I was having a nose around under the back of my car yesterday and I noticed the twin exhaust outlets were black and sooty. I did the 'finger test' and the end result was a black, sooty finger! 

 

I've had 2 Mk2 Superbs - both with DPF equipped CFGB engines - and there was never even a trace of soot around the exhausts - ever. Yet the pipes on my car look like they belong to my old PD140 Octavia! 

 

I can't really tell if the car kicks out any soot when you boot it as the auto dimming mirror obscures it - and you can't turn it off 

 

Can any of the good folks with the CR190 engine have a quick look to see if they have sooty 'zorsts?  Failing that, is it normal to see soot on the exhausts that belong to this particular engine? I doubt that this is the case, but I've been wrong before.....

Ok, I'll include any CR150 drivers as well, seeing as they're closely related engines. There must be someone out there who can check this? 

 

If the DPF is letting soot through like this, it suggests there is an issue somewhere. Maybe the lacklustre performance is linked to this soot issue? 

ok.. now you open this up for use 150 owners.... 

 

I have checked mine with 3600 miles and its clear enough to eat your dinner off.

 

See photos below...

 

 

 

 

 

and just for a compare... here are my mates 2.0tdi 190 2015 Passats

 

 

Hope this helps.

A DPF equipped car should really have a clean exhaust.

 

It could indicate a problem but I would suggest giving it a good run and a bit of a thrash then clean the exhaust and check in a few hundred miles. If they're black again then get it booked in with the dealer

Another 150 engine. Mine looks like the left hand exhaust in the VW pic. Not sooty just not as polished as Rick's appears to be.

9k miles with a fair amount of poodling on country lanes.

150 checking in. All clear on the soot front. Out

13,500 miles 190 TDi:

 

 

Certainly not as clean as the 150 above (but it has done 4 times the mileage) but I wouldn’t call it sooty either, if you wipe the inside with your finger barely anything comes off.

Doesn't sound right with a DPF-equipped car.  I think its best to have it checked anyway (seen as its new and under warranty) just in case there are any issues with sensors, air filters etc

Could be the AdBlue problem highlighted in an earlier posting.

I thought adblue was just to do with toxic gases and not the soot particles?

I thought adblue was just to do with toxic gases and not the soot particles?

It is, the adblue converts the NOx gases into nitrogen and water, it has no effect on the particulate production. I'd say there is something going on with the DPF as a sooty tailpipe indicates that it isn't doing it's job.

Ian