MK5 Golf GTI

General => Detailing => Topic started by: GTiBEER on October 16, 2010, 06:52:36 pm

Title: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: GTiBEER on October 16, 2010, 06:52:36 pm
When I bought my Golf last month the bodywork is immaculate and everything is working fine, the only thing that niggles me is the stainless steel exhaust tips have never been cleaned and are black and very dirty looking.

A friend off mine told me to clean them with engine oil but I think he was having a laugh as it looks worse now.

Has anyone got any tips for bringing them back to their original shine?
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: 182_blue on October 16, 2010, 06:53:22 pm
When I bought my Golf last month the bodywork is immaculate and everything is working fine, the only thing that niggles me is the stainless steel exhaust tips have never been cleaned and are black and very dirty looking.

A friend off mine told me to clean them with engine oil but I think he was having a laugh as it looks worse now.

Has anyone got any tips for bringing them back to their original shine?

Autosol  :happy2:
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ekmpowershop2.com%2Fekmps%2Fshops%2Fa1abrasiveslt%2Fimages%2Fautosol.jpg&hash=fe77e4a556fe95bae54c113795754937300f0ec3)
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: johnston on October 16, 2010, 07:22:07 pm
glad somone asked this already, i was just about to say the exact same thing lol  :laugh:
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Tara on October 16, 2010, 07:24:46 pm
I gave up with this and just had new tail pipes put on  :ashamed:
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: stealthwolf on October 16, 2010, 07:25:32 pm
If they're really dirty, I'd suggest using (engine) degreaser or similar. Once you've removed the worst of it, using a microfibre cloth and autosol to polish to a nice finish. I'll warn you now - the dirtier they are, the more elbow grease is required.
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: GTiBEER on October 16, 2010, 07:41:20 pm
That's my Sunday planned then! She looks like she runs on diesel and I'm sure some shiny pipes will finish her good looks off!

Cheers!
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: uk_stu on October 16, 2010, 09:41:57 pm
Use a fine wire wool with a metal polish... (Autosol) and then rub!!

will bring it up nicely!
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: ScrupesGTI on October 16, 2010, 11:58:04 pm
I recently fitted a miltek ED30 exhaust to my car, the special tips are always filthy and a git to clean. I use carb and brake cleaner to get the thick off then polish with autosol but it stays clean for all of 10 mins of driving. better to paint them black i thinks???

Spoils the look of a clean car which is a shame :sad1:
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Edition30 on October 17, 2010, 01:03:44 am
I gave up with this and just had new tail pipes put on  :ashamed:

Lazy co.. :signLOL:


I hope it was of Miltek (or similar) style?
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Gene Hunt on October 17, 2010, 09:06:28 am
I recently fitted a miltek ED30 exhaust to my car, the special tips are always filthy and a git to clean. I use carb and brake cleaner to get the thick off then polish with autosol but it stays clean for all of 10 mins of driving. better to paint them black i thinks???

Spoils the look of a clean car which is a shame :sad1:
..........quick wipe with a soft cloth a couple of times a week will keep on top of it. :happy2:
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: GTiBEER on October 17, 2010, 04:24:11 pm
Used all my elbow grease and she has come up well!

Used Fairy liquid and a wire brush to get the black crud off and then used that Autosol stuff (thanks 182_blue) and the final result was pleasing but not perfect. I think some stains were never meant to come off but unless you look closely you would say it was shiny!

P.s does anyone know where to get clay as my local Halfrauds is clean outta stock???
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: stealthwolf on October 17, 2010, 04:37:48 pm
Tends to be on car-cleaning websites, such as washshop, autoperfections, elitecarcare, cleanyourcar etc
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: TANNER on October 18, 2010, 08:47:05 pm
Someone advised me to use a Brillo pad with the soap in to get most of the black off before autosol. Works a treat for me! Splashed out a pound on some Wilco's budget wire wool pads. Bargain!
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: stealthwolf on October 18, 2010, 09:28:15 pm
If you use wirewool, you need to use 00-grade wirewool, or better still, 0000-grade. Wirewool has the propensity to induce scratches on the exhaust, hence a finer grade is less likely to cause problems.
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: GTiBEER on October 18, 2010, 10:40:38 pm
I will try the 0000 wire wool pads and when I finally get a fully refurbed chrome looking pipe I can eat my bacon off I will post a pic. As if I didn't have enough geeky habits already, this website adds a whole new dimension and less time with my girlfriend lol!
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Eccie on October 20, 2010, 08:49:12 pm
When you get them tips clean :laugh: - get something on them, I put werkstatt prime strong on mine and they appear to clean up nice with a sponge and shampoo now :pomppomp:

(I'm sure Jay will tell me I've got the wrong stuff on :ashamed:, might try some FK1000p next time)
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: johnston on October 20, 2010, 09:48:50 pm
i tried cleaning mine today, with a brillo pad, came up ok but not perfect or very shiny :sad:
think i will just have to get a full stainless now :signLOL:
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Mako V12V on October 21, 2010, 01:05:35 am
Can't believe no-one has mentioned Brasso. Work a treat on mine!
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: 182_blue on October 21, 2010, 08:56:58 am
i tried cleaning mine today, with a brillo pad, came up ok but not perfect or very shiny :sad:
think i will just have to get a full stainless now :signLOL:

well the brillo pad has scratched it and dulled the finish, you need to polish it up , 000 grade wirewool will help the Autosol
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: gazjones on October 25, 2010, 02:41:02 pm
I've been meaning to ask this. I tried autoglym metal polish which did absolutely sod all so I'll give this a try with the fine wire wool.

Cheers, :happy2:

Gaz
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Gti Jal on October 26, 2010, 12:15:14 pm
Alloy wheel cleaner - fast and easy.
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: rich83 on October 29, 2010, 11:57:15 am
The pipes do get very sooty... i presume from all the posts here that its quite normal??
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Gene Hunt on October 29, 2010, 12:16:01 pm
The pipes do get very sooty... i presume from all the posts here that its quite normal??
...........they do mate.Regular wash & metal polish to keep them clean.
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Garth on October 29, 2010, 01:45:09 pm
This approach even works on the lower models without chrome exhaust tips. My old 330cd had the ugly brown down-turned exhaust (before diesels started getting decent looking exhausts!) and it polished up a treat. Took some time with different grade wet and dry paper, then some autoglym SRP (all I had at the time!) and a coat of wax.
I expected these to rust up again within days, but they still looked mint a few months later when I sold the car.

A before and after photo:
Before
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fgarthfred%2FBMW%2FSL271576.jpg&hash=6106205db4b69128c19a58c15c70cc5ca626b6cb)

After
(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fgarthfred%2FBMW%2FImage052.jpg&hash=864c980fcb735b3255ae4ed81c1ee7e2fa174ad2)

Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: parks on October 29, 2010, 03:42:06 pm
Pics of ed30 shiny standard pipes?
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Gene Hunt on October 29, 2010, 05:20:19 pm
Good effort there Garth. :happy2:
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: GTiBEER on October 29, 2010, 11:14:58 pm
what Gene Hunt said!  :signLOL:
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Mako V12V on October 30, 2010, 01:01:03 am
Pics of ed30 shiny standard pipes?
After the car's detail last week:-
http://www.porsche997gt3.fotopic.net/p67821252.html
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Raffe on October 30, 2010, 10:51:38 am
Yup agree on the Autosol, my 57 plate Golf has near 90k miles on it and the twin tailpipes still shine like brand new :happy2:
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: alan_n on November 05, 2010, 04:15:19 pm
brasso and wire wool did the trick for me!
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: TagnuT on November 06, 2010, 06:48:36 pm
A wipe with WD40 gets the worst of the crud off and then a polish with Autosol  :happy2:
If you keep your ends clean you don't have to do it that often.
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Garth on November 07, 2010, 09:34:35 am
A wipe with WD40 gets the worst of the crud off and then a polish with Autosol  :happy2:
If you keep your ends clean you don't have to do it that often.
I have found that the GTI ends get very dirty, very quickly. Most of my other cars have been fairly easy to keep the tail pipes clean, but my GTI seems to be almost impossible to keep them silver. Two days after polishing them up, they're black again  :sad1:
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: apollo13 on November 07, 2010, 10:09:05 am
A wipe with WD40 gets the worst of the crud off and then a polish with Autosol  :happy2:
If you keep your ends clean you don't have to do it that often.
I have found that the GTI ends get very dirty, very quickly. Most of my other cars have been fairly easy to keep the tail pipes clean, but my GTI seems to be almost impossible to keep them silver. Two days after polishing them up, they're black again  :sad1:

Hopefully not for much longer ay Garth??! Im not looking forward to puting my gti rear box and valance on  my gt tdi just think how dirty they'll be!!
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: Garth on November 07, 2010, 10:20:03 am
I have found that the GTI ends get very dirty, very quickly. Most of my other cars have been fairly easy to keep the tail pipes clean, but my GTI seems to be almost impossible to keep them silver. Two days after polishing them up, they're black again  :sad1:
Hopefully not for much longer ay Garth??! Im not looking forward to puting my gti rear box and valance on  my gt tdi just think how dirty they'll be!!
You'll just have to make polishing them part of your daily routine  :grin:
I only have to polish mine once more since the car is no longer driven. It's just sitting on the driveway getting cleaner and cleaner each day  :P
Title: Re: Exhaust dirty ends???
Post by: apollo13 on November 07, 2010, 10:24:46 am
Thanks for the kind advice Garth!  :fighting:  :grin:

Hope you get rid soon enough mate. She is a beauty and at a fair price.