Are the exhaust tips Chrome or Stainless? How to tell? 2011 BMW 545 GT

Broceratops

Broceratops

Jake Dillard
I can tell the difference between polished stainless steel and chrome. I CANNOT! tell the difference between filthy, disgusting, carbon coated polished stainless and chrome!

Can someone point me in the right direction? Do you just pick up on this with time?

2011 BMW 545 GT.

Thanks guys!
 
Stainless steel has a slight color to it even when highly polished. It is kind of maintenance needy, especially on exhaust tips which get a regular coating of exhaust gas and water mixed with dirt and crap from the road..

Chrome has a more bright look of plating to it and when new or very well kept, will always be easier to maintain and polish... Chrome always seems to shine "brighter" than stainless steel.

Look around for and I know these are more rare than ever - Chrome Wheels - Chrome Bumpers - usually on older vehicles and you will get a better feel for what is chrome and what is not..

You can use the same products to clean and maintain either one..

I have a couple of tubes of Wenol and this works great on either, and last few years, have been using more and more of Optimum Metal Polish, and old cotton towels..

Sometimes when these exhaust tips are really dirty, I will use the products with some 0000 Steel Wool very carefully, to break down the nastiness, especially the inside of exhaust tips, and then polish up with old cotton towels..

And you have already figured out that wearing gloves is absolutely necessary unless you want your hands all black.. :)

Good luck !
Dan F
 
Normally a magnet will not stick to stainless steel but it depends on how much iron was used in the process of making it. Less or the least amount of iron a magnet won't be attracted to it. The reason for using stainless is so it doesn't rust, but again, depends on the iron content. Example, I have 2 butcher blocks of knive and one of them was made cheaply and the blades get rust spots on them.
 
skibik said:
Normally a magnet will not stick to stainless steel but it depends on how much iron was used in the process of making it. Less or the least amount of iron a magnet won't be attracted to it. The reason for using stainless is so it doesn't rust, but again, depends on the iron content. Example, I have 2 butcher blocks of knive and one of them was made cheaply and the blades get rust spots on them.
Click to expand...

You are correct about the iron content in making stainless steel. "Cheap" stainless is a 401 or 402 grade that is magnetic. This is used in cheaper stainless cutlery and, yes, it will rust.
Good stainless steel is 302 or 304. This is what most quality cutlery and utensils are made from. High quality stainless is 316. It's the stainless for surgical knives and salt-water propellers because it will not rust, even in corrosive environments. But it is a PAIN to machine/weld/bend/shape with. It's about 4 to 5 times more expensive in manufacturing cost that conventional cold-rolled 1018-1020 steel. Having worked in mechanical design for food processing, most equipment needed to be some type of stainless due to caustic wash-down environments to prevent harmful bacteria outbreaks.

The magnet trick is a good suggestion, BUT it will not tell you what type/grade of stainless it is. Chances are it's 302 or 304, especially if it's formed sheet metal or tubing. I always found that bare metals tend to leave a really black residue on soft chamois-like microfibers used for polishing such metals. Optimum Metal Polish is an excellent choice for polishing stainless steel to a fine luster. You do not want to use chrome cleaner, as the abrasives can be a little harsh and scratch/haze the metal if too aggressive polishing/rubbing is done. Another good choice is Simichrome or Flitz metal polishes.

Another thing about cleaning exhaust tips that get black with combustion carbon. Use a carburetor cleaner or brake cleaner and a stiff tooth brush to remove the carbon build-up. Yes, I've used 4:1 Meg's Wheel Brightener in extreme cases, but I caution you in doing so because it's impossible to wash out/rinse the residue from inside the pipe. You'll need to wipe it out with wet old rags or microfiber towels.
 
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