One cosmetic issue I've noticed with our 2006 Honda Civic Si is the tendency for exhaust soot to quickly build up on the factory muffler's exhaust tip. You can see in the photo how dark soot attaches itself to the lower part of the tip. To clean it up, I first tried using a sponge and soapy water. This removed a majority of the soot but some of it still remained directly bonded to the metal...
To get this off I decided to use a mild abrasive metal cleaner and a wet towel. This quickly removed the soot and restored the shine but, to my dismay, left very faint scratches on the tip. Were I to do this again I think I would try a chemical cleaner first. For Civic Si owners, weekly cleaning with soapy water and occasional application of some automotive wax should be more than sufficient to keep the tip clean and shiny.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor, Edmunds.com
trackwrex says:
01:00 PM, 06/ 9/06
The funny thing is, most of the Si owners I know have already swapped out the exhaust! LOL. In favor of the titanium kind... :)
hondacura4 says:
10:10 AM, 06/10/06
Yeah, some of those titanium exhausts only weigh like 10lbs. Im selling my 2003 Acura CL-S Type S 6MT for a Civic Si sedan when it debuts and I cant wait.
The mojority of the DOHC VTEC or in this case i-VTECs do this to the exhaust tips espeically when driven hard. I have an aftermarket exhaust on my Integra Type R powered 1995 Civic Ex sedan and the tip is black. I dont bother cleaning it.
trackwrex says:
09:15 AM, 06/12/06
As is usually the case when driving anything hard- especially w/the Honda VTEC engines... I had the JIC Bullet Titanium exhaust on my EK9 Si and cleaning that thing was easy! :)