What is safe to use on my AWE tips to keep them clean ? They recommend soap & water

[EasternLI]

But that's not really doing the trick. I don't want to use something too harsh and damage the finish so I'm curious if anyone has found a safe alternative.

[b6bydesign04]

Do you have the black diamond tips? If so, DO NOT use P21S polishing soap, it'll take the diamond black finish right off, ask me how I know... haha.

[BlueByU]

Never Dull metal polish.

[kooltechie]

I assume the tips are either stainless steel or chrome?

Try this - http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...g-Exhaust-Tips

If you want the tips to be absolutely perfect, using Adam's metal polish #2 afterwards should do the trick

[Deep Sea S4]

Bar Keepers Friend. No brainer and works AMAZING. Been using it on my AWE tips for years. Super easy to use, zero scratching and very inexpensive.

Dump some powder on a micro cloth, add a bit of water to form a paste and presto, they will look better than when they left the factory.

http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/

[afig367]

0000 super-fine steel wheel. Takes the carbon deposits right off. Then take a little Blue Magic Metal Polish, rub it in and rub it out. Works perfectly.

[handruin]

I've used Adams all purpose cleaner to get the base of the carbon off and then I use Adams detailing spray along with an old piece of clay bar. Seems to do the trick.

[SwankPeRFection]

Waiting on AWE to come in and say all these things are super dangerous to the finish and to wait until they come out with their AWE Tip Polisher Cream.

[Dr GP]

I use a Brillo or SOS pad.

[S4morris]

I use Meguiars white wax on my tips....sounds funny but gets them cleaner than anything else I've tried.

[Todd/AWE]

Interesting thread.

We recommend soap and water, used regularly, simply because we don't want you all to end up with scratched tips. Most of the polishes and metal cleaners out there contain abrasives that will damage and remove the plating on our (and other brand) exhaust tips, leaving them looking terrible, which would make you and us unhappy.

That being said, it takes a lot of diligence to keep washing the tips with soap and water so that the carbon does not build up and turn rock hard.

We've been working with a polishing vendor to come up with something that works perfectly on both our Chrome Silver and Diamond Black tips, but maybe this is a good opportunity to crowd source a solution?

Anybody using a successful and readily available method to clean the finish on our tips, post it here. Also call out whether your tips are Chrome Silver or Diamond Black, and how long you have been using the method. Pics would be helpful, especially well-lit close up ones to show any scratching. We'll test the most popular ones that you guys recommend and see if we can come up with an "officially endorsed" low cost solution when it comes to cleaning our exhaust tips.

[afig367]

This is before-and-after with 0000 super fine steel wool, finished with BlueMagic metal polish, on chrome silver tips. These pics are from the first time I used this tactic, and I probably used it about 10-15 times (before selling the car), and I didn't notice any scratches.

[boss2k]

afig367

Are your tips out all the way and thats the way you set them up

[afig367]

I had AWE do the installation and I never specified a preference, so I let them do their "standard" job. They stuck out slightly past the rear valance and where the stock tips would have ended, but I think there was probably still room to pull them out further if desired.

[MailmanOdd]

I have the diamond black tips and have had them for a year. IMO, they have not aged well at all. I only clean them with soap and water and the finish is completely discolored. I was even considering buying chrome tips to replace the diamond black ones because it looks so bad. It makes me sad :(

[Todd/AWE]

I have the diamond black tips and have had them for a year. IMO, they have not aged well at all. I only clean them with soap and water and the finish is completely discolored. I was even considering buying chrome tips to replace the diamond black ones because it looks so bad. It makes me sad :(

I'd like to learn more, specifically about the discoloration, so I am sending you a PM.

[MailmanOdd]

Thanks Todd, I'll be sending you a picture as soon as I can. I appreciate you following up about it!

[SwankPeRFection]

I've used the BlueMagic polish on my OEM tips and they came out perfect. They were extremely dirty and wouldn't come clean with soap and water not matter what. The polish didn't cause any issues to the OEM metal, I doubt it'll cause any to other products but there is a warning on the jar not to be used on plated metals. YMMV, but afig uses it on AWE too and it looks great in the pics.

[Todd/AWE]

I've used the BlueMagic polish on my OEM tips and they came out perfect. They were extremely dirty and wouldn't come clean with soap and water not matter what. The polish didn't cause any issues to the OEM metal, I doubt it'll cause any to other products but there is a warning on the jar not to be used on plated metals. YMMV, but afig uses it on AWE too and it looks great in the pics.

Between our Chrome Silver and our Diamond Black tips, the Chrome plating is definitely more impervious to polishing compounds. The nickel based Diamond Black finish is the one that can scratch up easily with most of the polishes out there. We're seeing this on the factory tips with this plating, too, like what BMW uses.

[SwankPeRFection]

Between our Chrome Silver and our Diamond Black tips, the Chrome plating is definitely more impervious to polishing compounds. The nickel based Diamond Black finish is the one that can scratch up easily with most of the polishes out there. We're seeing this on the factory tips with this plating, too, like what BMW uses.

Well, in my defense, I'd never use metal polish on a metal that's anodized or otherwise anything other than chrome plated look or bare metal. One would think people could use some basic common sense here, but I could be wrong. lol

[MailmanOdd]

Well, in my defense, I'd never use metal polish on a metal that's anodized or otherwise anything other than chrome plated look or bare metal. One would think people could use some basic common sense here, but I could be wrong. lol

Damnit Swank, I'm a doctor not a metallurgist (I'm not actually a doctor).

[mikeh14]

I just got AWE exhaust with Diamond Black tips today, so I'm hoping someone finds something that works on these!

I used Collonite No. 850 Metal Wax on my stock tips, and it impressed me every time how clean and shiny it got them. Never noticed any scratches either, but I'm afraid to try it on the diamond black.

Maybe someone (Phil, mopz) with a little more detailing knowledge than myself can help out?

[skiracerblah]

On my home plumbing fixtures manufacturered by the German plumbing company Grohe http://www.grohe.com/us/
, (faucets, shower), I use this to clean/polish the chrome surfaces. This is 1 of only 2 products that Grohe recommends on their products:

http://www.flitz.com/flitz-polish-paste/

I've used it on all my interior plumbing fixtures and works great and used it on OEM exhaust tips and no problem at all...

[AKPS4]

black diamond tips here as well. I just did my first wash on them but only used soap and water with a wash mit and microfiber towel for now. I posted in the detailing forum about cleaning these tips and basically got not useful response. subscribed.

Im more concerned about the winter and road salts/sand that is used as snow/ice melt. That stuff is going to kick/fly around like crazy at the rear of the car.

I have a couple metal polishes i just purchased but am also afraid to try them.

[ihkskim]

+1 for afig36.7

all you need is 0000 steel wool and metal polish. mine come out out just like the pics

[SwankPeRFection]

Just FYI, I just used a micro fiber towel with the BlueMagic polish I used. Came out fine. Once I was done, I rinsed the tips with plenty of water to get all the residue of the polish off and to act as a neutralizer.

[xaser240]

Don't use any metal polish on the black diamond tips as you'll take the coating off (unless you want chrome tips). I clean mine with leftover shampoo but they're a bit discolored in areas

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 4

[AznSensation87]

Does anyone know if using Adams shampoo is safe to use on cleaning the black diamond tips? Would this count as "mild soap"?

[svander]

Meguiars metal polish




on a mother's cone, attached to drill




Then remove residue with clear microfiber cloth

end result:



The inside of the outermost tip does have some pitting inside. I'm not sure if this is removable or not. I've had the exhaust for about a year so I was a bit disappointed in that but I'm not sure if its removable. Don't want to take a green brillo pad to find out...

[AKPS4]

My tips got destroyed from the first winter. Very frustrating. Some very hard deposits stuck around the outsides that I just cannot get off. I tried the chemical guys polishes with microfiber towel but didn't help too much. Just cleaned it up a bit.

[Petrolhead]

is there any proven way to maintain the black tips? i love the look but afraid the harsh virginia winters will absolutely destroy them.

[crazexr7]

I use wheel sealant on my exhaust tips and it seems to help out quite a bit with how they look. I use poorboy's wheel sealant but looked into any better alternatives, here are a few:


http://gtechniqna.com/featured-produ...-wheel-armour/


http://www.autogeek.net/finish-kare-1000p-wax.html

After polishing any kind of metal they're going to be affected by weather and get tarnished quickly unless you use some kind of sealant. The sealant also has to hold up to the temperatures that the metal reaches. I use soap and water after I apply the sealant for washes.

[dropshadow]

Never Dull metal polish.

Seriously, this stuff is the best. It's a wadded polish, you cannot scratch metal with Nevr Dull. It gets everything off, even deposits. I use a small piece to clean all four tips, and then go back with a microfiber towel to remove any residue. Takes 5 minutes to make tips look like new.

In auto parts stores it looks like this:


In hardware stores, it looks like this:

[SteveYem]

Bumping this thread to say thanks to its contributors, specifically dropshadow in my case. I picked up a can of Nevr-Dull and went to town on my badly carbon-coated AWE exhaust tips. It took me more than the 5 minutes stated by dropshadow but this was also the first time I tried using an actual polishing product on these tips after ~2 years of use. Up until now I have been adhering to AWE's "soap and water" recommendation but finally gave up. Soap and water literally don't cut it for this job.

I spent probably 15-20 minutes on each tip and removed them from the car to make them easier to clean, as well as to avoid getting any polishing compound on the rear valence. It removed most of the carbon deposits on the outside surface with ease, with exception being the trail of carbon concentrated at bottom dead center of the tips....but that faces the ground so I'm not too concerned. I wore rubber gloves because this stuff appears/smells to be somewhat volatile. The carbon buildup on the insides of the tips is another story....some of it came off after vigorous rubbing, some of it remained and seems to be very tenacious. I also purchased some Barkeeper's Friend powder so I may give that a try later this week.

EDIT: Keeping in the spirit of the original intent of this thread, I cannot comment on whether or not this is a safe approach to keeping the tips clean. I have the silver (chrome?) finish AWE tips so I cannot speak for the Diamond Black finish. Mine were so dirty and I was so frustrated with the soap+water approach that I was ready to buy new tips anyway, so in my specific situation even if the Nevr-Dull ruined the silver finish over time (which I do not think will be the case), it wouldn't put me in any worse situation than I am currently.

Also, when I removed the bulk of the carbon buildup I noticed some unusual radial lines on the end of each tip on the bottom, let's say 30 degrees from center in both directions. I'll snap some photos at lunch and post them up here.

[dropshadow]

Bumping this thread to say thanks to its contributors, specifically dropshadow in my case. I picked up a can of Nevr-Dull and went to town on my badly carbon-coated AWE exhaust tips. It took me more than the 5 minutes stated by dropshadow but this was also the first time I tried using an actual polishing product on these tips after ~2 years of use. Up until now I have been adhering to AWE's "soap and water" recommendation but finally gave up. Soap and water literally don't cut it for this job.

I spent probably 15-20 minutes on each tip and removed them from the car to make them easier to clean, as well as to avoid getting any polishing compound on the rear valence. It removed most of the carbon deposits on the outside surface with ease, with exception being the trail of carbon concentrated at bottom dead center of the tips....but that faces the ground so I'm not too concerned. I wore rubber gloves because this stuff appears/smells to be somewhat volatile. The carbon buildup on the insides of the tips is another story....some of it came off after vigorous rubbing, some of it remained and seems to be very tenacious. I also purchased some Barkeeper's Friend powder so I may give that a try later this week.

Glad it worked for you. Now that you've gotten the worst of it off, I promise that future cleanings will only take 5 minutes.

[SteveYem]

Glad it worked for you. Now that you've gotten the worst of it off, I promise that future cleanings will only take 5 minutes.

Yep I agree, and I'll be giving them a quick once-over every time I wash the car from now on. Here is the end result from my effort yesterday. You can see that the outsides came clean for the most part, and certain spots of the insides came somewhat clean:


And here is a pic showing the radial lines on the ends of the tips at the bottom. You might have to zoom in to see it clearly. These are actually grooves etched into the surface that you can catch a fingernail on. It looks like marks you would expect to find if the surface had been dragged across pavement or concrete, but I promise no such even occurred, and this phenomenon is consistent across all 4 tips in the same area.

[amz]

I use APC and a Big EZ wheel brush, works amazing and you have a lot of reach into the exhaust if you want it. Use garden hose pressure or a pressure washer on the lowest setting to rinse the APC out. If there is any carbon left after that, a bit of Auto Finesse metal polish on a blue shop towel cleans the rest off. You can rinse the Big EZ with a garden hose and it'll come completely clean so it's safe to use on your rims again after.

[xuandatou]

anyone has successfully done with the diamond black?

[ENV²]

I use Comet for stainless steel (yes the stuff for pots and pans). Works well

[Frag]

Here are my 102mm Black Diamond Tip after a rough winter in Montréal, Qc. I did also just use water and soap. So I guess that the high temp and the salt just destroyed those.

http://s1211.photobucket.com/user/Frag2000/media/Black%20Diamond%20Tip.jpg.html]

I reported that to AWE and they were very professional about it. They sent me 4 new tips (I am still under warranty). I will let them comment here, but Christina at AWE told me that they changed the coating method. Here is a part of our exchange...


"This is a great question and I'm happy to explain a bit more. We did, in fact, change over to a different coating on our black tips. There should be no future issues. However, if you would prefer silver I can surely accommodate that as well"

So I just received four new shiny black diamond tips. I will let you know if the coating held next spring.

But I was wondering! With all the Harleys around with tons of chromed exhaust, I guess that you could bring those to one of those shop to get a hard as nail chrome finish right?!