I checked out a used RSX-S at a dealership the other day, and the tip of the tailpipe was black, both inside and out. The dealership guy made it a point to tell me that the car had never been repainted or anything, but I couldn't help but wonder if maybe he was lying to me and the stuff on the pipe was black paint. I'm going to look at the car again tomorrow most likely, so is there anything I should look for to figure out what the black stuff is? I plan on asking the guy if he knows anything about it, but I'd like to be a little better prepared myself. Anything I should look for to figure out if it's paint, something coming out the exhaust, or something else? None of those options really sound too good, though...

EDIT: oops, forgot to post the pictures of the car/tailpipe:
http://images.autotrader.com/i...1.jpg
http://images.autotrader.com/i...1.jpg

The carfax report checks out on the car. I'm still a bit wary. Not sure that the car felt as smooth as I'd have expected, but I'm still in practice mode when it comes to manual trannies. Not sure if the fault was mine or the car's. Hopefully a friend will come with me to check it out tomorrow (who is much more well versed in such things).

 

looks like the car was running rich. why I dont know.

 

Hmm does a car running rich mean you should run like hell? Or is that something that you can expect to just buy it up, fix something small like a sensor or something, and then move on with your life?

 

should be normal, unless its really really black which i doubt, look around at other regular cars around you, they all have black on their tailpipes.

 

Well I can understand it not shining like a rap star's rims, but this is pitch black. I don't think I've ever noticed another pipe coated so much.

I'll take a closer look when I go back tomorrow. Thanks, all.

 

"Holy carbon build-up Batman"

Some one's been driving the **** out that car!

Have the dealer clean that **** off. If they have a "30 day/You can bring that **** back if you don't want it no more" warranty, then take it. Then monitor that tip for a couple weeks. When I bought my RSX, the tip went from "so fresh and so clean-clean" to people saying "Hey, are you gonna wash your car or what". Mine was based on topping out the car that same day on the 200 mile trip back from Dallas and a month of hard driving.

 

From what I can tell, the coloration is not soot from running too rich, or else the bumper would have it too.

Maybe someone wanted it that way, and painted it, or it has been wrecked and had some MAJOR overspray.

 

Good point about the bumper. I wondered about it being paint, but the carfax is clean. Then again, that's not completely fool-proof.