive Polish and then Final Finish.

And of course, apply a sealant/coating once clean - you'll be VERY thankful you did, because cleaning subsequently will be a breeze!

That's what I would do, anyway. YMMV
cheers! I'll avoid it in that case
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      12-09-2016, 01:44 AM   #14
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I just use a moistured towel to wipe it after every car wash, and the tips still look new.
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      12-09-2016, 05:22 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GladiatorOwner View Post
Ahhhh, Mister Clean Magic Eraser!!!!!

And I'm not joking either.
Yep! That does work!

I've also used that wadded cotton with polish in it that is meant for silver. Shines it right up...though I do it weekly when I was it so it keeps it relatively easy to maintain
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