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C43 Black Window Trim Stained!!

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Old Feb 16, 2017 | 12:24 AM
  #1  
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2017 C43 AMG
C43 Black Window Trim Stained!!

Hi All,

I recently purchased a selenite C43. I took it to a touchless car wash for the first time and after I noticed that the black window trim on the driver side and passenger side has what looks like water stains or permanent water marks. I spoke to the dealership and they suggested using a magic eraser with soap and water to remove it, said they have experienced this and worked for them. This did not work! So I requested that the window trim be replaced. I am being told by the service dpt that this will not be covered under warranty!

I am furious. They did not tell me I could not take my vehicle thru a touch less car wash? Mercedes has a defect that is for sure. The car wash I used is the same car wash I have used for years. I wash both my vehicle and wife's there and never had any issues to any window trim.

Has anyone experienced this? The window trim in the rear does not have any issues. If it was the car wash wouldn't the rear window trims have the same? I am very disappointed and frustrated with my current situation. Any advice or feedback would be appreciated.
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Old Feb 16, 2017 | 01:23 AM
  #2  
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I think it might have been the soap/cleaning detergent used at the car wash that might have caused the damage. My shop uses PH neutral soap both for the body and wheels when washing just to be safe.

Sorry to hear, hope it's not an expensive fix.
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Old Feb 16, 2017 | 01:34 AM
  #3  
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Originally Posted by TSTINSON
Hi All,

I recently purchased a selenite C43. I took it to a touchless car wash for the first time and after I noticed that the black window trim on the driver side and passenger side has what looks like water stains or permanent water marks. I spoke to the dealership and they suggested using a magic eraser with soap and water to remove it, said they have experienced this and worked for them. This did not work! So I requested that the window trim be replaced. I am being told by the service dpt that this will not be covered under warranty!

I am furious. They did not tell me I could not take my vehicle thru a touch less car wash? Mercedes has a defect that is for sure. The car wash I used is the same car wash I have used for years. I wash both my vehicle and wife's there and never had any issues to any window trim.

Has anyone experienced this? The window trim in the rear does not have any issues. If it was the car wash wouldn't the rear window trims have the same? I am very disappointed and frustrated with my current situation. Any advice or feedback would be appreciated.
Touchless car wash soap and wax sprays, and the chemicals in them, are so harsh on a cars paint, trim and wheels. I took my infiniti FX50S through a few times and the same thing happened to all the brushed stainless roof racks and trim... its still there, most likely will never wash out. Its my winter driver, so it doesn't really bother me... I would say avoid them with a nice car like our Benz!
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Old Feb 16, 2017 | 08:21 AM
  #4  
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2017 AMG c43 coupe
Sorry to hear this. If it cant be fixed you could always do a vinyl black wrap on the trim to cover it. When I had my car ceramic coated, the paint protection coating turned the A pillars next to my mirrors white. I decided to laminate them in carbon fiber instead of painting them.
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Old Feb 16, 2017 | 08:22 AM
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It actually tells you in the manual that you cannot take it to a touchless carwash
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Old Feb 16, 2017 | 08:37 AM
  #6  
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Originally Posted by aggies15
It actually tells you in the manual that you cannot take it to a touchless carwash
For real??
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Old Feb 16, 2017 | 08:45 AM
  #7  
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Originally Posted by 1Gunner
For real??
Unfortunately yes. I actually discovered it because I asked my dealer about keeping my paint as mint as possible and he mentioned hand washing and avoiding touch less car washes like the plague!
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Old Feb 16, 2017 | 09:03 AM
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Mazdaspeed
I guess be furious at yourself for not reading your owners manual.

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Old Feb 16, 2017 | 12:12 PM
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That's no fun. Good luck
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Old Feb 17, 2017 | 12:19 AM
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2017 C43 AMG
Great, Now I'm even more furious!
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Old Feb 24, 2017 | 11:56 PM
  #11  
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next time you do your scheduled maintenance.
try a different dealer !
i have the same issue on my 2016 c450 amg. i told them about it on 10,000 miles Service A. they replaced the windows trims.

on Service B 20,000 miles, i have the same issue again.
on order sheet.
CAUSE: Water staining on outer door moulding

19318 Water staining on outer door moulding 0.10 Cleaned off water stains okey at this time

i didnt even bought the car from them but i have the 4 years prepaid maintenance. so i guess that' all it matters.
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Old Feb 25, 2017 | 03:05 PM
  #12  
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C63S
This happened to all my BMWs, left water stains with a rainbow effect on all the black window surrounds.

I used to to have to go around using polish on them to remove the stains.

I only hand hand wash the C63S now...
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Old Feb 25, 2017 | 07:28 PM
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Yup. It's a problem that happens to all MB anodized trim. I had mine replaced by the dealer only to have it happen again.
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Old Mar 2, 2017 | 07:05 PM
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Had this happen to my C450 before I demanded a replacement vehicle (had lots of other problems).

Long story short an automatic wash shouldn't do this, especially so quickly. Maybe after years of doing it, but this problem is a manufacturing defect.
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Old Mar 4, 2017 | 01:14 PM
  #15  
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'17 C43 Coupe
Originally Posted by Vertice
Had this happen to my C450 before I demanded a replacement vehicle (had lots of other problems).

Long story short an automatic wash shouldn't do this, especially so quickly. Maybe after years of doing it, but this problem is a manufacturing defect.
It's not a manufacturing defect. Mercedes explicitly says in their manual that you shouldn't take it to a touch less car wash.
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Old Mar 4, 2017 | 02:26 PM
  #16  
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My grandma's SL550 has the same issue I had with the anodized black trim staining. Her car is Mars red and has even worse trouble from the car wash. She has small white spots in the clear coat along the top edge of the door, following back over the rear quarter. Our dealership replaced her black trim like they did with mine, as for the clear coat spots... yer beat!
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Old Mar 4, 2017 | 04:16 PM
  #17  
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Originally Posted by cenzo86
My grandma's SL550 has the same issue I had with the anodized black trim staining. Her car is Mars red and has even worse trouble from the car wash. She has small white spots in the clear coat along the top edge of the door, following back over the rear quarter. Our dealership replaced her black trim like they did with mine, as for the clear coat spots... yer beat!
Wasn't Mars Red having tons of paint/clear issues regardless of wash?
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Old Apr 21, 2018 | 11:37 AM
  #18  
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Try Mothers cleaner wax...worked on my 2018...which yes I did the touchless wash...yes I should of read the manual. I have the 100k mile warranty if I want it replaced the dealer will.
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Old Apr 14, 2023 | 10:49 AM
  #19  
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Does anyone know the part numbers for the black window trims and the black flush roof rails? I have a C43 wagon. Thanks!
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Old Apr 14, 2023 | 01:04 PM
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Originally Posted by S205.C43
Does anyone know the part numbers for the black window trims and the black flush roof rails? I have a C43 wagon. Thanks!
+1 ... I'd love to get black rails on the wagon. I assumed it was either silver or black, and not a flush option. I'm intrigued.
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Old Apr 14, 2023 | 01:28 PM
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Reference LI72.00-P-075743 to your dealer. They are covering them under warranty now. There's new parts with "optimized protective coating".
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Old Apr 15, 2023 | 07:05 AM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by Holmes5518
Reference LI72.00-P-075743 to your dealer. They are covering them under warranty now. There's new parts with "optimized protective coating".
Thank you for this, for those who are out of warranty, I found this thread, I mean it is for chrome but posting it anyways in case it helps: https://mbworld.org/forums/detailing...ndow-trim.html
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