aybeesea

When I saw this (none too serious) comment, http://forums.e60.net/index.php?s=&sho...st&p=404013 about diesel emissions, I thought it might be educational for some to show just how far emissions control has come.

Here is a picture of my oil burner's tailpipes.



Not too shabby after 12,000 miles.

ABC

TC.

For me, the particulate filter has removed the second from last detraction from buying a diesel (absence of the smoke screen under acceleration) the first (which personally does not bother me) is the engine note, note of the BM 6 cylinder under load sounds fantastic IMHO. How does the filter actually work and is this what is making the cars cleaner or is it the engine technology itself?

By contrast, next time you spot a new A3 TDI out on the road - check out the area of the valance surrounding the pipes - IMHO it is shocking design, the pipes are straight enough to allow this specific area to become visibly covered in soot.

AlwynMike

ABC,

Seeing as you brought the subject up . . . .

I wish my pipes would look like that. My 530d has one black pipe and one clean pipe. The black one is the one on the right (directly in line with the exhaust inlet into the rear box). It is not sooty, but more of a "liquid" look, as if it wasn't completely burning the fuel. This is irrespective of the type of driving - knocking around town or on a long run. My fuel consumption hasn't changed - I get around 34 - 35 around town and 36-37 on a run, cruising at 95-100. The thing is, I can't remember if they have always been like that, or it's a relatively recent occurence.

Anyone out there seen the same thing on their cars - mine is an '04 (218bhp) with particulate filter ? ? ?

Spoke to the Master Tech at the Dealers last week, and he couldn't say if it was normal or not!

Ricracing

You must have just kleened them.

Even my gasoline burner don't have as kleen pipes as you have.

narvselius

Nah..., I believe he went out and bought a pair of new ones just for the photo session!

dlevi67

No he didn't. Mine are the same, except that in my case the outside is dirtier than the inside. And my exhaust valve is broken. Car has 27000 miles / 43000 km

Mike: I'm wondering if there is something odd with your exhaust valve, since the pipe on the right is the one that should be "normally closed"?

AlwynMike

What Exhaust Valve??

I know that a lot of the petrol engined cars have valves on the rear box that open when at revs, and close when tootling about to improve backpressure and therefore torque. I cannot see any valve on my silencer, and there is nothing listed on RealOEM. Do the pre-particulate filter cars have them?? Where is it on your car?? I must admit to just crawling under the car for a looksee, I haven't had a serious look over the pit yet (My MG is still over the pit, and I don't want to get it out whilst there is the threat of salt on the roads!)

Mike

PoleApart

Mine are really clean on the inside too:

http://www.auto.fotopic.net/p30480061.html

aybeesea

Interesting that like reported above by AlwynMike on his 530d, the RH pipe is "darker" than the LH pipe.

Is that just "lighting"??

ABC

PoleApart

This is taken from the other side - same time, same camera, same flash.

http://www.auto.fotopic.net/p30480062.html

To be honest in daylight I don't see much of a difference but the photos do seem to confirm that the right hand side is darker. Mine is also the 218 bhp 530d but with almost 40k km on the clock when the photos were taken.

I actually took those photos to illustrate a similar thread on a Polish forum.