Scuffed clear plastic on radio...

[diesel917]

Hi guys...

First time poster... long time reader...

Anyways, I made the mistake of taking my Lexus IS 250 to a hand car wash (all the hot cars in town go there so I gave it a shot)... needless to say, it was a disaster. Despite telling them to only clean up my interior windows and nothing else, the clowns who handled my car ended up swiping their rags on the clear plastic of my HU and gauge panel.

Now, the gauge panel already had dealer induced horizontal hairline scratches... so I simply used a damp MF to remove the car wash's smudges and streaks.

OK enough back story... as I was saying, the clear plastic on my OEM HU was obviously scuffed because the plastic is softer than soft I tried using some PlastX with a Viking blue MF and although it removed the car wash's scuffs... it added all new hairline scuffs in the direction that I was applying the PlastX. Is there any way that I can restore my clear plastic to new so that there is no trace of these scuffs?

I will try to get a picture of them, but it might be hard since they are only visible when light hits it at a certain angle.

Thanks for your help!

[Murr1525]

When I first got PlastX, I applied it with a bit of terry cloth, and I ended up with what sounds like similar results to yours. I switched and used a foam applicator, like the Hi-Tec Applicator, and made sure I worked the product in well, till it started to break down a bit. That seemed to solve the problem, at least for me. Your interior plastic could be softer as well, so you may need ot lighten up a little, not too much pressure.

[diesel917]

I bought some new Hi-Tech applicators last night for this very reason but I was afraid to add even more scuffs.

Would it just be safer to get a plastic "cleaner" that will fill in the scratches?

[Murr1525]

Meguiars makes some other plastic care products, but i have never used them, so I dont know how they work. I am not really a fan of just filling in marks if it can be removed, but that is up to you.

Here are the other plastic products.. you can at least read about them, or maybe someone else that has used them can compare.

Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Cleaner



Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Polish



b]Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Detailer[/b]

[miked2]

The products noted above are awesome. When we used to own a BMW Z3, they would remove tons of scuffs from the rear plastic convertible window. Basically, you start with #17, and then go to #10. #18 is really for minor cleaning jobs here and there, and is similar to Plexus, say.

Actually, I can unload my #17 and #10 to you for a reasonable price. I have at least half of each, and they've been sitting on the shelf since we got rid of the Z3 a couple of years ago. I can also throw in the Novus equivalents of these two products (I'm a little fuzzy as to why I have both the Meg's products and the Novus products). Send me a PM if you're interested.

[diesel917]

Originally posted by Murr1525
When I first got PlastX, I applied it with a bit of terry cloth, and I ended up with what sounds like similar results to yours. I switched and used a foam applicator, like the Hi-Tec Applicator, and made sure I worked the product in well, till it started to break down a bit. That seemed to solve the problem, at least for me. Your interior plastic could be softer as well, so you may need ot lighten up a little, not too much pressure.

How did you apply it??? small circles? back and forth motions? Im hesitant to do anything with it and make it worse

[Murr1525]

I'd say mostly circular, but pretty random.

I figured it couldt get worse, so I went for it with the foam applicator. I just made sure to break the product down, so it was just kind of changing color and becoming more of a film, and then wiped off gently with a MF.

Miked2, what did you apply those Pro-Line plastic products with?

[miked2]

For deep scratches in the plastic, you're basically going to use the same technique as you do with ScratchX -- a lot of elbow power. Start with the less abrasive polish, and if that's not doing the trick, go to the more abrasive cleaner.

[diesel917]

Originally posted by miked2
For deep scratches in the plastic, you're basically going to use the same technique as you do with ScratchX -- a lot of elbow power. Start with the less abrasive polish, and if that's not doing the trick, go to the more abrasive cleaner.

Well no need to apply lots of elbow grease since the slightest of touches seem to scuff the plastic. I honestly cant believe they sell something of such low quality.

[miked2]

To respectfully disagree, I have not found that either product introduces marring or new scratches, and find that both products are wonderful.

[Murr1525]

I think he meant the plastic radio... I am pretty much bent on not touching anything that is clear plastic inside the car... hoping that it will never get a swirl.

[miked2]

I've found that the best way to detail clear plastic on the inside of the car, assuming no scratches, etc., to begin with, is to use Meg's clear plastic detailer (the professional line series, the bottle with the spray cap), or an equivalent, like Plexus. Note that "wood" in a car is effectively plastic, in that it is coated with a very thick resin . . . .

First, dust with the California dash duster.

Second, spray a couple of sprays of the detailer onto a soft clean cotton cloth or MF, and gently run over the plastic.

I've been doing this in both are cars, which were bought new between 1 and 3 years ago, and it has been working great.

[diesel917]

Originally posted by Murr1525
I think he meant the plastic radio... I am pretty much bent on not touching anything that is clear plastic inside the car... hoping that it will never get a swirl.

So did I until some idiot rubbed a dirty cloth across it

[miked2]

What amazes me is how people try to clean the plastic/resin-coated wood on the interiors of vehicles. The second BMW Z3 we purchased was bought used, and it was as if the guy used sandpaper to clean it inside. It took a lot of work to get it into good condition (the car was only a few years old, too), but even with using the Meg's stuff noted above, it only got out about 85-90% of the scratches. I've also seen vehicles listed on Ebay Motors that look like the owners/detailers/dealers have used sandpaper to clean the wood. I mean, this stuff just doesn't get dirty that much in the first place!!

[F-150]

I've had very good results on plastic instrument panels with plast x, foam applicator pads, and a ss mf. I also tape off too though so I don't get any plast x residue in the cracks. I've never seen scratches instilled by any of these products and they shouldn't anyway.