Just wondered what the cause ofblack sooty buildup inside my tailpipe is.It's an 02V-8.I've never had that on any of my vehicles. Although my wifes old 96 Outback used to get the same way. I just got the vehicle with 45K miles on it. Anything to be concerned about? A way to cure it or is it just normal Rover?

 

Rover engines tend to run rich which will cause some soot. Low octane gas, warn spark plugs and lots of city driving will also cause this to happen.
Make sure you run high octane gas, might want to put in a bottle of good gas additive and take her out on the road and blow the carbon out. Are you still covered by the factory warranty?
Mike

 

Out of warranty I believeat 46K. Changed the plugs today to Bosch +4's. The old plugs were originals. Looked inok shape. Ran some Techron the first tank. Think I'll do another treatment. Mostly 5 mile trips. Ocassionally get's 30 or soabout once a week. I've been running premium, but unsure what was run previously.

 

Take her out on the road someplace where you can blow the carbon out of her. You'll know when it is better, there won't be any hesitation when you punch it and it will pull hard up to 5500 RPM's.
Mike

 

Try cleaning your air filter...This was the cause of my dirty-looking exhaust juices!