Is this wax residue?
- Thread starter UBERKLEEN
- Start date
RaskyR1
Rasky's Auto Detailing
Ford Explorer?
RaskyR1
Rasky's Auto Detailing
Detailed my share of them over the years. 
Hard to say for sure. I recall those moldings being very prone to fading/discoloring like that.
You can try scrubbing them with a brush and some APC to see if it removes the white stuff down in all the groves. You may be SOL....I wonder if the heat gun trick would do anything for them too....
Hard to say for sure. I recall those moldings being very prone to fading/discoloring like that.
You can try scrubbing them with a brush and some APC to see if it removes the white stuff down in all the groves. You may be SOL....I wonder if the heat gun trick would do anything for them too....
Yamaha0219
New member
I had an Explorer a year or two older than that and my rear moldings were not quite as wide, but still had obvious fading. I use to just throw some dressing on it and it would come out nice, but I'd say try the heat gun trick. I've used the heat gun to restore parts on jet ski's with success (very similar texture as your molding), however, that is obviously not a permanent fix.
Nth Degree
New member
I see that on a lot of vehicles. The consistent pattern makes it obvious it is not wax residue. It has something to do with the molding process of the plastic, either the releasing agents from the mold, or just the way the plastic is pumped into the mold creates the wave pattern. Dressing it helps temporarily. You could try dying it black, but Plisti-Dip might be the easiest. If anyone has the opportunity to try a heat gun, let me know how it goes. I don't have the guts to try on a customer's car.
Ron Ketcham
Active member
That what the ValuGard ETR kit is famous for fixing, permament fix.
On their web site is a TSB from Hyundai where they had their dealers use it for over 40,000 vehicles, Mazda did the same on about 4,000 new B2000 pickups.
There is also a training video on applying it, very simple, no spraying, etc.
Grumpy
On their web site is a TSB from Hyundai where they had their dealers use it for over 40,000 vehicles, Mazda did the same on about 4,000 new B2000 pickups.
There is also a training video on applying it, very simple, no spraying, etc.
Grumpy
Accumulator
Well-known member
Ron Ketcham said:
What Ron said :xyxthumbs
And lest you think he's just being ex-ValuGard-employee about this, I've used the stuff and it really is simple and effective. And the results were a whole lot better than I ever expected (my expectations weren't low either).
I'd be leery of the heatgun approach. While plenty of people say how well it's worked for them, I can't help but think that making the whatever-it-is stuff migrate to the top of the plastic is the wrong way to go about this.
Ron Ketcham
Active member
Uber, just a quick note, with those panels, two coats of the ColorGard should be applied.
Allow at least 15 minutes at room temperature before applying the second coat of the black ColorGard, then wait 15 minutes and apply the VERY important UVGard. That is what makes the system last for years, I often put on two coats of it as well.
Just a habit of mine for exterior parts.
Grumpy
Allow at least 15 minutes at room temperature before applying the second coat of the black ColorGard, then wait 15 minutes and apply the VERY important UVGard. That is what makes the system last for years, I often put on two coats of it as well.
Just a habit of mine for exterior parts.
Grumpy
Ron Ketcham
Active member
Gather you don't have a heated garage. Get a day when it's at least 40+.
Sure someone owns a hair dryer.
Just heat a panel, warm only to the touch, clean, apply, lightly run the hair dryer over the surface, you can see it dry.
Just go on from there, did the mirrors and the plastic tops of the bumpers, last week on a F-150 for a fellow, was 42F. Did this only used my heat gun.
My shop is not for cars, it's crammed with motorcycles, stainless steel moldings, tools out the wazoo, so had to do it under my car port.
Took me about 30 minutes, used about 1/2oz or less of product.
The bill-$40.00
Warrantied it for two years, could have been for longer, but one never knows what kind of "cleaner" some will spray on things.
Grumpy
Sure someone owns a hair dryer.
Just heat a panel, warm only to the touch, clean, apply, lightly run the hair dryer over the surface, you can see it dry.
Just go on from there, did the mirrors and the plastic tops of the bumpers, last week on a F-150 for a fellow, was 42F. Did this only used my heat gun.
My shop is not for cars, it's crammed with motorcycles, stainless steel moldings, tools out the wazoo, so had to do it under my car port.
Took me about 30 minutes, used about 1/2oz or less of product.
The bill-$40.00
Warrantied it for two years, could have been for longer, but one never knows what kind of "cleaner" some will spray on things.
Grumpy