Plastic bumper/fender flare issue

wtwnsnd

New member
Unfortunately I don't have any pics, but I was hoping someone know's what I'm trying to describe.



I have a '03 Toyota Tacoma that has black plastic fender flares and some plastic trim on the front bumper.



I've started to notice what seems like "waves" or "ripples" in some spots. You can't feel them, but if the sunlight hits the plastic at the right angle you can see them.



I've noticed this on other vehicles and I thought it was probably due to people never treating it with any protectant/UV blocker. However, I dress my trim with protectant every time I wash the truck.



Anyone know a way to get rid of this? Usually applying a dressing covers it up but I'm worried it may get worse. I was thinking a slightly abbrasive polish might do it, but the trim is slightly textured, so I'm worried that I'll have a hard time getting the residue off.



Anyone have any ideas?



Thanks!
 
Without good pics it's hard to say but it sounds like an effect from the molding/production process. As the trim ages and oxidizes, more of these "waves" will appear. My dad's Dodge Ram has sorta the same issue and dressings only cover it up.



If it's textured plastic you definitely do *not* want to wax or polish it as the product residue will stain or at least make a huge mess. You could try some mild cleaners like diluted Simple Green or one of the APC's we talk about and see how that works. But my guess is, as the dealers say, "they're all like that".
 
As bretfraz stated, hard to comment without pics. Are you sure the paint is not textured for rock chip prevention?
 
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