Wax on Bumper cover - need help removing

R

Rhett

New member
I just bought this Grand Cherokee and it looks like the previous owner put wax on the front bumper cover. The gray spot is where I wire brushed it as a last try to get it off. Anyone have any ideas on an easier method to get it off? I have tried rubbing some hand cleaner in, dawn, brake cleaner, tar & adhesive remover - but nothing will touch it other than the wire brush.





Hope the photo shows, this would be my first time posting a pic on any website







showphoto.php
 
Yikes! I got excellent results removing residue using Eagle1 A2Z wheel cleaner with a toothbrush, as posted by Bill North a month or two ago. You can get A2Z just about anywhere.
 
There's a nice assortment of wax removers for trim popping up lately, In addition to the Griots, I know TOL has one that's received good rviews as well as, I think, CMA. I believe I did see the same one TOL sells at an auto body paint supply store, so perhaps for a local option you might want to check one of those first .
 
Are you sure that's wax and not oxidation of the bumper cover? The wire brush is a little drastic! :scared Maybe some type of swirl/scratch remover. Some are hand application friendly if you don't have a PC. You could also try Klasse AIO. Maybe someone can send you a small sample.
 
get a new bumper would probably be the easiest. :p i would've suggest Poorboy's Trim Restorer until i saw how much wax was on it! :eek:



good luck!
 
Thanks for everyones reply - I have some leftover foaming wheel cleaner I will try with a "non-abrasive" brush. Also have a PC and some AIO - wasn't sure if that would work though due to the texture of the bumper cover.



MY buddy that works at a GM dealership said he could get me an aftermarket bumper cover for around $140. Would prefer to fix it with some elbow grease vs my wallet.



The good thing is - I know I can't make look any worse.....
 
Question on the Forerver black products - Sounds like it dyes whatever you put it on black - but how does it affect the dark gray colors. Is it going to turn these black too? The rest of the body moudlings are just a dark gray like in the pic.
 
Rhett, Forever Black is just black stain for plastic, basically. So no science involved in what it does; it will make anything black!



Put some AIO on with your Porter Cable and let us know if it helps.
 
beau said:
Rhett, Forever Black is just black stain for plastic, basically. So no science involved in what it does; it will make anything black!



Put some AIO on with your Porter Cable and let us know if it helps.
Click to expand...



Lets be careful with our wording here Beau, Forever Black will not make "anything black".



The manufacturer claims FB will bond to vinyl, plastic and rubber and can be wiped off paint, chrome or paintwork with a damp cloth. So far my experience in using FB supports this claim, with the exception that some plastics I experimented with before using it for the first time needed multiple layers applied before a good layer was built up (it worked great on the bumper I applied it to).



You can read more about this water based polymer dye here:



http://www.properautocare.com/cohifato.html



I still recommend trying to clean the wax off first. The thread contains several good suggestions on which products to clean with including your own, but if they fail to restore a black finish, this is one of the products that is worth considering, before spending bigger bucks on a new bumper.



My 2 cents....
 
Here is an update for everyone:



-Formula 2001 foaming wheel cleaner (leftovers) - didn't touch it.

-AIO by hand with terry applicator - started to remove it

-AIO by PC with original white pad - started to remove but not as good as terry applicator. Think it has something to do with the terry having a bit more "bite"

-Found some wax/degreaser stuff in one of the cabinets, That actually worked the best for removing but took 15 minutes to do roughly a 6"sq area and it removed the texture.



-Back to Black or Forever Black I don't think will work - the plastic is a dark gray.



I did manage to find an identical Grand Cherokee on ebay that they are parting out, which has a whole lot better bumper cover, emailed the guy and he said to make an offer. Good thing is that its only about hour and a half to drive and get it - depending on the price.....



I think the replacement cover would just be in my best interest now as the texture is gone on roughly 1/3 of it now from experimenting:nixweiss
 
Rhett,



One thing no one has mentioned that you might want to try is 3M Adhesive & Wax Remover. Check out this thread:



http://www.autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17278



It was a pain for me to find, but I eventually found it at a Wal-Mart SuperCenter in the auto spray paint section. The guy in that thread swears by it. I bought it a month ago but haven't had to use it yet (knock on wood), so I can't really give you a testimonial, but since you've tried everything else, it wouldn't hurt to try this stuff!



BTW, comes both in a little tin can and in a spray can. Hope it helps.



Mark
 
Bill D said:
There's a nice assortment of wax removers for trim popping up lately, In addition to the Griots, I know TOL has one that's received good rviews as well as, I think, CMA. I believe I did see the same one TOL sells at an auto body paint supply store, so perhaps for a local option you might want to check one of those first .
Click to expand...



Bill,

Are referring to GR-40, which TOL sells?



Paw,

You make an excellant point about the bumper being oxidized.



Eric
 
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