Black soot on passenger door

I just noticed some weird black soot on the passenger door of my 2024 Ocean. I can't figure out what could have possibly caused it. As you can see from the photo, it ends very sharply at the door line, possibly because the door line gap creates turbulence on the lee side that prevents it from being deposited or clears it somehow. The line is from where I dragged my finger across it to see if it was indeed a surface deposit (finger came away with black dust or similar on it).

Is this soot from an engine (mine or someone else's, e.g., if someone was somehow backed up against the side of the van)? Or could it be brake dust -- but if so, why is it deposited way back there, and only on one side of the van?

Has anyone seen something like this before?

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Is your fuel cap on ?

On that side you have the ad blue tank and heater ! Look underneath to see if the film is under the van ?

thanks.

Fuel cap is on and secure (as is ad blue cap).

The film continues under the lip of the panel but any beyond that seems to just be dust from the road. (The finger smear in the photo I'm about to post is just road dust or similar.) However see the photos - there is some little oily pipe sticking down and then a pattern of something or other on the underside beyond it.

I don't think I've used the heater at all for about two months (and last washed the van 2 months ago). Maybe I've used it since I washed it but certainly not a lot.

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That pipe is the vent pipe from the filler area .

It looks like diesel residue that's why I said about the cap.

That tube should be protruding from the plastic protection panel .

Maybe whip that panel off to see if any leaks under there as ther is residue

When did you fill up (brim it last)

Show me a picture of the filler cap area specifically the area below the add blue cap

Edit

Here is what it should look like, yours (bottom photo) looks to be pushed back up into the protection panel and it looks like a leak at some stage, the pipe looks wet , any residue in road / driveway ?

thanks. I actually had to reach in and pull that thing down a bit because I saw something was in there but couldn't see what it was. It used to be above that bit of panel and so plausibly dribbled a bit out on to the top of that panel ,which then wicked around to the underside. Is it only air that is supposed to come out of that thing? There was definitely a drip or so of fuel. (Could I be overfilling the tank and causing some to go down the vent pipe?)

I filled up just a day or two ago.

I'm not with the van now but will do the other things you mentioned later today.

turnitdown said:

thanks. I actually had to reach in and pull that thing down a bit because I saw something was in there but couldn't see what it was. It used to be above that bit of panel and so plausibly dribbled a bit out on to the top of that panel ,which then wicked around to the underside. Is it only air that is supposed to come out of that thing? There was definitely a drip or so of fuel. (Could I be overfilling the tank and causing some to go down the vent pipe?)

I filled up just a day or two ago.

I'm not with the van now but will do the other things you mentioned later today.

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The pipe is an overflow pipe , if you spill fuel whilst filling up is goes into a hole just below the add blue cap, that then drains to the tube / ground .

Personally I would have the cover guard off to see why that piped was tucked up. It's definitely leaking fuel , there is probably an air vent from the tank connected to that tube as well so well worth checking that has not been damage / leaking.

The film on the side of your van , looked like fuel (in your first photo) could be from blow back / pressurised tank , does your tank pop when you open the lid ? - it shouldn't