# Plastic bag stuck to hot exhaust

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/plastic-bag-stuck-to-hot-exhaust/189269>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** toyota, camry\
**Created:** [February 22, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plastic-bag-stuck-to-hot-exhaust/189269 "2023-02-22T04:27:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plastic-bag-stuck-to-hot-exhaust/189269/1 "2023-02-22T04:27:39Z")

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(‘04 Camry. I don’t see where to enter the year when creating new topic.)  
This big ol’ plastic bag (“contractors bag”, I think) blew under the car as I was coming to a stop at a red light. Sure enough, it got stuck to some hot part of the exhaust system. (I think it’s not the catalytic converter – the part is bulge-y, but only several inches long. Maybe a resonator?) I have pulled most of it loose. A couple of square inches of un-melted bag are still stuck, and, of course, there is a bunch of charred material on the hot part.

I THINK I don’t have to worry about anything except the odor until the remnants melt and char away, but I’d like some reassurance from you experts that I am not a rolling fire hazard.

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 5:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plastic-bag-stuck-to-hot-exhaust/189269/2 "2023-02-22T05:37:36Z")

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You remove as much of the plastic as you can, and let the rest burn off.

You just have to tolerate the smell until that happens.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/5/4/5415dbeb25ad2c707d8399be4fb3565448b95d0c.jpeg)

Tester

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**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plastic-bag-stuck-to-hot-exhaust/189269/3 "2023-02-22T14:59:33Z")

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Tester,

Thanks for confirming that I’m doing it right.

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**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plastic-bag-stuck-to-hot-exhaust/189269/4 "2023-02-22T16:50:30Z")

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I would think a half hour of running time should be enough to cook it down, but if it’s really cold where you are it might take longer.

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**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/plastic-bag-stuck-to-hot-exhaust/189269/5 "2023-02-22T17:25:04Z")

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50-deg-F today, 78-deg-F tomorrow, but we have no plans to drive anywhere. 😄

Thanks for the tip.