I was pulling into my garage today and when I parked my car, there was a faint spray of a jet black oily substance on the ground (dry). It was uniform with a pattern that looked like it was sprayed from my exhaust of my 1991 300D. I thought first that it may be oil, but my car does not use even a drop of oil and when I checked after the car sat for 10 minutes, it was right on the money. The only explanation that I could find is that my daily commute to the office is very short, it is ver cold out and on the way home from office I took the long, long way. I was driving my car very fast and perhaps this is some of the diesel crud that has been building up from all of that short driving.
What do you think?

This is known as carbon. Most cars, diesel and gas as well will send some of this out the tailpipe when they start up. Your's sounds like it has a good straight shot at the pavement. If it's running OK, not to worry.. Merry Christmas.

This is the first time I had ever seen this, so that is why I am questioning this. Is it because I just ran the car hard and it is cold, therfore there is more condensation?

If she is running OK, and you have no uncomfortable seat-of-the-pants feelings, then it's just carbon buildup. Is this the first time you noticed it or is this the first time you actually looked and saw it. Whatever it is, in the absence of any other symptoms, I wouldn't worry too much, unless, there is something else that you are not aware of. BTW, this may sound silly, but are you sure it's your car?

[Edited by jeffsr on 12-15-2000 at 09:28 PM]

I guess you could say it's oil, after all that's what a diesel burns as fuel. :D

My wife's 96 E300D does this too. When she lets it warm up a bit in the garage (yes, the door is open! ;) ) the condensation in the cold exhaust system mixes with the oily carbon soot in the exhaust. Because it's moist, it gets deposited right on the concrete.

When it's warmer the dry carbon soot just blows away.

I agree, it sounds normal.

BCingU, Jim

Thanks for the input. I checked it out this morning and it was dry and powdery, not oily. Any way to blow that soot out, so it does not build up?

Nothing to worry about.

Rest easy and enjoy the Holidays,