Cold start condensation/carbon at exhaust ?

[kammrk]

I appologize for asking this question again. However I am seeing a good puddle of condensation/carbon on the ground at the exhaust tips & a little spot at the passenger side just behind front wheel. The car has been sitting in the garage for a week, its on the cool side here in N. Fla. temp outside around 58 degrees. I cleaned the exhaust tips with a scotch pad & cleaner to remove old exhaust carbon stain, backed it back in the garage throttled it up few times before shutting it down & noticed a bigger puddel on the ground at the exhaust, hoping that it was just from the water spray from cleaning. Is this amount of condensation mixed with carbon stain normal at cold starts or of some concern. Thanks to all who advise.

Sponsored

 

[JAJ]

I appologize for asking this question again. However I am seeing a good puddle of condensation/carbon on the ground at the exhaust tips & a little spot at the passenger side just behind front wheel. The car has been sitting in the garage for a week, its on the cool side here in N. Fla. temp outside around 58 degrees. I cleaned the exhaust tips with a scotch pad & cleaner to remove old exhaust carbon stain, backed it back in the garage throttled it up few times before shutting it down & noticed a bigger puddel on the ground at the exhaust, hoping that it was just from the water spray from cleaning. Is this amount of condensation mixed with carbon stain normal at cold starts or of some concern. Thanks to all who advise.

It's normal. At a cold start the pipes and mufflers are cold and the exhaust gas contains water vapor. Until the pipes and mufflers warm up, the vapor condenses in the pipes and muffler, The hole in the bottom of the muffler that it drips out of is there so it doesn't form a permanent puddle and cause corrosion problems. The only way to avoid it is to start the car and drive off before it starts to drip. If you leave it idling in one place from a cold start, it takes a long time for the exhaust pipes and mufflers to heat up so you'll get lots of drips and water spots.

As for the carbon, it's normal too - the engine produces a certain amount of it under different parts of the normal operating envelope and it collects in the muffler. When there's water, it just washes it out through the hole. It's all normal.

 

[kammrk]

It's normal. At a cold start the pipes and mufflers are cold and the exhaust gas contains water vapor. Until the pipes and mufflers warm up, the vapor condenses in the pipes and muffler, The hole in the bottom of the muffler that it drips out of is there so it doesn't form a permanent puddle and cause corrosion problems. The only way to avoid it is to start the car and drive off before it starts to drip. If you leave it idling in one place from a cold start, it takes a long time for the exhaust pipes and mufflers to heat up so you'll get lots of drips and water spots.

As for the carbon, it's normal too - the engine produces a certain amount of it under different parts of the normal operating envelope and it collects in the muffler. When there's water, it just washes it out through the hole. It's all normal.

Sounds good thank you.

Sponsored