Keep chrome exhausts looking good.

[HotChip]

I'm due to get my replacement s-line in a few weeks when the lease on my existing one runs out. The dealer has taken delivery of my new one and when I popped in to see it, one of the things that struck me was how good the chrome exhausts looked compared to my existing ones. If I'm being honest I've never really given my exhausts much attention and they are now looking a bit "titanium" :D, so I wondered if anyone had any tips for keeping them looking good? Are there any cleaning products on the market that anyone can recommend?

Thanks

HC

[NickH A4]

Autoglym chrome polish plus a bit of elbow grease and they will look like new ;)

[legendamongus]

Any metal polish will do, I use Autosol which you can get from Halfords and is quite good. 00 grade steel wool for the hard to shift corrosion and looks like new.

[ScottyUK]

I used to use Autoglym's then I went with Autosol (which I preferred) and when I was in Halfords a week or two ago I bought three for the price of two of their other metal polish. It's a lot cheaper and so far I've not noticed any difference in performance apart from it's a bit more liquid.

[theskyfox]

Good question..and thanks for the answers. I'd make sure the car was standing a good few hours first though...those puppies get incredibly hot even on short journeys!

-Andrew

[Bratty]

Remember you can pull the chrome tips off! Rather than struggle with trying to do them in situ.

Does look a bit strange if someone approaches from behind as you sit in the garden and says "What the heck are you doing?"

Oh "Just polishing my tips!!?!!

Dunk

[NickH A4]

My wife came home and caught me polishing mine...... she just laughed and walked into the house! :D

[streetfighter-r]

Remember you can pull the chrome tips off! Rather than struggle with trying to do them in situ.

Does look a bit strange if someone approaches from behind as you sit in the garden and says "What the heck are you doing?"

Oh "Just polishing my tips!!?!!

Dunk

OCD! ... how do they come off again? :)

[theskyfox]

"Remember you can pull the chrome tips off! Rather than struggle with trying to do them in situ."

How do you remove them? is it easy? I get scared of pulling them off a new car that I've had less than two weeks....

-Andrew

[HotChip]

Thanks for all your replies folks, especially the revelation that those badboys are detachable for ease of cleaning! Is there a technique for their removal or is it pure brute strength? Skyfox, perhaps you could be the guinea pig with your new ones lol.

I'm not gonna bother working on the existing ones for the sake of four weeks bling, but I'll be sure to have regular tug'n'buff sessions with my new beauty in the future!

HC

[ScottyUK]

The cheaper Halfords stuff I referred to is actually T-cut's version so it's not a surprise they know how to polish.

The S-line tips just pull off.....but don't tell anyone as I don't want mine walking!!!

I've pulled mine off to clean them about 3 times in the last 18 months. I've found that they can collect stones and grit in them. It's outside the exhaust system so no risk but I don't like stones in my car!! ;)

[SunnyBard]

The S-line tips just pull off....I've pulled mine off to clean them about 3 times in the last 18 months.

Didn't know that, I did polish mine the other week, I was amazed at how clean they were inside for a diesel car ...

[EDIT]

Just been an given mine a very firm tug and they are definitely not interested in coming off...

[ScottyUK]

I've just been out to my filthy car and took a few pics. These are the S-line tips on a 2.0TFSI Avant. I obviously can't say whether all A4's are the same. Some may have polished ends rather than slip on tips....but I bet if you twisted and pulled harder it'd move! :D

I actually had to give mine a good twist. Pulling had no effect. No stone in it today :D

Very dirty stainless tip :

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3628815/Car/A4/Dirty_Sline_tip.JPG

Very dirty exhuast with tip pulled off :

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3628815/Car/A4/Dirty_Sline_no_tip.JPG

Inside the tip. You can see the four strong clips :

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3628815/Car/A4/Dirty_inside_Sline_tip.JPG

[SunnyBard]

I bet if you twisted and pulled harder it'd move!

Ah I see, I was probably expecting the whole of the bulbous part to come off, will have another go ...

[Bratty]

Do not pull it so hard that you end up with a long pipe with a branched tree-root shaped thing on the end;).

Dunk

[Zenerdiode]

I was amazed at how clean they were inside for a diesel car ...

Has your car got a DPF and using AdBlue? If so, it's going to be practically fresh air and water vapour coming out of the back of that thing so I'm not surprised. ;)

[JimC64]

My exhaust tips on my now 4 year old A6 still look like new.....Why?
Its simple......I wash the car often and the exhaust tips are ALWAYS part of my wash routine, so dirt / soot / grime etc doesn't get a chance to build up :beerchug:

[ScottyUK]

To be honest I find however bad mine get they quickly come back to as new once I clean them. I do like stainless steel :D

[theskyfox]

I think Im going to pass on trying to pull them off and just clean them in situe. The idea of pulling too much off or breaking something on such a new car scares me...

Without Hijacking this thread..have you guys got ad-blue? (the guys here with 3.0tdi). I don't..which surprised me! Have of course got a DPF though.

-Andrew

[Bratty]

My wife came home and caught me polishing mine...... she just laughed and walked into the house! :D

To get a better reaction, the next time you have removed them and cleaned them, secrete them in the dishwasher after its finished a cycle and let your missus discover them:biglaugh::biglaugh:.

Dunk

[HotChip]

My exhaust tips on my now 4 year old A6 still look like new.....Why?
Its simple......I wash the car often and the exhaust tips are ALWAYS part of my wash routine, so dirt / soot / grime etc doesn't get a chance to build up :beerchug:

I too wash mine as part of the routine, I've just never put any additional product on them, so over three years they have become very tarnished and dull. Do you use any specific product on them Jim?

HC

[Big Bird]

Read Scottys post, so......

Yes, my exhaust trims pulled off with relatively little effort!! Made them a doddle to clean!!!!

[theskyfox]

I've just had a look at mine...I definately cannot remove them. Theyve been welded on! I don't mind because theres enough space to polish them in situe :). I've got some chrome cleaner as well...apparantly you can use most, but you have to be careful not to get anything too abrasive whilst theyre still new. Theres a lot of products designed to remove corroded Chrome by literally eating away at it...and you don't want that on a new one! So use a gentle product!

-Andrew

[ScottyUK]

I think it may be just the Avant with the 2.0T (i.e. one each side that gets them) Not sure though.

[Big Bird]

I think it may be just the Avant with the 2.0T (i.e. one each side that gets them) Not sure though.

Yep, that might make sense.

[Rusk]

I have the 2.7 TDI so one either side so will have a look to see if they come off this weekend. I was planning on giving them a good clean then.

[The Polisher]

Got mine off this evening, they are tight, but a little gentle tap from the back with a rubber mallet and off they come. They were horrible! 72k worth of tar and yuk!

Washed them, cleaned the tar off with white spirit, then ran the polishing mop over them in the bench grinder.......... good as new.

Was going to post a piccie, but this new forum only seems to want to upload from a website rather than my pc.......... so can't do that!

[SunnyBard]

Remember you can pull the chrome tips off! Rather than struggle with trying to do them in situ.
Washed and waxed my car today including polishing my exhaust tips.

I had a closer look before starting to see if I could get them off, but I can confirm for certain that the tips on a MY2011 3.0TDI are welded in place.

[HotChip]

I tried to get mine off as well but they weren't for budging :(

[Zenerdiode]

Reading your posts got me thinking - I polished mine but before the first polish there looked to be a thin layer of matt black paint on them. Was this just dirt or were they supposed to be like that?

Consequentally it has revealed a part number - 8K0 253 825D. Would anybody with ETKA access tell me if they were supposed to be chrome in the first place? Many Thanks.