Plastic Trim

W

Willbeen

New member
I purchased a new Audi which has a mostly plastic grille. Other painted plastic parts include mirrors and areas between windows.

I don't see much in the lineup of product offerings other than some cleaners. I'm wondering if there are good specialty products that clean and protect (either combined into one product or separate products). Or do I just use the same cleaners and protective products that I use for the rest of the body?
 
Welcome to the Forum !
Congratulations on the new Audi - I love the Audi Interiors - some of the best designed and finished -

Are the plastic pieces you speak of painted the vehicle color, or some other color ? If so what color ?

The C pillars if they are black can be polished and a good wax, sealant, etc., can be applied the same as the rest of the body..
And again, the rest of the plastic can be cleaned and treated with the normal products you perhaps already have..
Some black colored plastics can always be renewed to a dark black color with a variety of products sold here and used by many on this Forum..
Dan F
 
Willbeen- Welcome to Autopia! Fellow Audi-nut here.

What finish does the grille have? I use different stuff on my 3 Audis as they have different materials/finishes on their grilles. Generally, I use the same stuff that I use on the painted surfaces, but there can be exceptions.

Whatever you use to protect it/make it look good, just clean it with your regular carwash shampoo. I use Boar's Hair Brushes, which get in the nooks and crannies pretty well (better than my mitts do), following up with swabs as needed (note that I'm kinda fanatical about my maintenance washes).
 
Accumulator said:
Whatever you use to protect it/make it look good, just clean it with your regular carwash shampoo.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with the above to clean--that with maybe some APC for added power. Then you can use something to protect. Blackfire Total Trim & Tire Sealant/Blackfire AIO Trim & Tire protectant are getting some extremely solid reviews--the former seems to excel on exterior plastics and the latter on exterior plastics/rubber.

Although if the plastic trim is the clear-coated shiny kind--I'd think any wax/sealant you use on the paint would be sufficient.
 
I do use Ultima's UTTG+ on some exterior plastics, but on smooth (let alone glossy) trim I prefer a conventional LSP. For the black plastic at the bottom of the Audi bumpercovers, I'm experimenting with both OCW and Meguiar's UQW, sorta preferring the look of the latter (had been using ValuGard's Fast Finish which I still like).

Eh, guess it's just a personal preference as long as the trim gets kept nice so it doesn't start degrading. I just prefer something other than the old "slime-dressing approach".

For cleaning/prep, if I need something potent I use Griot's Rubber Prep, which I continue to regard as a Miracle Product.
 
Thanks to all who replied. From the responses the consensus seems like I can use the same polish and protection that I use on the rest of the body. To Dan F. the grill etc. are all glossy black. The body is similar with the Phantom Black Pearl (metallic paint).

In the for what it's worth department... My "new" car is a 2014 dealer certified in excellent condition. I applied the Blackfire Black wax over the dealer detail job and it looks fantastic. The depth and wet look improved the dealer job significantly. Also used it on the black plastic and it brought a higher level of brilliance to those as well.
 
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