I posted yesterday about some carbon on my rear bumper. I don't have a pic and if I posted a pic you prolly wouldn't see anything.

I took my car to the dealer this morning. He told me it was dirt. I went to my old mechanic and he put his hand inside the exhaust and on his finger was excess soot. He then went to three different cars and did the same thing, and barely anything was on his hand.

My old mechanic says the car is running to rich. There are no lights going off on the dash.

Has anyone experienced this? Should I bring the car to a different dealer for a second opinion? Am I making a big deal or is there a fuel problem? I am no mechanic that is for sure.

 

if a mechanic says its running too rich, i would definitely take it to the dealer, or atleast a shop where they can take care of this..you may wanna make a thread titled " car running too rich..help." That may generate much better responses to your problem.

 

OK...Thanks.

 

Take it to another shop and see if they tell you the same thing. If they do, take it to Lexus and tell them two other shops told you the same thing and they need to fix it.

 

Here's another pic.

 

oh whaaat? thats not right at all. take it to the dealer ASAP, and ask them to check it again, or take it to a different dealer. if both of them refuse to help you, contact lexus corporate.

 

So it is not me. This is a major or minor problem? If you get a chance and that is all of you reading this. Put your finger in your exhaust and let me know what you find.

Thanks.

 

THat looks oily to me, and it certainly shouldnt be oily.

 

The car was running when I took the pic. Does it make a difference?

 

How has your gas mileage been? If the car really is running rich your fuel mileage would be in the tank. Also, you'd have a CEL. Are you having to clean the stuff off your rear bumper constantly or was it a one-time thing? I keep the inside and outside of my exhaust tips clean but when I clean them they are pretty sooty. I've never had to clean it off my rear bumper, though. Brake dust will settle on the rear bumper and can be mistaken for soot. How do your front wheels look? When was the last time the car was washed?

 

skip going to different shops...go directly to the dealer.

 

I have 21K miles on the car. My average MPG has been 25.8 or so since I bought car. I washed the car on Saturday morning and on Saturday afternoon after running errands, the car had alot of black stuff on the back bumper. The roads here are dry.

This is actually the first time this has happened. My husband brought this to my attention.

My front wheels are always filthy, compared to the rear.

 

The exhaust will become sooty, but it should not be oily, whether it is fuel or oil or some type of water. It is abnormal.

Sometimes you will get a little water vapor when you first start the car in the AM but it should dry out after 10 minutes of driving.

If it is routinely moist it isnt normal

 

Go to dealer ASAP, and do not give up until they agree to help.

 

yea , dont go anywhere else .