Cheap plastic trims around windows and roof

E

eng622

Member
With any new car, even if used , you soon start to find faults or things you don't like. So thought I've give a good polish only to find that any polish that finds its way around the plastic trims around the window and roof edges won't wipe off. Just leaves a white mark and even with black polish turns out grey.
Any advice on what to use, the parts in question really do look cheap and even worse now being discoloured
 
I had the same problem & fixed it last night. Took 5 min.
I uses some bug & tar remover on a cloth to lift the dried wax/polish then used some tyre/trim dressing on a cloth & worked into the trim to restore the lustre back.
 
You can clean the polish off with methylated spirits or surgical spirits and then polish with some plastic trim polish.
 
get a magic sponge

similar to http://advance-products.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=80&products_id=35

i keep one in my glovebox for the light scuffs on the door panel from my shoes.. i get them from my autosmart franchise, 10 for £2 or something like that..

just be gentle with them because they can be abrasive with too much pressure
 
Just be careful with a magic sponge, they can remove texture or indeed add it where none exists as they're very abrasive. Use something more gentle would be my suggestion.

A guy in the US (e89 forum) covered his interior window frame (and other cheap plastic parts) with alcantara and that looked the dogs wotsits. I do wonder why BMW put things like this in the e89 given its price... even the 1 series has a nicer covering around the window etc.
 
This isn't limited to BMWs. Common with just about every car we've ever owned or polished.


For my personal cars I put painter's masking tape on everything I don't want to get polish on.

30 years ago when I got paid minimum wage to wax other people's cars, I stayed about 2" away from all trim.
 
I don't understand why BMW fit a cheap feeling rough window trim thats awful to clean when they fit nice smooth trim to my previous 1 Series. Is it because its cheaper or is there a reason because its a open top and more durable? Peugeot also do the same with the 207CC, a rough awful plastic. Its not nice stuff to keep looking good with rubber and vinyl care stuff.

Tim.
 
I've never had a car with this rough type material, so I wonder why it is so. Could try black shoe polish, think I have some black for plastic, take some finding though.
 
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