Acid

[Darringer, Chris]

I did some more research, and I am concluding that the "stuff" that drips
out of your exhaust is *mostly* water, and *mostly* harmless.

However, auto exhaust contains thousands of chemical compounds, including:
nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, particulates, ormaldehyde,

acetaldehyde, benzene, AND sulfuric acid.  To say that this "stuff" is "just
water" is an exaggeration - it will contain trace amounts of some of these
compounds.  As proof of this, you need only to look at the rear stainless
steel exhaust of the car emitting this "water" - it was severly rusted out.
The car itself had no external corrosion whatsoever, so I assume the exhaust
was rusting internally.  I can't believe that just water, carbon, and heat
could do that to stainless steel without some help.

Chris
'90 80q


> Subject: Re: Acid (was: Drain valves versus plugs versus suction)
> Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 22:01:35 -0500
>
> Where in the world would the acid even come from?! Think about it, the
only
> things your engine is ingesting are air and fuel, no combination of the
two
> that I am aware of is going to make any form of sulfuric acid. Your
mechanic
> was correct, the water on your hood was just that, water. It condeses on
the
> inside of exhaust systems as they cool, then when fired up again the water
> is blown out the back in liquid form. Don't worry, your car may have
> gotten
> messy, but your paint and hood should still be intact.
>
>Later!
> -Nate