# Amount of soot at the rear of 335d...



## tlak77 (Aug 5, 2009)

BMW Power said:


> I always thought it was the regeneration of the particle filter that caused the soot. I too have seen it on my aw, but only occasionally.


I wonder if I experience more of it (more apparent) since most of the time I have a short commute. As far as I remember regeneration process is more frequent if the commutes are short.


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## KarlB (Nov 21, 2004)

no soot on the back of my d saph blk met., brown dust that shows up really quickly--- unless certain plants are in bloom then yellow pollen that shows up really quickly but wiping the rear end of my car opff I get nothing black off it at all


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## Tuce (Nov 24, 2009)

I've gotten soot on my tailpipes. I think it depends on the fuel I use.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

Tuce said:


> I've gotten soot on my tailpipes. I think it depends on the fuel I use.


If it is at all like the stuff I have seen on parked 335d cars then it is at least far cleaner than how the pipes or really one of the pipes on the 335i cars looks like. I tend to keep my car pretty clean so not sure I have ever had this on mine.


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## Kernel Krunch (Dec 6, 2010)

Noob here, that is new to the 335D. I've noticed the soot dusting on my car ever since I picked it up in Aug. It's a 2009, but was new/leftover from previous model year. Do you think the DPF recall for early 2009 manufacture dates has anything to do with this??


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

Hey, is it Kernel or Captain....Krunch that is?

I have definitely not seen any soot on my rear end, but mine is black which most likely helps to hide it.

But based on the amount shown in the photo, I'd expect i would have detected this by now.

Clean as a whistle.:thumbup:


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## Stussy109 (May 23, 2010)

tlak77 said:


> JBD has been off for a while now, and I've had the same amount of "soot" since day one. I'll give it a tray with the coffee filter - good idea. No issue with the break pads - wheels are nice and clean. The "soot" is nicely distributed over the rear bumper and trunk all the way to the top, I don't see anything similar around the wheels. The particles are very fine when I look closer. I'm sure it's related to the exhaust. I'm not concern about it too much just wanted to know if the amount other owners seeing is similar.


I get the same amount if not more...its definitely remnants of the exhaust. I also have a white vehicle.


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## Kernel Krunch (Dec 6, 2010)

Flyingman said:


> Hey, is it Kernel or Captain....Krunch that is?
> 
> I have definitely not seen any soot on my rear end, but mine is black which most likely helps to hide it.
> 
> ...


Well ... it started out as Cap'n Crunch ... and then eventually became Crunch, which is what I have used elsewhere. Unfortunately those were taken on this forum, so I improvised. Can't say I like it....

There is no question I'm getting a black tailend on my car from the exhaust. I had the car washed yesterday, and in the 15 mile drive home I had a fine layer of black dust or soot on the butt-end of the vehicle. I have no doubt in my mind this is coming from the exhaust. As mentioned somewhere else, perhaps its the detailing products I'm using (Zainos -- great stuff, see zainobros.com) which is attracting/holding the black gunk.

Perhaps some of you are familiar with what an older diesel vehicle looks like when it hasn't been washed in a while: a black coating on the tail end. Very typical, right?

SO, the bigger question here really is this: Should my fancy BMW 335D with DPF and self cleaning mechanism EVEN PUT THIS STUFF OUT?? I would assume not. The fact that it is makes me wonder if the particulate filter is working (there was a recall on some of them) and also if the burn-to-clean is actually working.

I welcome thoughts and inputs...

Andy


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

Kernel Krunch said:


> Well ... it started out as Cap'n Crunch ... and then eventually became Crunch, which is what I have used elsewhere. Unfortunately those were taken on this forum, so I improvised. Can't say I like it....
> 
> There is no question I'm getting a black tailend on my car from the exhaust. I had the car washed yesterday, and in the 15 mile drive home I had a fine layer of black dust or soot on the butt-end of the vehicle. I have no doubt in my mind this is coming from the exhaust. As mentioned somewhere else, perhaps its the detailing products I'm using (Zainos -- great stuff, see zainobros.com) which is attracting/holding the black gunk.
> 
> ...


I've read accounts where diesel vehicles driven in the UK in general may be prone to incomplete DPF re-gen due to the generally low speeds driven. I suspect this may be partly the cause for what little soot you're getting. In addtion the 335D's sold in the US have an additional down stream catalyst which may cause the buildup of addtional backpressure making ouf DPF re-gen more efficient. Just a guess there. During this time of year my tailpipes do have a little more soot on them than normal, but I attribute that to the time of year and the fact that I haven't taken an road trips 25 or more miles.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

My Mercedes does not even have soot buildup after 15 miles. Let alone my truck or BMW. My Mercedes is pretty sooty, my truck will blow a haze when I get on it, so it has some soot to it. I must be damn lucky with the BMW and soot.


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

Snipe656 said:


> My Mercedes does not even have soot buildup after 15 miles. Let alone my truck or BMW. My Mercedes is pretty sooty, my truck will blow a haze when I get on it, so it has some soot to it. I must be damn lucky with the BMW and soot.


Warmer weather down there in Huston?


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

Maybe so. I do think the older vehicles are more sooty until they warm up but during winter time I do not recall having large amounts of soot buildup on them and especially any noticeable amount within just 15 miles of driving. The truck actually takes a long time to ever see any amount of soot on it, but maybe that is just the design of the exhaust outlet. The truck is white so would think it would be the most obvious out of my vehicles. I know quality of fuel plays a part in it, we have seen that on the sailboat my parents are going around the world in. Fuel from different ports can be quite more sooty than others.

All I do know is to this day I have yet to notice anything on the BMW's bumpers that I'd classify as soot. Maybe something is there and just far less black than what the other vehicles do and I have dismissed it just as buildup of dirt/dust.


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## TForan (Sep 1, 2010)

tlak77 said:


> JBD has been off for a while now, and I've had the same amount of "soot" since day one.


 If you don't mind me asking, did you take it off (JBD) for service or for some other reason?

Mine has been off for about a week and as soon as it comes back from service,it's back on.
I don't enjoy the car nearly as much without it. Nothing wrong with stock but it's a big boost.:thumbup:


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## tlak77 (Aug 5, 2009)

TForan said:


> If you don't mind me asking, did you take it off (JBD) for service or for some other reason?
> 
> Mine has been off for about a week and as soon as it comes back from service,it's back on.
> I don't enjoy the car nearly as much without it. Nothing wrong with stock but it's a big boost.:thumbup:


I'm due for the service in few days, and during the winter I figure stock should do. Also, wanted to see if I get any codes without it as well - so I could get better feeling if they are caused by JBD.


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## Tedj101 (Nov 24, 2009)

Snipe656 said:


> I always see black build up on the bottom inside of the tailpipes on 335d cars I encounter within parking lots. Half wondered what it is because it does not look quite like soot to me. If you are getting enough soot out the tailpipes to get it onto the back of the car then I'd be really surprised if your tailpipes did not have even more soot within them. I am betting that is not soot on your car.


I experienced that with my D, so I got some very fine steel wool (OO) with which to remove it. I did that about 6 months ago and it has never returned. I wonder if others have had the same experience?


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

I have gotten some but I just grabbed some meguiars metal polish and a rag then cleaned it all up. I think if you religiously keep your car clean then it will not build up and need anything special to clean off or perhaps even notice.


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## TForan (Sep 1, 2010)

tlak77 said:


> I'm due for the service in few days, and during the winter I figure stock should do. Also, wanted to see if I get any codes without it as well - so I could get better feeling if they are caused by JBD.


 I thought I would leave mine off for the winter but as soon as it comes back from the dealer, it's going back on. JBD + the cold dense air =


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

Kernel,

To be honest I would expect at least some amount of soot being a diesel, but have been very pleasantly surprised to not detect much if any on mine.

All of the emission controls are supposed to reduce or eliminate this stuff.

I'd at least report it to the dealer next service and ask them to respond. Maybe your fuel is not burning completely or the Particle Filter is not functioning properly.

Do you get a lot of open road driving at highway speeds for some amount of your daily drive? I get about 50% open highway at 80-90mph and then bumper to bumper with red lights the other 50%, in my approximate 50 minute commute, so would assume that the recycle mode is getting plenty of heat and flow to do it's job.


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## dalekressin (Sep 3, 2008)

Never thought about the soot on the car.
The photo looks a bit like on the back end of SUV from dust I always thought was due to aerodynamics.


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## 01silvercoupe (Jul 27, 2011)

I get the same soot on my 2001 330ci. Maybe it's back draft acting on the exhaust.


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## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

Think its aerodynamics. My 2007 335i had more tailpipe soot but less on back bumper and trunk. My 2011 335d msport has clean pipes but filthy back bumper. This after 7 months of ownership. Bothered me at first but now I just ignore it.


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## ljgmdad (Feb 2, 2012)

tlak77 said:


> I agree with airflow and I could buy that if whatever I'm wiping off was not pitch black, we get dust all summer long as you know  and it is in much lighter color.
> BTW I always protect my cars for winter with 3 layers of Klasse SG topped with 3 layers of 845 (which does attract dust) and after each wash I use Mothers spray wax which binds very well with my 845


I really need to give mine the 845 treatment. The wet look you've got in that signature picture is fantastic. Not many white paint jobs look like that! :thumbup:

PS, I have a little soot like you mention on the rear also. But I've always noticed that 335i tailpipes look dirtier than 335d tailpipes, so I figured the urea was doing something good in that regard.


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