Black Spots on Tailgate

[LukePolo]

UPDATE: booked in at Trivett VW at the earliest date (4th November)

The guy tried to initially say that due to a higher back pressure? (wtf) there is more carbon thrown out the exhaust and that it is perfectly normal. I had to convince the guy to book it in for the day and get it checked.

[AndrewBurns]

It rained this afternoon and the water must have collected all the fine soot particles on the back of my car because now it looks like I reversed hard into an oil refinery...

Imagine this but instead of Daniel Day Lewis' face it's the back of my GTI

[car_nut]

It rained this afternoon and the water must have collected all the fine soot particles on the back of my car because now it looks like I reversed hard into an oil refinery...

Imagine this but instead of Daniel Day Lewis' face it's the back of my GTI

Rained here in Adelaide today and the back of my GTI looked, I expect, exactly like yours. I have had soot issue from day one, regardless of how I drive it, where I drive it and whether I use Caltex, Shell or BP (all 98 of course). Oil consumption is not an issue - after 2500ks the level has just reached the top of the cross hatch area from about 3mm above it when new.

I'm fanatical about keeping it clean so it's a slight annoyance. I will ask 'transporter' Miro's opinion when he fits Eibach (VWR) springs to my car in 3 weeks time. I asked an experienced performance exhaust shop owner about the soot when he fitted my Milltek - he ran his finger over the old exhaust pipe and said the colour showed a dark brown tinge, was not oily, so was nothing to worry about.

Andrew, have you questioned VW on your soot issue?

[AndrewBurns]

No I've only had it a few months (up to ~4000 km now). Like you at ~2500km the oil had reached the top of the cross-hatched area and now at 4000 it's down by two notches, so not really a problem with excessive oil consumption. I've run my finger around the inside of the exhaust pipe and the black stuff isn't oily so I think it's soot from the engine.

I'll mention it when I take it in for an oil change (probably at around 7500 km) but seeing as it's not excessively chewing oil and my fuel economy seems to be ok it's not really a problem, other than making the car dirty pretty rapidly. It's made worse by the flat back, I have pretty dark window tint and it's amazing how fast dust collects on the back window because of the suction-zone there.

[LukePolo]

It rained this afternoon and the water must have collected all the fine soot particles on the back of my car because now it looks like I reversed hard into an oil refinery...

Imagine this but instead of Daniel Day Lewis' face it's the back of my GTI

Yep, i hear ya

[LukePolo]

That's oily carbon if it smears like that. I'd be asking for what they supposedly diagnose it as in writing and signed by the service manager and dealer principle, then see if they play ball...

My Polo went in today for inspection and some tested, all tests returned that the car was manufacturer spec.

The service manager said that it has happened because the rings haven't settled? And that it was just heavy soot.

I was advised to drive it harder than I normally do.

The service manager also signed off on the completed service document to say that this was the problem.

I guess I just have to live with my Dalmation, washing it every 4 days. Dirty dog of a car. Unless you guys on here can advise anything that I can do myself to help prevent the soot spots??

On another note, I really didn't want to give the demo car back to them either, I was given a 110TDI golf highline for the day.. Gorgeous car.

[nomadx38]

Umm I would like to join this "soot club". Normally I wouldn't have a problem with soot but after going on the Victorian cruise on Sunday I found the entire back of my car covered in soot - some pretty large chunks as well.

The entirety of the time the engine was averaging 3000rpm so I guess the exhaust would have gotten pretty hot which maybe caused old carbon on the pipe to burn and break away...? Not sure but yeah it's definitely there - not oily though, in fact its so hard it's almost as if it's slightly burnt into the paint.

Also it was interesting to note that the exhaust tip was completely black which again never happens. We went up to the mountains where the temp dropped to 3 deg and the idle went up 100rpm so I guess it was slightly running rich.

In any case I guess you guys with soot problems are actually driving them and really heating up that exhaust