Plastic fading
- Thread starter H Rafiq
- Start date
Yeah but what happens that stuff sits on your car and the sun beats down on it before it has been rinsed off it eats the paintwork in seconds.
Like baking it on
So if you think back have you used a drive through car wash on a sunny day where they spray the car in a mist and then you wait until it gets pressure washed off thats when the damage has been done
Yes, that’s exactly what it looks like. Many of the hand car wash places use harsh cleaning products that are good at removing dirt quickly (time is money for those places) but not at all good for the car.
If the black B pillar trim is painted or piano black plastic as opposed to a vinyl overlay, then that surface etching will probably polish out with a dual action polishing machine and an appropriate pad and polish combination. If it’s a vinyl overlay then you can buy replacements online. EZMods sell them - link below;
EZM Door Pillar Overlays for Seat Leon MK3 / MK3.5 Models | ezmods.co
Enhance the exterior of your Leon with EZM door pillar overlays. The OEM gloss black pillars can ofter become scratched. Now you can easily refresh and enhance them. EZM door pillar overlays are an exact fit and are easily applied as they are made using air release bubble free auto vinyl. For...
www.ezmods.co
Try polishing out with a da and some compound. I use sona perfect finish on the paint and piano black plastic trims no issues glosses up great. Failing that just get vinyl strips to wrap it.
As above answers dual-action polisher, soft pad and fine compound.
This could be done by hand, but will take a little longer.
This could be done by hand, but will take a little longer.
Yes it will come back as it's partly chemicals used, partly reaction to UV light.
Requires a bit of TLC like polishing/waxing the paintwork - this is no different to the oxidisation that you see with paint, particularly on flat red paints. Once you've got the gloss finish back you can protect with wax or products such as '303 Protectant' which is used for marine or aviation UV protection.
Don't go the vinyl decal route - these will be damaged by chemicals or scratching too, but you will then have the glue residue to remove when you replace.
Requires a bit of TLC like polishing/waxing the paintwork - this is no different to the oxidisation that you see with paint, particularly on flat red paints. Once you've got the gloss finish back you can protect with wax or products such as '303 Protectant' which is used for marine or aviation UV protection.
Don't go the vinyl decal route - these will be damaged by chemicals or scratching too, but you will then have the glue residue to remove when you replace.
If it was caused by harsh cleaning products, provided those are no longer used on your car, once corrected by polishing it should be OK, provided you take a bit of time to look after it;
- ensure only ph neutral products are used for washing your car, don’t use drive through hand car wash places that use harsh chemicals.
- thoroughly rinse any cleaning products off the car after washing it and dry it by hand (soft microfibre towels) rather than let it drip dry or dry in the sunshine.
- definitely never ever let a Seat dealer give your car a complimentary free service wash.
- applying a layer or two of protective wax or sealant and reapplying every 3-6 months - not just the B pillar trim but the whole car - will help keep it looking good.
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only option is new trims and they are not cheap 
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