can this trim be fixed?

[russell336]

I was detailing my mother's Envoy last night and came across a problem with the trim around her back side windows. Basically, there are little rough spots (reminds of of rust) all over the trim. I could not remove them by washing or claying. I applied the dressing to them but it really didn't do anything. I am pretty sure the trim around these windows are not rubber so I am not sure what I can or cannot do to try and fix the problem.
I have a picture of the problem area but they are still on my camera but here is a link to a problem similiar to what I see:
Trim Problems
Of course, the problems in the above link appear to be occuring on the rubber trim.
I will upload my pictures as soon as I can.

Thanks,

[Mike Phillips]

Sounds like an interesting problem, I'm looking forward to the pictures.

Mike

[russell336]

Here are the pictures:

With Camera Flash on:

Here is a shot of the Envoy:


Thanks,

Gary

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Gary,

I'm sorry to say, I don't think there is anything you can pour out of a bottle that will fix that. I'm not sure what the coating is, but whatever it is, it's deteriorating.

The only fix that I know of is to refinish the trim. There must be others that have experienced this and know the remedy, perhaps an Envoy forum would have the answers?

I did a quick google search and found this,

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/f178/

You might try reading through their forum or joining and asking the question yourself.

Makes me appreciate chrome and stainless steel trim like the caddy has...

[travisdecpn]

If the car isn't that old you may think about taking it back to the dealership and having them replace the trim. If it is still under warranty you should have no problem.

[GearHead_1]

I have what I believe is a very similar situation though it is with a different manufacturers product. I have a 2002 SuperCrew and had a situation that looked just like that. I tried everything and it seems like the more I tried the worse it got. Long story made short is that I ended up replacing the molding. Looks good now.

[Teak]

I think GM issued a TSB on methods to correct the low quality trim they used. I would try the following things on the trim from least expensive to most expensive.

1. Dye, with proper prep.
2. Paint, with proper prep.
3. Replace damaged pieces, which is probably going to be expensive.


Eric

[travisdecpn]

Teak is right, they issued a TSB in January of 2003 in regards to weatherstrip maintenance. Below is the listing from alldata

99-08-64-016A JAN 03 Body - Weatherstrip Maintenance

[Teak]

Besides the website Mike mentioned here are a more few to check-out.

Trailblazer and Envoy Central
GM-Trucks.com
My trailblazer.com

Eric

[Kevin Brown]

Different opinion...

I'm going out on a limb here... I'm guessing that there's nothing wrong with the trim. I'm guessing that what you're seeing is:

1. An over-abundance of wax or mold release (or some other type of deterioration inhibitor) that's used in the make-up of the rubber trim, and in this case is simply a residue on TOP of the rubber, rather than IN the rubber..

2. The aforementioned residue is in fact what you are seeing in an OXIDIZED or DETERIORATED state. In other words, as a thin layer on top of the rubber, the wax (used to protect the rubber from oxidizing) has indeed oxidized!

It looks as though the rubber is oxidized, too.

Polymers, resins, and other additives (carbon black as an example) are mixed in with raw rubber to minimize oxidation. Mold release agents can in fact, be wax based.

It's pretty typical to see this waxy residue, and it should come off with the correct procedure.


I recommend that you try one or more of the following before raising a stink at the dealership (Make sure dirt & dust is wiped away before beginning):


Option 1. Use a water-based degreaser, (or car wash solution) and agitation.

At the minimum this will remove dirt, but leave behind the non-water soluable contamination.

Most of the time, a water-based soap, degreaser, or dressing takes a LOT of rubbing to get this type of residue to break its bond. Give it a shot,though.

•Spray some water based degreaser on a damp towel (Meguiar's offers several), and rub the rubber briskly.

•If that doesn't work, try some car wash solution and a green scotch-brite pad or toothbrush.
Simply mix the wash solution in a spray bottle (around 3 parts water to one part soap), spray it into the pad, and rubber, then CAREFULLY scrub the trim. Be careful! You don't want to scratch the surrounding paint!

•You may use a water based degreaser in place of a car wash solution (such as Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner), but be aware that it will definitely remove wax from any painted surface (and even oxidize paint minimally).

•Meguiar's M40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner & Conditioner will work well, too. Agitate with a toothbrush, or an old Scotch-brite pad. Rinse away to eliminate ScotchBrite remnants.

Option 2 (To be used AFTER the previous step). Use a mildly abrasive, solvent-based paint cleaner.

Recommended polishes are: M97 Medallion Premium Paint Cleaner, M02 Fine-Cut Cleaner, M83 Dual Action Cleaner/Polish, Body Scrub, ScratchX, or any other similiar Meguiar's product. Stay away from ANY product containing wax, as it will add nothing to the protection of the rubber, and will be difficult to remove!

1. Dampen a cotton rag.

2. Apply a small amount of the paint cleaner or polish to the rag and rubber, and apply briskly (You should see a BUNCH of black on your rag... Don't worry, it's normal). A toothbrush can be handy.

3. Once the residue is removed from the rubber, wipe the excess polish away.

4. Apply appropriate Meguiar's rubber dressing with a toothbrush.

I am pretty sure this process will handle your problem. I have NEVER had a situation where I could not remove the type of contamination I see in your photo.

[Kevin Brown]

Using this process on old rubber

BTW...

I'm currently (took time out to write this!) using this exact process on a '55 Chevy 2 door wagon with ORIGINAL rubber trim. It has a much heavier concentration of VERY DRY residue (it's brownish-yellow and very hard).

I'm having a lot of luck with #40 and a toothbrush (driver's side wing window). It loosens and removes about 90% of the goop. You may want to CAREFULLY wipe the rubber down with Wax & Grease remover to remove the remaining 10%.

I just used a mix of WD40 and All Purpose Cleaner (on the passenger wing window). Overall, I'd say it worked best.

WD40 is a solvent, so it loosens petroleum-based grime. All Purpose Cleaner is a water based cleaner, so it loosens dirt. Together they seem to emulsify the grime, and it just washes away with agitation.

I know it sounds unprofessional, but it really works.

Apply rubber dressing as you normally would.

[Teak]

iamwaxman,
Good write up. Could one use #39 or one of Consumer line paint cleaners for cleaning the surface?

Eric

[Kevin Brown]

Certainly! For those that don't know, M3916 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner is a spray on cleaner.


In this case it can substitute All Purpose Cleaner or car wash solution.

As for a paint cleaner in the Consumer line, I would recommend Body Scrub over any of the others, as it has a powerful solvent in its makeup.

[Tim Lingor]

Hey,

I too agree with Kevin in that using a solvent like WD-40 will probably take the top layer, of what appears to be oxidized rubber, off.

I would try it in a somewhat hidden area if at all possible.

Please keep us posted!

Tim

[russell336]

Well, I finally was able to try some of the suggestions mentioned here and nothing worked.

Here is what I tried:

1) WD40 & toothbrush, agitated for about 5 minutes. The results were a lot of blackish, oily residue that was easily removed with a towel. Looking at the trim showed no change but it did feel a little smoother.

2) ScratchX & toothbrush, agitated for about 5 minutes. The results were about the same with the oil. Appearance wise, no change but smooth to the touch.

3) DACP & toothbrush, again worked for about 5 minutes. you guessed it, appearance wise, no change but it did make the area smooth to the touch.

I applied Trim Detailer to the areas after the above steps and it really didn't add anything to the final results.

I am guessing the damage is not just on the surface since the above steps did make it smooth to the touch but didn't really improve on the appearance at all.

I will suggest to my mom and dad that they take it back to the dealer and see what they will do. Maybe they will get lucky and get it replaced under warranty.

Thanks,