Trim looks like crap

[Cashie]

see post #8 for a great product thats a bit less aggressive .

Oh I thought you were just saying this was for water spots, will it get these stains off the door trims too?

 

[westcoastGT]

Oh I thought you were just saying this was for water spots, will it get these stains off the door trims too?

everywhere on the car , it has a mild abrasive with a protective wax sealer , best kept exterior fixit tip !!

 

[Cashie]

everywhere on the car , it has a mild abrasive with a protective wax sealer , best kept exterior fixit tip !!

Thanks. I'll give it a shot.

 

[cncBilly]

Well since I’m off work from having shoulder surgery and bored to death I went ahead today and bought Turtle wax chrome polish and rubbing compound....took some pretty firm rubbing but it did the trick and the trim is back to looking pretty good
View attachment 31257 View attachment 31259 View attachment 31260

Hopefully you learned a lesson and won't be taking your Stinger through anymore car washes.

 

[Stouder]

Hopefully you learned a lesson and won't be taking your Stinger through anymore car washes.

I had a 2013 optima sx with chrome trim around the doors and the same car wash never affected it...I’ve also had a 2013 f-150 supercrew fx4 that was never affected by it and also a Black 2015 Ford F-150 supercrew lariat that was never affected by it....sure I’ll believe touchless car washes have harsher chemicals, but to me the trim on my stinger was just a faulty product considering a lot of people are having this issue...I’ll continue to wash by hand and use the unlimited wash package I have at another place, especially during winter, and sometimes I’m just to lazy to hand wash it lol....if the trim gets crusty looking again I’ll just wrap it black

 

[Dmchristie1]

View attachment 31179 View attachment 31180 View attachment 31181 View attachment 31182 View attachment 31183 View attachment 31184
The trim down both sides has started to look like crap....there was slight discoloration in a couple spots when I purchased it about 6 weeks ago.....I pay for 6 months at a time for unlimited car washes at a car wash company that has multiple locations that does touch the car, after every car wash the trim hadn’t really changed much but could tell it was getting worse...then I went to a touch less car wash and after the wash my trim basically looked like this....I’ve read about some people compounding it and using other products on it but looks like I’m just gonna have the guy who does all the work on my car wrap it gloss black and be done with it!!!

I had mine replaced under warranty while they were replacing my differential ... for the second time.

 

[Rob M]

My Stinger went to the dealer for recall and a couple other issues. I asked them for more definitive answer on the 6 trim pieces. They are aluminum with plastic base. The aluminum is not clearcoated or otherwise provided any long term protection so it will naturally oxidize on the surface. The ugliness is actually protecting the metal underneath. Water, most commonly condensation in the AM, is the major culprit, not anything specifically related to the automatic carwash. Cleaner wax is a great choice for routine upkeep. A light compound will work faster if the oxidation is heavy. I'm not sure why Kia would replace these pieces under warranty when they can be polished again...and again. Good thing they don't sell Airstream travel trailers, lol.

 

[Revvdmedia]

My Stinger went to the dealer for recall and a couple other issues. I asked them for more definitive answer on the 6 trim pieces. They are aluminum with plastic base. The aluminum is not clearcoated or otherwise provided any long term protection so it will naturally oxidize on the surface. The ugliness is actually protecting the metal underneath. Water, most commonly condensation in the AM, is the major culprit, not anything specifically related to the automatic carwash. Cleaner wax is a great choice for routine upkeep. A light compound will work faster if the oxidation is heavy. I'm not sure why Kia would replace these pieces under warranty when they can be polished again...and again. Good thing they don't sell Airstream travel trailers, lol.

Good post. This may validate an observation I made on my trim over the last few weeks. On the driver's door, I noticed some of this "oxidation" happening on the lowest edge on a small portion of the trim. I decided to address it before it got any worse and cleaned all the trim (washed), prepped with CarPro Eraser (basically a nice smelling Isopropyl Alcohol) and then topped it with a coat of Meguiars Fast Finish since it is a sealant that is supposed to last "up to a year." A little while after, I started to notice the discoloration coming back, which went away when I washed the car. Now it's barely starting to come back again and I'm thinking it's going to go away again when I wash the car once more. Maybe it is just oxidation that happens until cleaned, then comes back again...

 

[StungnTn]

I had a similar issue, I used Maguiars Cleaner Wax and a lot of effort to clean them up. The amount of black residue that I pulled off the trim was incredible. I used 7 microfiber wax applicator pads. This effort resulted in clean trim, however, I think it is apparent that the black chrome trim is now completely gone. However, it looks clean and doesn't detract from the overall aesthetic anymore.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I had a similar issue, I used Maguiars Cleaner Wax and a lot of effort to clean them up. The amount of black residue that I pulled off the trim was incredible. I used 7 microfiber wax applicator pads. This effort resulted in clean trim, however, I think it is apparent that the black chrome trim is now completely gone. However, it looks clean and doesn't detract from the overall aesthetic anymore.

So vigorous cleaning gets rid of the spots AND the dark chrome finish!? That's not good, for us who want the dark chrome finish. (Here's hoping I never have to deal with spots and oxidation; good so far.)

Does anyone know about how much a wrap job on all the dark chrome trim would run? Is that a practical alternative to constant cleaning up of oxidation and spots?

 

[Rob M]

I had a similar issue, I used Maguiars Cleaner Wax and a lot of effort to clean them up. The amount of black residue that I pulled off the trim was incredible. I used 7 microfiber wax applicator pads. This effort resulted in clean trim, however, I think it is apparent that the black chrome trim is now completely gone. However, it looks clean and doesn't detract from the overall aesthetic anymore.

The black residue from the window trim pieces is nothing more than aluminum oxide. They were not chrome coated like the mirror caps and some other trim pieces and should be cared for differently, IMO. The black chrome is far more delicate because it is a very thin coating and is prone to chipping and if cleaned too aggressively it may eventually wear through exposing the plastic underneath. The aluminum trim is not a coating - it is thick and will stand up to much more aggressive cleaning tactics.

 

[Revvdmedia]

It sounds like you need to hold a major in science to detail this car! lol

 

[Nasscar]

see post #8 for a great product thats a bit less aggressive .

Are you working for Meguiares. I think I have seen you mention this product several times before.

 

[Nasscar]

I use it myself by the way.

 

[Stouder]

After I used the compound and polish on the trim And got it in the sunlight I did notice it was lighter and not as much black chrome so I ordered vinyl for the trim and for the amber delete and put it on today

 

[Revvdmedia]

After I used the compound and polish on the trim And got it in the sunlight I did notice it was lighter and not as much black chrome so I ordered vinyl for the trim and for the amber delete and put it on todayView attachment 31948View attachment 31949

Did you use a pre-cut piece that you ordered, or did you have to cut it to fit? From the pictures and as much as I can tell, it looks like a good install.

 

[Stouder]

Did you use a pre-cut piece that you ordered, or did you have to cut it to fit? From the pictures and as much as I can tell, it looks like a good install.

Pre-cut from premium auto styling....it’s not a perfect install but you can’t see any defects unless you’re up close....I’ll see how it holds up...figured I’d try to do it myself before I paid someone to do it

 

[washguy]

A guy on this forum that used to own car washes cautioned against the touchless washes, because of the harshness of chemicals used.

Yeppers that would be me.........and the chemicals are very harsh, and if not mixed properly can do just what you are talking about....there are too many ways where the "mix" can go either way...not enough strength....to too much... Wash

 

[Cashie]

Has anyone removed these trims for cleaning or applying wrap to them before?
Just wondering how they come off.

 

[Cashie]

Has anyone removed these trims for cleaning or applying wrap to them before?
Just wondering how they come off.

I worked it out and I pulled mine off, they just lift straight off the track they clip into on the door/body (see below pics).
I didn't want the hassle of going the 900kms to my dealer and then having to negotiate replacement when for $240 I could just buy the whole set from RPMTrade on eBay and replace them myself. Genuine OEM LH,RH Door Window Rear Glass Molding Trim 6PC For 2018+ Kia Stinger | eBay
I'll polish up the old ones and keep them as spares.

My Stinger went to the dealer for recall and a couple other issues. I asked them for more definitive answer on the 6 trim pieces. They are aluminum with plastic base. <snip>.

This is not correct, they are entirely <aluminium> stainless steel (thanks Rob for the clarification), with a plastic clip on each end.