Black trim on a new Highlanderr.

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RickyRu

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First of all I'm a complete noobie. My wife has a new Toyota Highlander with plenty of black plastic on the exterior.
I need to know what to use to clean and keep the textured trim , the smooth trim and the shiny black pillars looking new.
Also what to use on the black rubber gaskets around the doors to keep them soft and supple so they don't dry out and crack.
 
Ditto on the WETS (Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant), you use that maybe twice a year and that trim will stay like new forever (maybe four times a year to be on the safe side, but regardless, it lasts a long time).
 
A taught a class on plastic trim restoration at Mobile Tech Expos a few years ago.

Never taught it after the first time because it's a really boring topic and the class was not well attended. I've been teaching classes at MTE for 7+ years now and I know what topics guys like and restoring plastic trim isn't one of them but to change things up, one year I taught this class.

Here's what I said in the class, (paraphrase)





When you get a new car the trim looks great so you don't do anything. The newness of the car (the excitement you get buying a new car), wears off after a few months and most people stop paying attention to the appearance of the car and this includes the black plastic trim.

It looks good when you bought the car and it looks good without any attention for a few more years... but then... one day you wash and dry the car and you notice the black plastic trim is now faded, gray and ugly. Then most people look for a miracle product they can simply wipe-on and wipe off and the trim is restored and they never have to do anything again.

​



Doesn't work like that.


In the class, what I shared was how to restore faded trim and then keep it from fading again and the way you keep it fading again is the way you keep it fading in the first place and that is to,


"Find something you like and use it often"



:)
 
Another for WETS, I love the stuff and it passes the Florida torrential summer rain test with :dblthumb2:

My Rogue has trim all the way around. I apply it twice a year and I'm good to go. When I pull into a parking lot and thier is another Rogue parked near by you can clearly see the difference between mine treated with WETS and the other one.

A key thing with it, a little goes along way. Apply it sparingly.

I apply it with a foam applicator. I use the painter type small foam applicators with a wood handle to hit the trim under the wipers and tight areas on the mirror.

I've had the Rogue for 2 years 3 months now and have been using WETS on it for atleast a year and a half + and the trim is like new and it's out in the sun 24/7. Using it on the other vehicles in the stable too.
Put a fresh coat on a few weeks back after a maintenance wash:

 
+1 for WETS and +1 for 'do it now while car is new.' You'll save yourself much headache and heartache in the years to come.

Apply WETS 4x a year and find a 'maintenance' dressing you like for the in-between washes.
 
I've had great success with the Blackfire Tire and Trim Sealant. It's a little expensive, but the 4oz bottle will last a long time.
 
custmsprty said:
My Rogue has trim all the way around. I apply it twice a year and I'm good to go. I've had the Rogue for 2 years 3 months now and have been using WETS on it for atleast a year and a half + and the trim is like new and it's out in the sun 24/7.
Click to expand...

There you go, twice a year in the Florida sun!
 
Op no need to PM me with many members posting some great responses to help you out.
 
Looks like a WETS is a favorite among the members on this forum. I've also been thinking of giving it a try.

I also have a relatively new car, that's garage kept. It has a lot of plastic trim and currently I'm using Adams VRT after every other wash to keep the exterior plastics conditioned and looking great. The issue is the product doesn't last very long so i have to apply it after every other wash which is very time consuming.

Others on this thread mentioned they apply WETS approx. x2 year. Does each application of WETS really last 6 months before diminishing? Now I know that longevity of any product is very difficult to estimate because they're many factors that will affect the longevity. Maybe a better way to ask is will WETS last through 5-10 maintenance washes before fading and needing to be reapplied?

Does anyone have recommendations for any ceramic exterior trim coatings that keep last awhile (~6 months)? I've heard good things of Gtechnique C4 and I'm a fan of Adams products so I was thinking of giving their trim cermaic coating a shot.

My main goal is to find a trim coating product that will last and provide good results through 5-10 washes. I don't mind reapplying every 3 months or so but it's getting hard to manage reapplying the trim conditioner after every other wash.

Thanks in advance.
 
WETS is a good product and last a few months. Hard to give it a number but it performs well. The good thing is it is easy to reapply and you can reapply as often as you see desire.

If you are looking for a trim coating then there are quite a few options from Gtechniq C4, CarPro DLUX, Gyeon Trim and the list goes on. These will retain their look longer. Like everything they are not set and forget it. I would recommend applying at least once a year.

The Pinnacle Black Label Ceramic Trim Restorer works well and seems to hold up well. The Adams trim coating is ok. It is just a step behind the others I mentioned. You would not be disappointed if you chose it.
 
I just applied some Gyeon Q2 Trim to my MINI black trim. Went on easy no looks very nice. Only thing I can say for durability is that it will last at least a day but I’ve read at least six mo this up to 2 years.
 
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