mazterofpupetz

2016 c450. Discoloration around the trim of the windows. Is there any way to restore this?

GringoBling

its hard water and it should come off with a clay bar

mazterofpupetz

That is a relief. I love the car, that was really my only hang up on it.

GringoBling

the whole car is probably covered in it, you just notice it on the black trim

mazterofpupetz

Wow thanks. Kind of removed my only reservation about buying a 37k dollar car.

Mikey53

Black Magic or anything similar will make it look brand new

fabbrisd1

Well - frankly I have never found a product that will "remove" that type of corrosion on the trim even close to 30% - the majority of the corrosion is under the clearcoat...

Post pics if you have done it successfully

netboy

i got it replaced under warrenty.
if I recall, someone said it's due to brushless car wash.

ygmn

Try washing, cleaning products etc then Slap some vinyl protectant on it very thinly and it will look good until next rain...

Sunshine, Crapy wash water, wash chemicals, environment, acid rain etc etc makes this happen...

Clay bar will not help as they are designed to remove BRake dust and other particles like stuff stuck in paint clearcoat.

GringoBling

clay bar removes all surface contaminates, including on glass.

things stuck IN clearcoat are not removed by clay bars

source: used to paint.

dwpc

Looks like common staining of vinyl trim from detergent, hard water and maybe a harsh environment. It's likely in the surface grain of the plastic for good and will probably need regular treatment with a vinyl sealant forever.

GringoBling

heat can play a factor

I used to repair carbon fiber, and it was always worse anywhere that water could pool and then get heated off in the sun. That killed way more wings and hoods than anything else.

ygmn

What clay is for:
https://www.meguiars.com/automotive/...-kit-g1016-kit
https://www.griotsgarage.com/product...ortby=ourPicks

"Paint Cleaning Clay lifts embedded contaminants, leaving behind an ultra-smooth surface that makes your paint shine bright"

Also removes overspray if not too bad.
Did the body shop thing and mechanic shop thing and detailing thing.

bzammitt

Worked at a car wash for 5 years and saw this a lot from our chemicals. Waxing it helped iirc

GringoBling

right, but if it is really IN the clear coat, clay is not going to take that out. It would have to be wetsanded. Maybe its semantics. And yes it removes overspray because it is not IN the paint.

fabbrisd1

In US under new car warranty "possible" to get replaced depends on how a dealer presents it to MB for approval... in US under Certified Warranty "not possible" MB will not approve.

This type of "corrosion" yes most often comes up with car wash detergents - hard water - salt water spray/air - anything alkali or acid that does not get rinsed off completely with neutral ph rinse water..

If aluminum trim is new or "good" - (1) wax/seal it just like paint - (2) lightly corroded Novus #2 Polish and wax/seal Step 1 (3) heavy corrosion #2 to get it a bit better then #1....

I have personally never seen a heavily corroded/fogged piece polished/redone like new - I could have my body shop polish the trim for a full day - still looks ****ty and will never "match" other trim pieces..

mazterofpupetz

I'm kind of hung up on it. 38k dollar car, I worry im only going to see this discoloration now.

GringoBling

Tell em 36k then

jlr82

It's from a combination of UV and chemical exposure over time. The car was likely not parked in a garage. All of the cars I've had that were unable to be kept in a garage most of the time eventually had this happen to various trim pieces. Nothing mentioned above will take it out. The materials themselves have become oxidized as whatever protectant layer is already long gone.

rustybear3

I agree. You're pretty much screwed on this one. Have seen this on cars before; replacement of trim is really the only good solution.

bzammitt

Or spend a couple hundred bucks and get them vinyl wrapped black

chassis

Agree on the negotiation. If you want the car, and haven't already purchased it, find out how much new trim pieces cost, and deduct that from your offer. If they don't agree you can walk, or buy it at their price.

GreekUPS

Looks like the molding is from $100-$120 a piece. Vinyl wrap is a great idea too.

https://benzparts.autohausofpeoria.c...r-trim-pillars