How to clean chrome exhaust tips?

[niceguy]

The chrome exhaust tips are becoming darker & darker. How can I clean it up and restore the shiny chrome exhaust tip?

I also have a lot of tiny road tar (black) near the rear bottom fender. I use soap water to clean it, but not have good result. Can I use clay bar to remove them easily? Someone said use WD-40, but is it too stong for the paint?

[Justin@Adams]

Hey niceguy,

For your exhaust tips I would start out by Cleaning them with an All Purpose Cleaner, and then I would follow that up with a good Metal Polish System! I would also us MF towels and app's to prevent unnecessary scratching.

For the fender try a bug and tar remover first!

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks,

[niceguy]

Originally Posted by Justin@Adams

Hey niceguy,

For your exhaust tips I would start out by Cleaning them with an All Purpose Cleaner, and then I would follow that up with a good Metal Polish System! I would also us MF towels and app's to prevent unnecessary scratching.

For the fender try a bug and tar remover first!

Please let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks,

I tried the tar remover before, and those dark tiny tar seem do not want to come off. I use finger nail to scratch it off, but it scratch the paint too.

[Pb]

Originally Posted by niceguy

The chrome exhaust tips are becoming darker & darker. How can I clean it up and restore the shiny chrome exhaust tip?

I also have a lot of tiny road tar (black) near the rear bottom fender. I use soap water to clean it, but not have good result. Can I use clay bar to remove them easily? Someone said use WD-40, but is it too stong for the paint?

Some metal polish and a little elbow grease will do the job on your exhaust tip.

Remove tar dots with a Clay Bar and Spray. WD-40 won't hurt your paint. It works pretty good on tar, but the WD-40 leaves an oily film behind that need to be cleaned off. Personally, I would just clay and polish your whole vehicle. It probably has contaminants on other parts of the vehicle too. Check the Detailing How-To sticky thread for info on claying.

[phil03]

acid wheel cleaner, then polish it off with a fine compound

[ToyotaJimD.]

For the tips...

If the tips are chrome, use a chrome polish (avoid a harsh metal polish unless it says it's safe for chrome).

If the tips are stainless steel, use a mag & aluminum or billet polish.

If it's soot build-up, you could also try a wheel cleaner that's safe for the finish -- just apply it carefully with an applicator so you don't get it in the exhaust pipe or anyplace you don't want it and can't rinse it away. Then polish.


For the tar on paint...

If they're big spots, before I'd try claying, I'd try mineral spirits or WD-40 (as PB suggested) or Goo Gone -- you might try saturating it over a period of a few minutes by repeated applications, or possibly soaking a piece of paper towel so it sticks to the affected panel. Then wash, clay and wax.