Scirocco Central

2017 Scirocco R - FSH and just passed 28k miles.

We've just been to France and done almost 1500 miles, mainly on motorways and around the 70/85 mph range. Car has been filled with 98 and 99 RON throughout it's life.

The tail pipes are black, thick black soot, not just a fine layer. I would have expected them to be quite clean, from a dirty starting point, but they are actually blacker.

No oil being used. WTF is going on. Any thoughts at all?

Unburnt carbon, presumably from running rich. My car does the same

Looks like they all do it. Looked at cars on ebay & Autotrader before I got my Scirocco, and nearly all of them had black exhausts. You'd have thought the sellers might have cleaned them! My exhausts have started getting black again after a few weeks, so it's just part of the cleaning routine now. Comes off easy enough if you keep on top of it, just don't let it bake on, or you'll have to get the wire wool out!

Mines the same - as was my A4 Quattro that had the same engine, they all seem to run rich

All T(F)SI engines have this. Carbon emission is a side effect of direct fuel injection.

No why. What to do? It dawned upon me few days ago. It is the tailpipes themselves that are the cause for this. Remove the chrome tips. Slap on some black Fringe XVO afterburner tips and you won't see the soot so well. Job's a good'un.

Yeah Chrome will rust as it erodes with rain. My home Door Handles have only lasted 12yrs and need replacing... with more Chrome hehe!