Stick Girl

Has anyone else noticed their door seals fading already? I'm not a happy camper right now about it. Lets see...here are my current issues:

• Door seals fading
• Wind noise in the right rear
• Rear door pins popped off

mromar

Only after the first wash my seals/trim are getting white and dead looking to look almost like my 4 year old BMW (it took it 4 years to get that way) .

Whats with the quality here huh??. I am going back to my dealer if you all are having the same issue. It looks hideous. There are the trips around the windows where the actual door frame meets the windows. Also the one covering the B pillar.

This issue will get very prominent when the rest of the car is not so new and gleaming. They will stick out even more.

jstaneff

Is this rubber fading, or is it wax residue on the rubber?

AMGTestDriverNJ

I'm not clear as to what seals/trim you are talking about? Surely not the chrome, the rubber? Or are we talking about that black plastic that trims the windshield and the between the doors? Pics would be great. I'm pretty sure that MB will take care of this for you, trim shouldn't be discoloring or anything of that nature for at least 4 years. Talk 2 your dealership.

Stick Girl

Yes, it is the rubber part between the window and the chrome. I haven't waxed the car yet, so it can't be that.

Stick Girl

Yes, it is the rubber (I don't know all the technical terms for the car parts ). I'll definitely be taking it to them, but I was interested in knowing if mine was a one-off or if others were seeing this problem, too. I'll try to take some pictures so you can see what I'm talking about.

Stick Girl

It really irritates me that this is happening. Like you, I don't remember my BMW doing that in the 4 years that I had it either.

nyca

Did you try cleaning and treating them with a high quality rubber treatment spray?

syrAMG

no disrespect to anyone.
maintaining the car to prevent things like this from happening is one thing.

but I believe the point is that color fading shouldn't happen to begin with.

fortunately my car do not show signs of fading
but man... it sucks when you start to compare with other manufacturers
Mercs shouldn't be built like this

Stick Girl

That's my thought. I've only had this car for 6.5 months. This should NOT be happening at all. I bought the car on Oct. 31, so the weather has not been sweltering where I can blame it on the heat. Also, I park my car in a parking garage at work, so it has very limited exposure to the elements for at least 9 hrs during the day. It is garaged at home, too. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

nyca

This could be something as simple as the window cleaner you use on the inside of your window, that glass surface is in constant contact with those rubber moldings - it could be some residue from that. Again, clean and treat the molding. There is a difference between the molding decaying, and some residue that might be on it. If its really decaying, make a warranty claim for it.

AZBenz123

I have this same irritating issue with my Saks 350. I am going to the dealer tommorow for my first check up and plan to push them on it. I will let you know what happens.

mromar

OK. My car is 1 month and 2 weeks old. I have only washed it once. No treatments except "Simoniz " car wash gel used . I have used the same on my other two car's. So to summarize No window cleaners, Trim shiners, plastic polish or any of that crap used (frankly that Armor All shiny spray is my biggest peeve, When I see a car with that stuff gleaming on its interior, I think I bust at least one blood vessel in my brain - Using those should be a violation of some kind of a law).

I will post some pictures. But I'm glad its a known issue so Im not loosing my mind alone here. Iv gota go in to activate my sirus anyways. lets see what the dealership says...

dfranjko

I noticed mine fading about a month or two after purchasing it... luckily that car is no longer my problem anymore! I never had this problem with any other vehicle and think that they cut corners with this car.

racetested

I too have a weird discoloration(spotty, dull, whitish) where the rubber looks weathered like a multi year old car as stated and my car is only a month old.

I keep forgetting about it and initially thought that can't be right and figured the dealer put some crap cleaner or shine on the car that is fading. We'll see when I get time to clean the car and inspect further.

rb23lb

i noticed it on mine too, but i assumed it was from the soap I used to wash it...

pourous black rubber with meguiars white soap bubbles seems inevitable?

maybe other car makers have slick coating on their rubber seals that does not absorb soap as easily???

I do not think there is anything your dealer can do, just use armorall and it will look good as new again...

do this every month and you will be fine...

yall need to stop whining like little girls...

Stick Girl

Hey pal, I can whine because I AM a girl!

nyca

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http://classic-motoring.stores.yahoo...vinrubcar.html

all quality products.

rb23lb

not a little one though

Bubbles

I used Aerospace 303 and the seals still seem to be fading. IMO too much rubber is exposed. Going to get a new set from the dealer.

aowhaus

my rubber trim developed some heavy spots and discoloration to the rubber seals around the windows (they were almost brown in color) and this was before I did my first waxing. I suspect it may be because of the magnesium chloride they spray all over the roads here in Colorado in the winter (it has known to deteriorate wiring).

I've tried Mother's Back to Black which worked on my last car, but it had no effect and I've also tried Aerospace 303 but with no luck either.
But I discovered a solution just last night!
I've used Turtle Wax F21 Foaming Wheel Cleaner, sprayed lightly on a rag and rubbed it into the rubber trim (it will take off the top oxidized layer of rubber which you will see on your cloth). I then wiped with a damp rag and allow to dry. I've learned this from cleaning my wheels thoroughly at the end of each season, as the Wheel Cleaner will make the rubber sidewalls look darker and more even in color. This immediately took most of the discoloration off.

Then I sprayed a microfiber cloth with Turtle Wax F21 Super Protectant (which is like a non-greasy Armor All spray for all vinyls, leathers and rubber surfaces and has a UV protectant) and rubbed it into the rubber trim. I then used the dry part of the microfiber cloth to buff off all of the residue, and voila, the rubber trim is just like new. The Protectant will leave streaks on your glass which is easily removed with some glass cleaner.

I wouldn't do this frequently, maybe once a year, as it may damage the rubber. I think the key is to apply the Protectant spray periodically to protect the rubber before any other stains sets in. I'll let you know how my window trim fairs through the year.

ongster1

Anyone else notice the interior fading of the top-trim panel of the rear door (see picture). It is the rubber/vinyl trim that runs right below the window. It looks discolored and dry as heck. If you compare the top trim piece with the one below the brushed aluminum piece, you see it looks much drier up top. This occurs on both the rear doors. The front doors are okay on both sides.

My car is only 6 months old and always garage-parked. This crappy trim makes my car look like it's been sitting in the sun for years!

And yes, the exterior rubber trim around my rear window looks discolored like Stick Girl described above.

RLE

I'm feeling sorta left out here. My C300, delivered in October and washed about fifty times since, has none of these defects. The door-top rubber seals look like new. No wind noises and my door lock pins just sit there. Bremen production.

jstaneff

Same here. Since we're both in the Seattle area, maybe it's sun-related? We don't get sun, so no chance of discoloration. ??

Or, maybe it doesn't affect Barolo Red cars?

jrct9454

Yeah, there has to be an explanation - our car is now 10 months in our hands, and 11 months since production [also Bremen], with 8300 miles, and I see no problems with the rubber, and no sealing or noise problems either.

Almost has to be environmental, but I'm clueless about the cause.

Our car is always garaged, and covered at night when we are on road trips [unless it's raining], rarely sitting in the sun for extended periods....though our long road trip last year [5 weeks and 5000 miles] was often in desert conditions, with intense heat and sun exposure, and we have seen none of these symptoms.