S3 dirty exhaust tips solution!

Even cheaper...WD40 on a rag. Cleans right up.

Or, methylated spirits. Same effect.
 
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Yeah. WD40 is a pretty powerful cleaner. Works on a lot of stuff. Great for metal.
 
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Anyone had problems with leaving the tips for a couple of weeks then cleaning them to find the chrome peeling off?
 
Personally would recommend Belgom Alu, applied with a stockingette.
Autosol is good, but can be a bit too abrasive / scratchy.
Meguiars NXT / Mothers Mag & Ally is fantastic stuff, but only really effective when the tips are lightly sooty (although Meguairs Motorcycle NXT works well :) )

The secret with all the above though is little and often when applying. I pinch some of the wife's makeup remover pads for cleaning mine (same as for when I seal/polish my wheels), as they are thin enough to get in the awkward places that cloths can't plus you really can't get too much cleaner on them that they become overloaded.
 
I use this, its not only a great product to use but it smells lovely too! Apply a small amount onto a microfibre and wax on then wax off!

Wax on o


Nxt all metal polysh 142g
 
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^^^ Louay has it right - use this once a week and it stays easy to maintain.
 
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The Challinor said:
I take it that that's the finest one available?

They do seem quite hard to damage to be honest.
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Yeah that's right, I've been using it for years on numerous car exhausts and it does no damage at all, people often hear the word wire and think damage! From an old Ford forum I wrote up a before and after, I'll have to dig it up from the dead and post here
 
I had some turtle wax in the garage, which worked a treat but was hard work. Just invested in some Solvol Autosol which is excellent stuff.......been around for years and was always the chrome cleaner of choice.
 
I have tried some 00 very fine wire wool on my tips with autosol, doesnt damage the tips but equally doesnt seem to shift the really ingrained carbon, i'll try WD40 but someone recently advised me to run the car for a few mins up the road to warm the exhausts, then clean them. It is disappointing that they get so dirty so quickly but just a case of trial and error.

Also, just got a smallish stone chip on the grey plastic right above the Audi rings, any ideas on how that can be rectified would be appreciated. Cheers.
 
Hotspot, it's predominantly used for metal fireplace surrounds and stoves. So if it's good enough for that heat it's good enough for the tips! Think I got it from a fireplace showroom for about £5, but I'm sure a quick google will find it for you. Just use a soft cloth to put it on and then wipe it off, brings the black off even if the tips are cold with ease :)

So you know what to look for:

Hotspot
 
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Exhasut2 Exhasut3 Exhaust1 Exhaust4
Went with WD40 and this was after litrally one squirt/spray and a 20 second rub with a rag
 
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The Challinor said:
If that's 20 seconds I'm very impressed, were they warm?
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I drove home from work 6miles at "usual pace" lol and got in at 18:30 and went down about 10 mins before posting, so literally 1:5hr cooling time. wasn't hot to touch just spray and rub, after reading every ones effort for me this one wins and the proof is in the pudding and all that and the lack of elbow grease required.. still tempted to unplug the sensor thou to spread the soot and get the growl...
 
For paintwork keep in mind it will also remove the wax and sealant

Welcome to the forum, Nikon!
 
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I haven't touched mine in 7500 miles since new, but reading this thread prompted me (or perhaps shamed me) into getting down and cleaning them - and the carbon deposits were pretty caked on. My findings: WD40 removed the lighter stuff but didn't touch the caked on crud. Brasso didn't touch the caked on stuff either. Solvol Autosol removed it, but with an awful lot of elbow grease, so now I have nice shiny tailpipes again. In each case I used a nylon scourer after a rag had removed only the lighter deposits. So it's Autosol for me from now on and I won't be letting the carbon deposits get so baked on before I intervene.
 
I've had either aftermarket exhausts, or posh chrome tips, on almost all my cars. Best thing I found was a squirt of wheel cleaner when doing the wheels, leave it to dwell, rinse. Then use your wash mitt right in them as the last thing you do with it.
After this I dry, then use a metal polish on a polishing pad (currently the Auto Finesse one but they are all much of a muchness) and keep rubbing hard until it's almost gone, then buff lightly off. A great finisher is "Silvo" - a light blue creamy liquid that comes in a tin like Brasso, ultra-fine and has protecting sealants in it. Used to finish the mirror-polished AMG rims on my VR6 with this and it was superb.
 
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batch said:
Best thing I found was a squirt of wheel cleaner
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Noooo you've just reminded me what the other item I wanted last week was...wheel cleaner!!! I was standing in the store thinking 'I'm sure there's something else I'm low on" :( I had been using bilberry cleaner from Shinerama but they have closed down :(
 
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S32B said:
Noooo you've just reminded me what the other item I wanted last week was...wheel cleaner!!! I was standing in the store thinking 'I'm sure there's something else I'm low on" :( I had been using bilberry cleaner from Shinerama but they have closed down :(
Click to expand...
Autobrite Direct "Very Cherry" is very similar and just as good!
 
Ewanw02 said:
Anyone had problems with leaving the tips for a couple of weeks then cleaning them to find the chrome peeling off?
Click to expand...

Yep and I'm not happy. I clean mine with Autosol every other week and I noticed recently the surface of the metal lip on the pipes is starting to develop small pits. I've covered 17k from new in the last 9 months. Car's due for its first service soon, so let's see what Audi have to say about it... I've never had a car where the stainless pipes have started to corrode like that. There's a thread on anther Forum where people have started to experience this with their S3's...
 
SilureMark said:
Yep and I'm not happy. I clean mine with Autosol every other week and I noticed recently the surface of the metal lip on the pipes is starting to develop small pits. I've covered 17k from new in the last 9 months. Car's due for its first service soon, so let's see what Audi have to say about it... I've never had a car where the stainless pipes have started to corrode like that. There's a thread on anther Forum where people have started to experience this with their S3's...
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Mine are also starting to pit. I've cleaned them regularly since new and the car's done 12,700 miles now. Let me know what Audi say about it, as it's not good after so little time.
 
I've got some 0000 wire wool here but not sure I have the nerve to try it - I don't want to make matters worse!
 
I treat my alloys like my skin lol...if it's bad for me it's bad for them :p
 
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wideboybloke said:
I haven't touched mine in 7500 miles since new, but reading this thread prompted me (or perhaps shamed me) into getting down and cleaning them - and the carbon deposits were pretty caked on. My findings: WD40 removed the lighter stuff but didn't touch the caked on crud. Brasso didn't touch the caked on stuff either. Solvol Autosol removed it, but with an awful lot of elbow grease, so now I have nice shiny tailpipes again. In each case I used a nylon scourer after a rag had removed only the lighter deposits. So it's Autosol for me from now on and I won't be letting the carbon deposits get so baked on before I intervene.
Click to expand...
I've had the same issue. Left them a little too long and the WD40 only took off a light layer of soot on the surface, even after leaving it to "work" for a bit. Going to need to get some Autosol I think. Where can you pick it up from without having to order it online and wait for delivery? Any of the usual places sell it at all?
 
Wondering Soul said:
I've had the same issue. Left them a little too long and the WD40 only took off a light layer of soot on the surface, even after leaving it to "work" for a bit. Going to need to get some Autosol I think. Where can you pick it up from without having to order it online and wait for delivery? Any of the usual places sell it at all?
Click to expand...
Halfrauds sell it & it's only a little more expensive than Amazon.
 
I got mine from B&Q. I was shopping for something else and spotted it purely by chance. It was £5.99 I think, or it may have been £4.99 - I remembered thinking a fiver or thereabouts.
 
i have used autosol in the past with great results but have used meguiars nxt gen metal polish and it comes off with zero elbow grease with that stuff
 
I used Autoglym Alloy Wheel cleaner on mine last week ...came up great!! Got all the crap off and those little lumpy bits that seem to appear ...;)
 
Well took a whack at this this afternoon with the Autosol and a few different cloths and even a toothbrush! Got 90% of the soot off, but there is some left around the lips of the pipes that is going to take a little more I think. Not so much the Autosol that seems to be ineffective on the lips it seems like it just needs something a little more abrasive to rub it in with. But I daren't try any sort of mild abrasive pad at risk of scratching the chrome!
 
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