My white bonnet stripes have gone to a slightly mottled grey. They seem to be stained as the scum won't wash off with regular carwash soap or even glass cleaner.

Any ideas on how to clean them? I'm hesitant to try Simple Green for fear that it may mark the paint. How about 409 cleaner?

Any suggestions are welcome!

 

I was hoping someone would chime in to help, Cory. I have black stripes so have never faced the problem. I do know the black stripes are "printed" vinyl so they are very fragile. Strong solvents could strip or damage the ink. Not sure about white stripes.

Anybody?

 

I tried a lot of things and found that the version of Windex that has vinegar in it worked wonders. It won't damage your paint but could strip off your wax if you get it on there. The gunk on my stripes seems to be carbon from vehicle exhausts and other airbourne pollutants. I don't know the science but the Windex w/ Vinegar lifted it right off when other cleaners couldn't touch it with some heavy scrubbing. Good luck!

 

Have you tried using a cleaner wax?

 

I wonder if claying them would work?
I have clayed mine 2X (black) with no problems.

 

I don't know if you have an "S" or not, but if you do, and they are the factory stripes, try getting your dealer to replace them under warranty..:smile: We just did..

Chow!

Donna

 

Replacement is a reasonable idea, assuming the dealer can get the new stripes on straight.

But, I hope to find a solution for the time when I'm out of warranty too. Thanks for the suggestions - I'll try some of them soon.

 

I have black stripes that were horribly water spotted. After unsuccessfully trying a few things, I finally got rid of them with clay bar. After that I Zainoed the stripes. Since then I have had no water spots, however I also am also now more conscientious about making sure water spots don't get a chance to form. The Zaino was the key to keeping the spots away. I would think that if I was able to do that with the super-fragile printed black stripes, that clay barring white stripes would likely be allright as well.

 

I'd think a cleaner wax would work. I've had Klasse on my stripes and they are still perfectly white. Definately get some wax on them if you get them clean!

 

Let me add more fuel to the fire.....

How the heck can you safely clean an Union Jack roof flag decal? The one I have in my MCS is the one from MINI and has many separate parts to it. Still looks great but I have been afraid about trying to waxing it, etc.

 

I recently used an off brand non-aerosol, trim protectant to clean some black marks off of my white stripes.

 

Waxing it is the thing to do. Just don't use any waxes with abrasives in them that can damage the printed finish. The mechanical abrasives in "cleaner waxes" can sometimes be very harsh.

The best thing to do would be to use a polymer sealant that is very durable, has a tough finish and is not hydroscopic like carnaubas are. (do not absorb water and suck it toward the decal) Klasse Sealant Glaze and Zaino are perfect examples.

 

I have the white stripes and they looked bad. the other day I was cleaning off the dead bugs with the old BUG & TAR remover with one swipe they came clean. looks like new now.

 

Update!

Well, today I tried:

Cleaner wax - didn't work
Clay bar - didn't work
Bug & tar remover - didn't work

I guess I'll have to pick up some Windex with vinegar and see if that does the trick. Thanks for all the suggestions. If the Windex doesn't work, I'll just keep the scummy stripes until I'm close to warranty expiration and then make the dealer replace them.

Thanks for all the suggestions though. If I find something that cleans the stripes, I'll post it.

 

I went on a camping trip and when I got back, there was a noticable amount of scratches on the bonnet of my MCS and scratches on the bonnet striping. Talked to the dealer and they weren't receptive at all of putting new striping on They said it was cosmetic and wasn't covered by the warranty. It's sickening to see the scratches on the bonet and striping. They weren't there before I went camping and don't know how they got on the car. I was very careful not to damage the bonnet or striping the whole trip. Any suggestions?

 

The bonnet is an easy fix using methods we have discussed on threads here before. (My products of choice are 3M Finesse IT and 3M Swirl Mark Remover. Everyone should have these.)

The stripes are very delicate since the color on them is printed and is very thin. I would suggest a careful application of 3M SMR (foam pad, one direction only) or use a quality cleaner wax. The idea is to use a product with some fillers in it which will help hide the scratches, if possible. You can't work as aggressively as you do on paint.

 

How about those magnatic stripes on ebay? Does anyone try remove factory stripes and use those magnet stripes?

 

I was just thinking along those same lines. Have a body shop paint new stripes, then you can maintain them as you would the rest of the car. Might be expensive at first but they will last forever and you wouldn't have to be soooo careful with them. My 2 cents.

 

Just as a warning, magnets attract metal flakes which will scratch your paint. It's not good to leave magnets on your car for an extended period of time.

 

Awesome answer Donna... been wondering what to do about Sebby's stripes... he's looking a little grey around the gills lately!

 

I tried claying them (Zaino clay), but no luck... now they just look awful under my pretty zainoed hood... (can zaino be a verb too?? )

 

Maybe someday it will rival the word DUDE