Black Anodized Trim Problem

D

DodgeRacer

New member
Hi all, I am new here and I have already learned some things from the Detailing Guide. I have a 2003 PT Cruiser and I like to keep it nice and shiny, but I am having a problem with the black anodized trim on the doors by the door glass. It always looks streaky and it really makes the car look bad. The only product that I have used on the car since new is Eagle One Wax As-Yu-Dry. The black paint looks great, but the trim is terrible. The car sits outside 24-7 and since I am in Canada, I can't hand wash it in the winter, so I use a touch free car wash. The trim really looks bad in the winter. I tried some Black Magic Wheel Polish on the anodized trim and it did help, but I don't think it is the right product for the job. I have been unable to find a product that is specifically for this kind of trim. Mothers Back to Black was recommended to me but I am not sure that is what I shoud be using. Can anyone give me a recommendation on product or procedure to clean the anodized trim? The product would have to be avilable in Canada.



Thanks, Paul Allen
 
Welcome to Autopia!



Anodizing is sorta fragile, be careful what you use on it.



I clean my anodized trim with a very mild cleaner, usually Klasse AIO. NO NOT use aggressive abrasives! So no more wheel polish.



Then I protect it with a long lasting LSP like Klasse SG or Collinite wax (or UPP on the S8).



Anodizing is a coating bonded to the aluminum. Stuff like back to black isn't made for this (but rather for porous surfaces).



The strong chemicals from the carwash might end up permanently compromising the anodizing; there's no way to repair it. So try to protect it as best you can.
 
Thanks for the reply Accumulator. Since I did that post I have been doing a lot of reading of old posts on the site and I think I have a pretty good picture of how to treat anodized aluminum now. I looked at my daughter-in-laws PT and she doesn't have the problem. Her car is always hand washed so it is probably the car wash soap the caused it. I don't understand some of the short forms on your post. What is Klasse AIO? Is it a cleaner or soap? What is LSP? How can I tell for sure if this is anodized aluminum, could it be something else?

Thanks, Paul
 
Sorry about all the acronyms :o I tend to rely on that sort of shorthand, especially when I'm in a hurry, to help me get through a lot of responses. It's gotten to where I actually *think* in acronyms instead of full product names!



If you look around this site there's a Secret Decoder Ring (or something like that) that'll help with the translations, but a few clarifications follow:



LSP= Last Step Product (wax or sealant); AIO= Klasse Brand All-In-One (like a synthetic cleaner wax, good stuff); KSG= Klasse Sealant Glaze (long-lasting sealant applied after the AIO, very good stuff); UPP= 4-Star Brand Ultimate Paint Protection (another sealant); Collinite: a brand of very durable wax.



As to how to tell if it's really anodized aluminum...that's kinda hard to explain...you can try a magnet as they don't stick to aluminum, but they don't stick to other things too. If it's black trim, seems like a coating on metal, has a slightly textured finish, I'd assume it's anodized. Even if it's something different but similar, I'd treat it the same way anyhow- very gently. Lots of trim *is* aluminum and anodizing is the standard way to put a finish on it.
 
Upon closer inspection, it is black anodized aluminum. I applied some Meguiar's Gold Class Wax and buffed it off. It looks better than new, actually a little shinier. I didn't damage it with the Wheel Cleaner anyway. Thanks for your help Accumulator.

Paul
 
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