black plastic trim - 2021 Sienna minivan

[fju2112]

I have a 2021 Toyota Sienna minivan which makes liberal use of black plastic trim in the front and rear. I tried using a black plastic trim product from Mothers as I get messy when I wax the vehicle and was sick of looking at the white haze that stayed on and doesn't come out with washing. Well, the result was underwhelming as I now have even worse white haze courtesy of the Mothers product all over the back, some of the front, etc.

I was careful to read the instructions and it said do NOT use on textured surfaces such as the roof rails, so I stayed away from that area, but now I need a product that will do the job both on smooth black exterior plastic trim and the metal roof rails that have a galvanized/textured feel.

Thanks
Frank

 

[Mike Phillips]

I feel your pain... whoever invented pebble textured black plastic trim has never detailed a car.

At this point, the best remedy is going to be,

1: Scrub plastic clean as best as you can. Use an APC or a degreaser with a stiff plastic brush. Me? I would machine scrub but I have a 5" rotary brush for my FLEX rotary polisher.

2: Apply and thoroughly work in, Solution Finish. Wear gloves and if you get any on surrounding non-plastic surfaces, wipe off with microfiber towel. After working product in well, wipe off any excess.

3: Apply a brand name vinyl/rubber/plastic dressing over the top of the Solution Finish.

Here's the link to Solution Finish on Amazon.


The owner/inventor is a great friend

Mike

 

[Mike Phillips]

More...

Chris has been a VIP guest instructor at many of my classees. Here's a few pictures from a past class where we were workingi on a Pontiac Aztek.


Here’s the one and only Mr. Chris West WOWING the class with a miraculous restoration to the ugly faded plastic around the gas cap on a Pontiac Aztek using Solution Finish!

Thank you Chris!

 

[fju2112]

I feel your pain... whoever invented pebble textured black plastic trim has never detailed a car.

At this point, the best remedy is going to be,

1: Scrub plastic clean as best as you can. Use an APC or a degreaser with a stiff plastic brush. Me? I would machine scrub but I have a 5" rotary brush for my FLEX rotary polisher.

2: Apply and thoroughly work in, Solution Finish. Wear gloves and if you get any on surrounding non-plastic surfaces, wipe off with microfiber towel. After working product in well, wipe off any excess.

3: Apply a brand name vinyl/rubber/plastic dressing over the top of the Solution Finish.

Here's the link to Solution Finish on Amazon.

thank you for the quick response! but please allow me to clarify - the plastic shown in the picture is NOT textured. I did stay away from using the plastic product on the textured stuff, but there is wax haze leftover from me being messy waxing, so looking for solutions on both (just don't have a picture of the galvanized roof fails with wax haze on them handy).

thank you for the suggestion; is this the same for smooth plastic trim (as pictured) as well?

 

[Mike Phillips]

I have a 2021 Toyota Sienna minivan which makes liberal use of black plastic trim in the front and rear.

Keep in mind, there are no

• Set it and forget it.
• One and done.

type products for this type of plastic.

The best thing anyone can do is when a car is brand new, apply the Solution Finish and top with your favorite vinyl dressing. Then REPEAT at least a few times a year. The only way to keep this type of plastic looking new is to continually maintain it.


Mike

 

[Mike Phillips]

thank you for the quick response! but please allow me to clarify - the plastic shown in the picture is NOT textured. I did stay away from using the plastic product on the textured stuff, but there is wax haze leftover from me being messy waxing, so looking for solutions on both (just don't have a picture of the galvanized roof fails with wax haze on them handy).

thank you for the suggestion; is this the same for smooth plastic trim (as pictured) as well?

The solution to any type of exterior black plastic trim, be it smooth or textured, is as I wrote above. Use Solution Finish, which is a black carbon dye, milled to the sizer of a virus. Massage in, wipe off excess and top with the Solution Finish topper or your favorite rubber/vinyl dressing. Solution Finish is NOT a dressing.

As for the galvanized roof rails? Hard to say. Maybe share a picture?

This is an age-old problem. One way to avoid it is to slow down and avoid rubbing any type of paint care product onto these types of materials/surfaces. The other option is to tape these surfaces off with painter's tape.


Mike

 

[fju2112]

Thank you - learning more all the time. The car is still relatively new, was just disappointed in the Mothers Back to Black stuff given the mess it created. So now I'm learning how to take care of the trim *and* the paint properly.

 

[Mike Phillips]

Thank you - learning more all the time. The car is still relatively new, was just disappointed in the Mothers Back to Black stuff given the mess it created. So now I'm learning how to take care of the trim *and* the paint properly.

We all started at the same place and that's knowing nothing.

I just bought a classic 1978 Blazer and one of the reasons I like the classics more than new cars is because instead of plastic trim - they have chrome trim.


Mike

 

[The Guz]

Be sure to also purchase solution finish over the top as it is a trim protectant to maintain the look longer from solution finish.

 

[OldandSlow]

I've had success using Nextzett Plastic Deep Cleaner to remove wax from textured plastic. Should work on smooth, too.

Mike, have you ever used the Solution Finish on grey trim?

 

[OldandSlow]

Thank you - learning more all the time. The car is still relatively new, was just disappointed in the Mothers Back to Black stuff given the mess it created. So now I'm learning how to take care of the trim *and* the paint properly.

I've never used a Mother's product with any success. I tried Back to Black some years ago, it just ran. I threw it out.

 

[fju2112]

The solution to any type of exterior black plastic trim, be it smooth or textured, is as I wrote above. Use Solution Finish, which is a black carbon dye, milled to the sizer of a virus. Massage in, wipe off excess and top with the Solution Finish topper or your favorite rubber/vinyl dressing. Solution Finish is NOT a dressing.

As for the galvanized roof rails? Hard to say. Maybe share a picture?

This is an age-old problem. One way to avoid it is to slow down and avoid rubbing any type of paint care product onto these types of materials/surfaces. The other option is to tape these surfaces off with painter's tape.


Mike

Thanks Mike, showing pictures of the roof rails with wax haze. Hope they came out ok.

As for the black plastic trim, will Mothers VLR work for dressing? Mothers Protectant? If neither, any suggestions?

Thank you!

 

[fju2112]

I've never used a Mother's product with any success. I tried Back to Black some years ago, it just ran. I threw it out.

I'm a creature of habit and used Mothers exclusively for a long time. Now's the time to try new stuff... I will say I love their synthetic wax, always easy on and off. And their car wash. But other more specialized products have been hit or miss.

 

[fju2112]

WOW. This is a follow up to my previous posts on my 2021 Sienna with wax haze all over the plastic trim that wasn't easily coming out. Original pics above; new pics below. I ordered the Solution Finish and followed the instructions and it worked wonders. It not only restored the trim to black, it took care of the galvanized roof rails and it looked jet black without any greasy shine. Thanks so much for recommending that product - just noticed a little black plastic trim at the bottom of the rear bumper of my Benz that also has some wax haze, and going to use it there, too!

I chased it with Mothers V/L/R. I also washed the vehicle later in the day. Seems to be holding up fine after a wash, just some of the water streaks that I didn't dry off right away I could still see on the plastic, but that was the case prior to using this product.

 

[Mike Phillips]

WOW. This is a follow up to my previous posts on my 2021 Sienna with wax haze all over the plastic trim that wasn't easily coming out. Original pics above; new pics below. I ordered the Solution Finish and followed the instructions and it worked wonders. It not only restored the trim to black, it took care of the galvanized roof rails and it looked jet black without any greasy shine.

Thanks so much for recommending that product - just noticed a little black plastic trim at the bottom of the rear bumper of my Benz that also has some wax haze, and going to use it there, too!

Thanks for following up and glad to hear this worked for you. I'll send the link to this thread to my good friend Chris West - owner/inventor of Solution Finish.



Mike

 

[fju2112]

Just remembered I have an easy follow up question or two: the instructions say to use a microfiber sponge. I used a microfiber cloth, but now that cloth appears to be destined for use only with this product given there's black dye/oil all over it - I'm assuming I should not use those for anything else? Other question is, for future applications, what's a good microfiber sponge to apply this product with?

Thanks again
Frank

 

[dbrun]

Other question is, for future applications, what's a good microfiber sponge to apply this product with?

[Finger Applicator] Microfiber Fingertip Mitt Applicator (5 in. x 4 in.) 6 pack

Apply trim restoration products, wax, & more, without wasting any product, with our amazing microfiber Finger Applicators, available online from Autofiber.

www.autofiber.com

I have also used a cheap foam brush from harbor freight, good for working front cowl around wiper blades.

 

[OldandSlow]

[Finger Applicator] Microfiber Fingertip Mitt Applicator (5 in. x 4 in.) 6 pack

Apply trim restoration products, wax, & more, without wasting any product, with our amazing microfiber Finger Applicators, available online from Autofiber.

www.autofiber.com

I have also used a cheap foam brush from harbor freight, good for working front cowl around wiper blades.

I also use the finger mitts for wheels.

 

[OldandSlow]

Anyone here use the Grey Solution Finish?

 

[Mike Phillips]

Anyone here use the Grey Solution Finish?

One time. This was at a Roadshow Class at Lake Country Pads a few years ago. One of the students brought their Honda Element, (if I remember correctly), and it had faded gray plastic cladding on the outside of the vehicle. We machine scrubbed the plastic cladding during the Extreme Prep Wash portion of the class and later applied the Gray Solution Finish and it seem to perform as advertised.


Mike