Q: Black residue in the tailpipes
I recently purchased this pre-owned car that has gone 65,000 miles. The tailpipes have a black residue inside that I've just noticed. Should I be concerned? Is the engine damaged?
This is probably not a problem. If your state or locale requires emissions testing, this will be an immediate way to determine if the engine is running too rich (burning too much fuel for a given amount of air). But you should be good to drive the vehicle unless you are experiencing any notable driving concerns.
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