GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Ok...so I waxed my car a week or two ago before the meet in Seaside. Waxed everything -- including the cladding. There was nothing on the bottle about not waxing plastics, so I figured there wouldn't be a problem. Besides, I was having constant overrun from waxing the doors, so I figured I might as well do it anyway. Well, it looked fine for a few days -- and now, I have white streaks EVERYWHERE! And they won't come off. I tried buffing them. No good. Washing with a sponge. No good. Washing with a scrubbing sponge. No good. HOW DO I GET THIS CRAP OFF? My car look HORRIBLE!!! Can anyone help me out here?Here is a sample of what it looks like:

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quote:Never was cladding, only use it on the paint.Thanks, I think I figured that one out. quote:OK... Hawke used Creamy Peanut Butter to get wax off the cladding. He swears by it.As in, JIF, or Peter Pan, or any other EDIBLE peanut butter?

The key question was when you said creamy peanut butter, you capitalized it, as if it was a funky name for a car care product. I just wanted to be sure you were referring to typical edible peanut butter found in my local grocery store.

I would skip the peanut butter thing because there are even small pieces of peanuts in creamy peanut butter. Plus it can be messy. And it might draw ants and other insects. I'd stick with the Back-to-Black because that is what it is meant for. I've used it before myself on other cars I've owned and it works well. If you already bought the peanut butter, turn around and go back to the grocery store, pick up some bread and your favorite kind of jelly and pig out while you remove the wax from your cladding.

quote:I would skip the peanut butter thing because there are even small pieces of peanuts in creamy peanut butter. Plus it can be messy. And it might draw ants and other insects. I'd stick with the Back-to-Black because that is what it is meant for. I've used it before myself on other cars I've owned and it works well. If you already bought the peanut butter, turn around and go back to the grocery store, pick up some bread and your favorite kind of jelly and pig out while you remove the wax from your cladding. Will B2B remove the wax marks though?

I have some stuff made by Turtle Wax that is made for tires to make them black and shiny. I tried that on my cladding and it works great. Have to re-apply after a few rains/car washes, but it makes the cladding look great.

quote:I have some stuff made by Turtle Wax that is made for tires to make them black and shiny. I tried that on my cladding and it works great. Have to re-apply after a few rains/car washes, but it makes the cladding look great.Will that remove the wax marks I've got now though?

raging---yes the b-2-b will remove the wax on your cladding. That is what it was formulated for. It says it right on the bottle. It is even safe for cladding that is not black. It is supposed to remove the dried wax and wax residue from plastic surfaces like the cladding on Vibes and leave the plastic shiny. My only complaint about the stuff is that the shine only lasts until a good rain hits it. But it does a good job of removing wax from plastic surfaces.

quote:raging---yes the b-2-b will remove the wax on your cladding. That is what it was formulated for. It says it right on the bottle. It is even safe for cladding that is not black. It is supposed to remove the dried wax and wax residue from plastic surfaces like the cladding on Vibes and leave the plastic shiny. My only complaint about the stuff is that the shine only lasts until a good rain hits it. But it does a good job of removing wax from plastic surfaces.Definitely beats the peanut butter theory! Oh well, good thing I like PB&J!!!Which calls for a celebration of PB&J!http://www.ebaumsworld.com/peanutbutter.shtml

quote:Really? I used it just to make my plastic exterior shiny. That was what we used at the dealer on new car preps. Yes, I'm sure. Read the bottle. I have a small bottle of it right now in my detailing kit. The dealer probably liked to use it because it shined the plastic and removed the hard-to-remove dried wax from rough plastic body panels. Less customer complaints that way.

that stuff work on the rubber seal around the moon roof? i got white wax stain on that.....

All I can say is YAY for Mother's Back-To-Black! This stuff worked like a charm! You remember how it looked before?This product ROCKS THE CAT'S PAJAMAS!!!Looks even better than before I got the wax on it! Here's after one application of the stuff:

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raging--nice job cleaning up the Vibe! I'm glad that it worked out for you and you are so pleased! It also won't hurt to apply some b-2-b after washing once in a while to give the cladding that look that you've now come to love. Maybe use it when you wash and wax the car to complete the look?See, I told you guys before that I wouldn't steer you wrong! I would never tell someone to use a product on their car that I don't have first-hand, reliable knowledge about. If there is a situation that I haven't run across myself, and I search around to find something that might work for someone but never used it myself, I would always tell you that. Have faith, my friend. We're always here to help . And the best thing is that we're open 24-7.

Any experience using B2B on the center console?

Do you mean around the shifter or the armrest console between the seats? In either case, what makes you want to use b2b on it? If you just want the shine, use Formula 2001 spray protectant, Armor-All, or something like that. If there are marks on it, usually an all-purpose household cleaner (such as 409 or the like) will take them off. Then shine the pieces back up with one of the interior protectants mentioned above.

quote:that stuff work on the rubber seal around the moon roof? i got white wax stain on that..... Yes it will. A little bit of paint thinner will work as well if you already have some around the house. Also, since this came up, you should treat all the rubber gasket seals on the car (such as around the moonroof, the windows, the doors, the rear hatch door, etc.) once per year with a liquid silicone. If you do this, the rubber seals should last for decades and it keeps them nice and dark black looking. Many people do this before shows as part of their detailing process.

quote:Also, since this came up, you should treat all the rubber gasket seals on the car (such as around the moonroof, the windows, the doors, the rear hatch door, etc.) once per year with a liquid silicone. If you do this, the rubber seals should last for decades and it keeps them nice and dark black looking. Many people do this before shows as part of their detailing process.Is this part of the "annual checkup" we go to the dealer for, or is this something that, if the owner doesn't do it, it never gets done?

Liquid Silicone... where would someone like me find that? Sounds like a great idea, anything to keep it looking nice and dark. I hate it when the seals get all washed out and grey looking.

quote:Liquid Silicone... where would someone like me find that?Pepboys or some other auto parts store. Look in the section where WD40 and other spray oils would be.

i always put the liquid silicon on my 79 malibu gaskets, keeps it sealed up and looking good.

It's also good to spray on a rag and then wipe down all the weatherstrip seals around the doors and hatch. It keeps them from sticking and freezing in the winter.

quote:Is this part of the "annual checkup" we go to the dealer for, or is this something that, if the owner doesn't do it, it never gets done?This is a do-it-yourself type of thing. It is probably not even mentioned in the owner's manual or anything. Once or twice a year, just pour or spray (depending on what type you get) some on a rag and wipe down the rubber gaskets with it. Try not to get it on the car's paint because it will have to be washed off and will look smeary on the paint. It will smear windows as well.

UPDATE: It appears that Mother's didn't work as well as I had planned. Noticed today all the white streaking has resurfaced......will I never get my cladding back to normal?...

That really sucks ragingfish... I used Mother's on mine and it got off "most" of the wax residue. It's mainly down in the corners and hard-to-reach places between my paint and cladding. I don't have any other suggestions for ya. Someone said Peanut Butter... but I'm not too sure on that. Still haven't ventured out to try that myself?!?

It took it off for maybe 2-3 weeks...but then it slowly came back again...And I don't know if it's something that'll (removed) me off for a couple months until it wears off, or if this is permanant and will alwas be something I'm trying to hide...

quote:It took it off for maybe 2-3 weeks...but then it slowly came back again...And I don't know if it's something that'll (removed) me off for a couple months until it wears off, or if this is permanant and will alwas be something I'm trying to hide...untill GM decides to change the cladding it will be something you try and hide. I tried the B2B and rubbed real hard some came of some didn't so I just keep using it

ARGH!!!It's not GM's fault...it's mine for waxing the stupid plastic.

quote:It's not GM's fault...it's mine for waxing the stupid plastic. You aren't the only one.....

quote:ARGH!!!It's not GM's fault...it's mine for waxing the stupid plastic. no i meant the chewed up cladding, untill GM replaces the pitted cladding your stuck with using something on them to cover your wax marks

a two part question...1. does that peanutbutter myth really work? (I don't know if anyone has actually tried it)2. the liquid silicone that I found at Auto Zone was STP Silicone Spray... is that what I need to get or is it something different? It was right next to the WD-40 so I assume that is the right stuff.

I remember someone suggesting in a thread to use WD-40 to remove the wax. Well, I tried it, and like MB2B, it hid it temporarily, but the wax is back. Asked the dealer, he suggested dish soap. He said NEVER wash your car with dish soap as it will take the wax off. Because it takes the wax off, he suggested using it. I will try it and let y'all know how I fare!

I haven't...it's too messy and smelly...but if the dish soap doesn't work, I'll give in and try the PB...

I tried some googone today and it seemed to work ok, but there was one spot on the looks just a little bit lighter where I used it. Maybe I just need to wash the car. Had some wax on the black door handles too, and the googone worked great there. Next time, as much as I appreciated the extra hands, I won't get my kids to help me wax it.

Here's another kitchen solution. I don't know how effective it might be if you applied wax to all of the plastic. Try wiping it down with coke. Plain old coke, not diet or caffeine free. That seems to remove wax that accidentally comes in contact with plastic. I don't know how it works 2 months later but it works the same day.

Update. Another failed tip. Tried the dishwashing detergent tip the dealer recommended. Not only did it not work, but the streaking seems WORSE. So, here's how I stand in my trials:Standard Car Wash...........FAILEDMother's Back To Black......FAILEDWD-40............................FAILEDDishwashing Detergent......FAILEDGoo Gone........................FAILEDPeanut Butter...................NOT YET TESTED

I guess that you could spot test the peanut butter thing to see if it works. If not, the only other thing I can think of off hand it DuPont Prep-Sol. It is like thinner, but will not remove the paint. We use it to prep a surface before painting. This will be harder to find. You would have to go to a body shop supply store to get some and it tends to be pretty pricey. But I think that it would permanently solve the problem.

Well, I can't believe it, but the PB seems to have worked! I tried it on the door handle and a piece of the fender, and it looked like it lifted it right off...but I'm not going to deem it successful until a week or two from now there is still no sign of the wax resurfacing...thus, PB gets a thumbs up...pending final confirmation. Update. Another failed tip. Tried the dishwashing detergent tip the dealer recommended. Not only did it not work, but the streaking seems WORSE. So, here's how I stand in my trials:Standard Car Wash...........FAILED Mother's Back To Black......FAILED WD-40............................FAILED Dishwashing Detergent......FAILED Goo Gone........................FAILED Peanut Butter...................INTIAL TESTING SUCCESSFUL, FINAL CONFIRMATION PENDING

quote:Should of listened to me from the begining. Hawke had the right idea.Well, aren't we a bit righteous! Hehe, j/k, you're right.quote:Could of saved you money. Not really. The only thing I actually purchased was the B2B, which I could still use (and plan to) to give it a nice shine...Everything else was around the house...Someone had said even creamy PB had chunks of peanuts in it and I'd risk scratching the cladding, which is why I held off...besides, it sounded too easy...and I'm a very skeptical person.

Amazing. You have a graphic for everything don't you. Stang2Vibe said on page 1:quote:I would skip the peanut butter thing because there are even small pieces of peanuts in creamy peanut butter.

Well, all seems well now...we'll see in a week or two if the wax resurfaces...if not, praise peanut butter!

i have found that mopars' total clean works great spray it on and take your detail brush (paint brush cut down so 1/2 inch of brisels present) gently scrub the plastic. should work, used this on a buddy dodge ram yesterday on his black handles and tailgate. (was done when he waxed it, i always tape of stuff like that) good luck.

But is it a permanant fix?I tried many products which worked up front, but turned out to only hide the wax because within a week or two, it was back...

Just for the record, I never said anything about there being "chunks" of peanuts in the creamy pb. That's what "chunky" pb is for. When you grind up millions of peanuts, not absolutely every little piece of peanut is smashed to mush. Small pieces (with potentially sharp edges) can be found even in creamy pb. In any case, I'd bet that what the pb is probably doing is hiding the wax because of the natural oils in the peanuts. It is just trapping moisture in longer which is making the wax seem to disappear. Just my gut feeling. I wish you lived near me, I'd just wipe it down with Prep-Sol for you and this saga of a thread would finally end. This problem is really plaguing my mind. Grrrr....

quote:Just for the record, I never said anything about there being "chunks" of peanuts in the creamy pb. That's what "chunky" pb is for. No, you never did say chunks, I'm not sure why people think you did say that. When I quoted you I did that, quote you, saying "small pieces."quote:I wish you lived near me, I'd just wipe it down with Prep-Sol for you and this saga of a thread would finally end. This problem is really plaguing my mind. Grrrr.... Prep-Sol? Never heard of it...what is this stuff?

The results are in. PB FAILED. The wax is back. The search for a solution continues...Standard Car Wash...........FAILED Mother's Back To Black......FAILED WD-40............................FAILED Dishwashing Detergent......FAILED Goo Gone........................FAILED Peanut Butter...................FAILED

You could take it back to the dealer and say you don't know how it got like that and try to get it covered by the TSB.

quote:You could take it back to the dealer and say you don't know how it got like that and try to get it covered by the TSB. Except I asked them for their advice.

Hey Fish,If I come down to the Jersey meet I might have something for you to try out....not sure of the name but I got it from my wifes' cousin who preps cars at a GM dealership.

Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!I'm so excited...I hope you come, and bring the stuff, and it WORKS!!!!Though my cladding is so scratched up now, I don't know if it even is worth trying to get this off...

I am trying it out on my cladding this weekend since a dumbass scratched my car today I will let you know if it works.....