I have a 1998S 306TD saloon (long story - the price was right). Since delivery it has been prone to accumulating soot on the bumper above the exhaust pipe.
Three dealers have assured me this is not an emission problem but a long body, short exhaust pipe problem.
My worry has been rekindled with an impending first MOT and seeing an identical car with a huge black mass on it's rear.
Should I trust the dealers?!?
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Yes, is the short (no pun intended) answer. Normal operation.
Rgds
David
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I'm not totally convinced. Try a good shot of diesel conditioner followed by HJ's Italian tune-up, then tell me there is no improvement.
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I wonder how ofetn you wash it??
Most diesels are prone to this a little. Exhaust design and body airflow of different cars all have an effect.
David
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Yeh, I too experienced the dreaded soot on a Nissan Laurel (Maxima, Q). It's all down to the aerodynamics of the car, used to soot up within days of a wash.
Solved ( reduced greatly ) the problem by fitting a turn down tailpiece, dumps the dirt into a different air stream and off to the side of the road instead of all over my car.
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Miffy
I wouldn't worry about a bit of soot on the bumper. You should see the front of my caravan after a decent tow - this from a ZX TD and a Xantia TD (same engine, in both cases).
My standard ploy for a diesel MOT is to remove the air filter element (carefully clean away all residual dust inside the housing) and give the car a decent fast run to get it hot and "blown though" and take it straight to the MOT station.
It hasn't failed yet.
Ian
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How do you get the dirt off the caravan? I get this problem when towing with my series 111 Lanrover
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Just good old warm water and soap used with a soft sponge, Alyn - but it is tedious. Better now that I've got an HDi.
Ian
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why not try fitting one of those cheesy chrome exhaust extension ends?
That'll hopefully take the soot far enough away from the car and give you a nice shiny exhaust...
I have no idea if you can buy them to fit 306's though, but if all else fails I suppose you could try washing it. Maybe a good polish would make it more resistant to soot sticking to the bumper.
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If diesels are so clean, why is soot normal? Isn't soot a pollutant anymore?
Cliff
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Yes but it is a very heavy particle unlike nastier particulates etc emitted by engines. Not regarded as very nasty, just like soot from a coal fire! If you wipe your finger inside the end of even very recent catalyst cars (Mondeos are very good at dirtying exhausts though why I don't know whereas other's like v dubs and Rovers running properly are often silver clean inside) you'll get a black finger - it ain't just diesels! Even LPG can produce soot out the exhaust.
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Thanks fior your reply.
It look's like an old man's car with a boy racer exhaust trim!
M
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