Newbie help! Stains in bumper

E

EJB3SS

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Hi Mike!

I love the site and look forward to visiting it frequently for help and advice for future detailing projects.

My question for you is as follows; I bought a 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It is a Freedom Edition, which includes painted (granite color) wheels and bumpers. Upon delivery, I noticed the dealer applied a durable, gloss tire treatment to all the tires, including the spare, which is located on the rear gate. I immediately came home and scrubbed the tires to remove this, including the spare. But, I am noticing that after washing the vehicle, I am getting dark spots and runs on the rear bumper, specifically under and around the spare tire. As I stated, I immediately cleaned the tires upon bringing the vehicle home. I can only assume that whatever the dealer used, they applied liberally, ie; even inside the treads, which I am assuming is what is still on the tire and dripping onto the bumper.

I tried some Meguires Rubbing Compound by hand to try and remove these spots. While the compound did a decent job, the marks are still visible if you look hard enough.

I know it's a Jeep, and I shouldn't be so "anal", as they're supposed to be dirty right? But the vehicle is less than 3 months old, and I want to keep it looking great.

So! And advice/help you can provide is GREATLY appreciated! I am thinking of contacting the selling dealer to inquire about a replacement if necessary.

Thanks Mike! I appreciate any help!

Sincerely,
Ed B.
 
EJB3SS said:
Hi Mike!

I love the site and look forward to visiting it frequently for help and advice for future detailing projects.

My question for you is as follows; I bought a 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It is a Freedom Edition, which includes painted (granite color) wheels and bumpers.
Click to expand...


So looks like this?

2016-jeep-wrangler-freedom-edition-oscar-mike_5191.jpg


It was hard to find a picture of the Jeep Freedom Edition on the net. This one I found is watermarked so due credit to where credit is due e.g. Kevinspocket.com



EJB3SS said:
Upon delivery, I noticed the dealer applied a durable, gloss tire treatment to all the tires, including the spare, which is located on the rear gate.
Click to expand...

Isn't that just a crime? Like a property crime. It just goes to show and prove that the people that own, manage and work at dealerships are for the most part way behind the times and have no clue about car are or possibly asking the customer if they want some type of slime applied to their brand new tires? Of course most people are oblivious to proper car care and think greasy tires look great so I guess dealerships are just giving people what they want.

:dunno:


EJB3SS said:
I immediately came home and scrubbed the tires to remove this, including the spare. But, I am noticing that after washing the vehicle, I am getting dark spots and runs on the rear bumper, specifically under and around the spare tire. As I stated, I immediately cleaned the tires upon bringing the vehicle home. I can only assume that whatever the dealer used, they applied liberally, ie; even inside the treads, which I am assuming is what is still on the tire and dripping onto the bumper.
Click to expand...

Sounds about right.


EJB3SS said:
I tried some Meguiars Rubbing Compound by hand to try and remove these spots. While the compound did a decent job, the marks are still visible if you look hard enough.

I know it's a Jeep, and I shouldn't be so "anal", as they're supposed to be dirty right? But the vehicle is less than 3 months old, and I want to keep it looking great.

So! And advice/help you can provide is GREATLY appreciated! I am thinking of contacting the selling dealer to inquire about a replacement if necessary.

Thanks Mike! I appreciate any help!

Sincerely,
Ed B.
Click to expand...


First - I'm happy to meet someone that takes their Jeep seriously. Jeeps are a serous investment so might as well take care of it and enjoy the cool factor while preserving the value.


Second - I'm surprised you used Meguiar's compound? My guess is these bumper covers are black plastic? Or are they painted?

In the picture and from memory of looking at Jeeps the front and rear bumper covers are black pebble textured plastic. This being so, rubbing a white paint compound over them may remove the stain but it would tend to leave the plastic stained with compound residue which is a common problem in the car detailing industry. So I'm a little confused.


I hate to assume but assuming the bumpers covers are in fact pebble textured plastic, the curse of the car detailing world, then the normal approach to clean them would be to scrub them with some type of cleaner that will dissolve the tire dressing. Then treat the bumper to restore the original appearance.

I would probably try a brand name all-purpose-cleaner with a scrub brush. Not the stuff under the kitchen counter but an automotive brand APC. Or a citrus based APC. We carry gobs of these on the AG store as they are a little more difficult to find at a normal auto parts store. One APC that I have found to be both safe and effective is the SONAX Multi Star All Purpose Cleaner.


SONAX Multi Star All Purpose Cleaner


You would simply spray this on, agitate with a scrub brush and then rinse with water. I'd go an extra step and then wash with a normal car wash just to make sure you remove all the residue to get down to a clean surface.

Then I'd apply Solution Finish.

Solution Finish Super Size Exterior Trim Kit

While your at it, apply the Solution Finish to all the exterior and even interior pebble textured plastic trim. This is called preventative maintenance. Most people wait till the plastic on their car or Jeep looks faded and ugly and then look for a miracle product to somehow fix it in one application (and keep it looking new forever), and that's not reality.

I teach plastic restoration in my Competition Ready 3-day detailing classes, here's just ONE write-up from ONE class that shows the above process, that is cleaning the plastic and the restoring it.


How to do high quality production detailing - Your largest market!


As an option I teach guys how to machine scrub plastic,

Machine scrubbing plastic cladding

watermark.php




Then restore it...

watermark.php


watermark.php




Using a black wheel and tire microfiber towel to wipe off any excess.

watermark.php




Removing the painter's tape....

watermark.php




Boom! There it is...

watermark.php


watermark.php





Before

watermark.php



After

watermark.php




That's how I would normally approach fixing or restoring exterior plastic trim.



:)
 
Mike! Thank YOU! I appreciate you taking the time to respond!

That is what my Jeep looks like, except the color is 'Granite', so it's a darker gray. The section of bumper is painted plastic, painted in the body color. I stopped at the dealer and they tried to say that these dark drips/stains are the result of a plastic that was applied at the factory to protect the bumper during delivery. It made NO sense to me, as to me, it looks like the ONLY culprit could be whatever they applied to the tires. I explained that as well to them, showing the marks are ONLY in the area underneath the spare tire. I was left with the option of them sending it to the body shop for a repaint, and was told that they wouldn't guarantee a color match! REALLY!? I just spent 41K on this JEEP! Hence my being "anal"! :)

So, I'm left with trying to use my random-orbital buffer (if you think that would be a proper tool for the job) and a high quality compound. If that is what you would recommend.

Any help/advice is appreciated Mike!

Thank you!
Ed
 
Oh! By the way! Your work on the Avalanche is amazing! My Uncle owns one and his vehicle is in need of some TLC. I think I'll take what you posted and surprise him with a detailing and rejuvenation of the plastic on his truck.
 
What kind of brush is that on the PC? I want this for getting brown off tires too!
 
EJB3SS said:
So, I'm left with trying to use my random-orbital buffer (if you think that would be a proper tool for the job) and a high quality compound.

If that is what you would recommend.

Any help/advice is appreciated Mike!

Thank you!
Ed
Click to expand...


Hi Ed,

The stain is either topical, that is it has only affected the upper surface of the clearcoat paint on the bumper or it's sub-surface and has penetrated into the clearcoat paint on the bumper.

If it's topical then you should be able to remove it or at a minimum improve it with a compound and foam cutting pad on a DA polisher.

If the solvent or whatever was in the tire dressing has penetrated into the clearcoat then you probably won't be able to remove it. Mostly because clearcoats are so thin, see this article,


Clearcoats are thin by Mike Phillips


To try to remove this stain and to also put yourself in a position to do all your own detailing work on this Jeep or any other vehicle you own, I'd suggest getting either a Porter Cable 7424XP or a Griot's Garage 6" DA polisher.

These are the same "type" of tool it's just the Griot's has more power and a better warranty.

Then get some foam buffing pads, a 5" backing plate and some products.


If you want to try to remove it by hand you can get some Meguair's Ultimate Compound and simply apply and rub using a micrfofiber applicator pad.

If it can be fixed it's possible to do it by hand.


Click these and have them shipped right ot your door or call customer care and they can help you with this and anything else you need.


Meguair's Ultimate Compound

micrfofiber applicator pad


Customer Care
1-800-869-3011


:)
 
Mike, thanks again! I appreciate your feedback.

I've used a foam pad on my random-orbital buffer, using 'Meguires' Rubbing Compound as well as their 'Ultimate Compound'. It has helped improving the appearance, but if one looks closely, you can still see a few "stains". I recently talked to a detailer who works for a local Jeep dealer, who informed me that this is a recurring issue; it IS a result of the product they apply to tires. I'm going to contact the GM at the dealer where I purchased my vehicle to make them aware of this.

Anyway, this person who works in the detail shop offered a possible solution as well, but one that has to be done very carefully. He has suggested use a very small amount of laquer thinner to remove the stains. I'm assuming this will cut into the clear coat and should be followed up with a good quality wax/polish if I attempt this route.

As I stated earlier, the buffer/compound method improved the appearance to the point where I may leave well enough alone.

I'm just disappointed that it could have been avoided...I understand dealers prepping cars for delivery, but they should also be aware of some of the effects some of these products have on vehicles.

Thank you for al of your help. It is very much appreciated.
Ed
 
While it is possible that the dressing stained the paint, it is also possible to get "stains", maybe it's etching, on painted plastic pieces by using cleaners that are to strong. The paint on these plastic peices have a flex agent in them and they react much differently to cleaners like APC.

Not saying you did this, but I did not see you mention what cleaner you scrubbed them with.

Did you notice the stains before cleaning?
 
I'll have to try and take some pictures. ;) They are located directly under the hanging spare tire...and look like paint drips. I thoroughly inspected the vehicle before deciding to purchase it (yes, I'm anal LOL) and I did not see any issues anywhere, both in the body and bumpers, (I focus a lot on paint). Once I purchased the vehicle, I waited a few days before I gave it a good detailing, using good quality products in doing so (I do detailing so I've got a decent idea of what to use ;) ), and I noticed after drying the vehicle and going out to it the next morning, there were a few dark "drips" under the spare. So I wanted to address them immediately. I started with a good car wash soap, followed by a "cleaner wax", and when that didn't work I moved on to a compound, like 'Meguires Ultimate Compound'. That did a lot to remove a few but there are two that remain faintly in the bumper. I next tried the same compound using a random-orbital buffer, which gave better results.

From the location on the marks, it's quite obvious it is a result of whatever product the dealer used to dress the tires. I have removed the spare and thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed it, everywhere, and the staining drips have not occurred since, so I'm fairly confident this is a result from the tire dressing product.

Mantilgh said:
While it is possible that the dressing stained the paint, it is also possible to get "stains", maybe it's etching, on painted plastic pieces by using cleaners that are to strong. The paint on these plastic peices have a flex agent in them and they react much differently to cleaners like APC.

Not saying you did this, but I did not see you mention what cleaner you scrubbed them with.

Did you notice the stains before cleaning?
Click to expand...
 
Sorry, I could have probably worded my statement better.

I have caused staining, or etching, on painted plastic while being too aggressive using strong cleaners. For my situation, I was trying to quickly remove tar and road grime on a white vehicle.

My though was that most would use a stronger APC type product to remove such a tire dressing. This isn't much of a problem for the road riding tires other than overspray. The excess product runs off onto the ground. Some may not consider the consequence of using the same cleaner on a rear mounted spare where the runoff will be onto a painted area.

Good job removing the spare to thoroughly clean.:dblthumb2:
 
OP - You are correct about the dealer tire dressing being the issue. I bought a new jeep late last summer with a chrome package. The rear bumper is a silver plastic. The 1st time I detailed it a heavy brown greasy mess pooled off the tires including the rear mounted tire.

I thought I removed it all and rinsed it good but like you said I think the dealer applied it to the treads as well. The wasted brown dressing dripped and stained my silver bumper too. Car wash and clay didn't touch it. I sprayed some undiluted McKee's APC on it and let it sit for a bit and it all wiped off with a bit of elbow grease.

You may want to try an APC. It worked for me...
 
Thanks! ;)

"APC"?

glasslaker said:
OP - You are correct about the dealer tire dressing being the issue. I bought a new jeep late last summer with a chrome package. The rear bumper is a silver plastic. The 1st time I detailed it a heavy brown greasy mess pooled off the tires including the rear mounted tire.

I thought I removed it all and rinsed it good but like you said I think the dealer applied it to the treads as well. The wasted brown dressing dripped and stained my silver bumper too. Car wash and clay didn't touch it. I sprayed some undiluted McKee's APC on it and let it sit for a bit and it all wiped off with a bit of elbow grease.

You may want to try an APC. It worked for me...
Click to expand...
 
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