Those stuck on black bits?

[jobforacowgirl]

So these appear to be stuck on with adhesive and if treated roughly on the pointed edges can come unstuck which looks fairly ugly... how should we go about cleaning these and avoiding damaging the adhesive underneath? What is even underneath? .

[lfcrule1972]

Are you talking about the bits round the windows on the doors ?

[WTF]

If you do mean the bits LFC has mentioned, mine have never lifted or even looked as if they would come away. 3 years on and still stuck fast.

Killed another laptop, on via tapa on my phone. Another victory for me vs technology -_-

[lfcrule1972]

Yeah I'd agree with WTF, unfortunately I crashed my first DS3 following a tyre blowout and the car was written off, despite that the stick on vinyl bits were still in place despite the damage to the doors. With my new replacement I have jet washed it and nto even considered the stick on trim... no issues here so far

[Clean Your Ride]

If the OP jobforacowgirl is referring to any of the black trim on the outside of the car, around the doors, the sills, rear wiper, front valance and rear splitter then the best product I have used is Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer?

C4 utilises a covalent or chemical bond to actually become an extension of the plastic molecule it's protecting. Not to be confused with much weaker electrostatic bonds used by, amongst others, ptfe based polymers C4 actually swaps part of its molecular structure with the surface molecules of your car's trim.

What this means is that you now have a protective coating of unparalleled durability. Unlike many trim products on the market C4 is an exceptionally thin (circa 30nm) optically clear film which means that it does not add an unattractive gloss film to the surface instead it restores all but the most faded trim to an as new condition. You can expect approximately 2 years from a single application.

This also means that there is NO fade whatsoever (and I have been keeping a close eye in this weather) and cleaning is just a wipe with a washmitt and shampoo during a normal wash routine. Quick dry and the C4 has made the trim look like brand new.

Sounds great but the downside is the price - £29.95 for 15ml. Consider though, I have used half of this bottle on every exterior black trim on my car and it won't need to be treated again for hopefully a long time.

A cheaper alternative and a weekly/two weekly application (for me, Mr OCD) can be had with CarPro PERL which is water based silicon oxide, solvent-free, hydrophobic, that provides great satin shine and revives faded P.E.R.L. (plastic, engine, rubber, leather) surfaces. While it can easily spray, it has great cling to keep it on the surface with life time up to 3 months.

PERL has no chemical solvents which can cause damage to tyres; furthermore PERL contains high degree UV protection to keep the surface from yellowing, cracking and fading. PERL will stop leather from cracking and protect from dirt and stains penetrating the surface. Treated surfaces require less cleaning and will remain in like-new condition. It restores the original finish to vinyl, rubber, plastic, acrylic, and leather.

P.E.R.L and vinyl surfaces stay supple, flexible, and retain their colour with regular use of PERL.

All surface coated create satin shine, non greasy, non oily absorbing substance, and with great smell as well.

PERL water based formula provides great durability on all tyres, interior and exterior trim, vinyl and dashboards.

How to use?

Dilute PERL with water; pour into sprayer, ready for use. Clean well the surface from dirt, oil and dust. Shake PERL well before use, spray on surface from 20cm distance and wipe off with microfibre.

On tyres and rubber can be applied with sponge applicator.

Recommend dilution ratio:

Plastics (exterior)- 1:3 (1 quantity PERL : 3 quantity water).
Engine - 1:1-3
Tyres - undiluted - 1:1
Interior rubber / trim / leather / vinyl - 1:5

One of my essential multi use, jack of all trades, products in my ever increasing arsenal. It's about £10.95 for 500ml. A little goes a long way and I still have half a bottle left myself after a years worth of use.

Hope this helps?

Andy

[WTF]

Awesome!! Thanks Andy

I just use AutoGlym bumper care......

Killed another laptop, on via tapa on my phone. Another victory for me vs technology -_-

[Clean Your Ride]

I just use AutoGlym bumper care......

To be fair WTF, that is one AG product I have not used. I have heard though that it is one of the top 3 (must have) AG products along with SRP (new formula) and EGP.

[lfcrule1972]

I've used both the Autoglym SRP and EGP and they make my black DS3 look awesome ! So many products, so little money

[jobforacowgirl]

Thanks for the tips Andy very informative! They are the bits i'm referring to, on my DS3 they are well stuck but on a few i've seen in showrooms its appeared to have possibly been rubbed whilst machine polishing or such! I've noticed a small white patch appear (whether from finger marks or something) on the drivers side door and wondered the best way to keep these treated and protected!

[lfcrule1972]

Ah sometimes the black vinyl trim gets spots of polish etc on it and that makes the white marks when it dries...