You're now going to be flamed by the weekend washers who gently massage their cars for 4 hrs in the morning while Mavis cooks them a hearty brunch for afters.
I've an 18-year-old Merc with black trim… you get used to that happening after a while, but you can hide it very effectively with a 'black trim' product. Trade names will depend on where you live, but that is eminently fixable. I do mine maybe once, twice a year. Rest of the time it looks just fine.
I've always used 'Black Chrome' though this article says you can't get it in the US any more and that there are better alternatives. I'm not in the US so I've never heard of them - caveat emptor.
https://www.best-auto-detailing-tips.com/turtle-wax-black-chrome.html
Yes happened on mine and I used “bumper and vinyl external cleaning gel”, they came up brand new. Infact the guy that washes my car asked what I’d done to clean them as he had tried and couldn’t get them clean!
1. This can happen on all trims from different car brands. It’s caused by the chemicals they use at the car wash.
2. No products/services can reverse this. You could buy a new trim or get it wrapped, whatever you prefer.
3. Stop using automatic car washes please 😪
100% down to the car wash, they’re using bulk concentrated TFR instead of a quality shampoo to save money, bulk TFR needs mixing correctly with the right amount of water. If it’s too strong it can damage the finish on the aluminium trim, gloss black, satin black and bright metal finish are all susceptible to being damaged, there’s no cure for the damage, it all needs to be replaced. I’d be complaining to the car wash and don’t take no for an answer. I’m 100% right, been a manager in the motor trade for 40 years, seen it loads of times
(Ever seen a red car fade to pink??? That’s caused by TFR in car washes too, it attacks the pigment in certain red paints, Vauxhall and Opel suffer really bad).
The sun does cause some fade but at some time in its life it’s been cleaned with TFR, this is a very aggressive cleaning product that’s cheaper than shampoo, TFR stands for Traffic Film Remover and it’s similar to a mild acid, it strips off any polish and any ceramic coating that people can pay over £1000 to get their car treated
You're now going to be flamed by the weekend washers who gently massage their cars for 4 hrs in the morning while Mavis cooks them a hearty brunch for afters.
Bit harsh .. it’s not Mavis it’s Irene
I've an 18-year-old Merc with black trim… you get used to that happening after a while, but you can hide it very effectively with a 'black trim' product. Trade names will depend on where you live, but that is eminently fixable. I do mine maybe once, twice a year. Rest of the time it looks just fine. I've always used 'Black Chrome' though this article says you can't get it in the US any more and that there are better alternatives. I'm not in the US so I've never heard of them - caveat emptor. https://www.best-auto-detailing-tips.com/turtle-wax-black-chrome.html
Use some elbow grease and it’ll clean up. It’s spotting from the soapy water residue.
This is the right answer. Have this all the time and it comes off with minimal effort using a microfibre cloth.
Yes happened on mine and I used “bumper and vinyl external cleaning gel”, they came up brand new. Infact the guy that washes my car asked what I’d done to clean them as he had tried and couldn’t get them clean!
1. This can happen on all trims from different car brands. It’s caused by the chemicals they use at the car wash. 2. No products/services can reverse this. You could buy a new trim or get it wrapped, whatever you prefer. 3. Stop using automatic car washes please 😪
Used an automatic car scratcher. It's fine. The rest will catch up
And this kids is why you wash your own car with decent products
Poor build quality.
.... How do you "build" a piece of trim?
I'd say that's a question for you boy Musk. Although in this case, I'd say badly.
It's a question for you. Nobody else is fucking dumb enough to say what you said 😂
I’d imagine it’s chemical etching from the harsh stuff they use!!
You could try adding vinegar, which may relieve it
100% down to the car wash, they’re using bulk concentrated TFR instead of a quality shampoo to save money, bulk TFR needs mixing correctly with the right amount of water. If it’s too strong it can damage the finish on the aluminium trim, gloss black, satin black and bright metal finish are all susceptible to being damaged, there’s no cure for the damage, it all needs to be replaced. I’d be complaining to the car wash and don’t take no for an answer. I’m 100% right, been a manager in the motor trade for 40 years, seen it loads of times
(Ever seen a red car fade to pink??? That’s caused by TFR in car washes too, it attacks the pigment in certain red paints, Vauxhall and Opel suffer really bad).
I would argue that for Vauxhall owners that's the least of their suffering.
True,
And I always thought my 30 year old Toyota looks pink because of fading in the sun, never thought shampoo could be a cause.
The sun does cause some fade but at some time in its life it’s been cleaned with TFR, this is a very aggressive cleaning product that’s cheaper than shampoo, TFR stands for Traffic Film Remover and it’s similar to a mild acid, it strips off any polish and any ceramic coating that people can pay over £1000 to get their car treated
It's literally a 10-minute job to wipe off, it's dried soap.