My wife just bought a new clubman in hot chocolate. With the 100 degree days we've had there is a waxy residue leaking from some of the body panels onto the plastic fender moldings and front bumper. How do I remove it?

 

to simply clean (get dirt and grime off, not polish/shine) the plastic mouldings, I just dilute some simple green with some water and spray it onto a cloth and wipe away. Works pretty well in a pinch if I want to touch up between washes.

 

It's called Cosmoline. Annoying stuff, isn't it?

Prima makes a fantastic product called CosmoNot. You can purchase it from Way Motor Works HERE.

Congrats on the Hot Chocolate Clubman! You have made an excellent choice.

 

Will this product on the black plastic fender trim?

 

I've got the same drip. I used Goo Gone to remove it. Put some on a micro fiber cloth and wipe clean. Works great. I've had to do this a few times since it's been 104 in Austin the past few weeks.

And yes...it works on the black fender parts.

 

Yes, Richard (OctaneGuy) has stated that CosmoNot works great on the trim pieces.

 

Yep...I've used that CosmoNot!!! to get that amber colored yuck off the Mini!!! works great!!! but you do have to wear gloves!!!!

 

Thanks all, i've ordered both black wow and cosmo not.

 

The Black Wow is pretty amazing stuff. Be warned that however little you try to use, it'll probably still be too much. What ended up working for me was to use one of the foam shoe polish applicators to put on the Black Wow. Put a single drop on the applicator and then repeatedly dab the applicator 2-3 times onto the trim piece, about an inch between dabs. Then use the applicator to spread it around evenly, pressing very firmly.

You just want to blacken the trim - if the trim looks wet after you're done, you used way too much and it will just attract dirt. That little bottle of BW is probably enough to do all of the exterior trim on a MINI 15-20 times.

 

Oh, and here's an interesting bit of recycling trivia regarding the Cosmoline:

When the vehicles arrive at the Vehicle Distribution Center in the U.S., the Cosmoline is removed using a high-pressure spray of heated water. The old Cosmoline is then separated from the runoff water and used as fuel for the boilers that heat the water that's used to remove the Cosmoline from the next batch of MINIs to come through the VDC.

 

A good product is wax and grease remover, sold at automotive paint shops by the gallon, more economical than the retail cleaners sold by the bottle and will clean most anything on the car.

 

Well the Black Wow is fantastic, does a amazing job. The Cosmonot however, I used some to remove some gunk underneath the bonnet and It actually took some paint off so I stopped use right away. I thought this was safe to use on painted surfaces ?? An I was using a very soft cloth and not rubbing hard at all

 

The problem is, the paint under the bonnet isn't clear-coated, so it has all the durability of watercolor paint. The Cosmonot should be fine on clear-coated paint. For under the bonnet, I'd stick with rubbing alcohol.

 

Thanks, I should have thought of that.

 

As Scott mentioned, because the engine bay is not clear coated, any cleaner you use will take the paint off. Even rubbing alcohol with a terry towel will take off paint. The trick to using CosmoNot in the engine bay is to use Qtips to soften the hardened cosmoline and very gently dab/rub the softened cosmoline with that Qtip. Paint should not be coming off using that method. If you rub it hard (how hard you rub is relative by the way) or apply too much, you will take off paint regardless of what solvent you use. Like with most products, "technique" is everything.


The most important thing to remember about BW is that it is INTENDED to be absorbed into the material. So you can apply more or less, depending on how neglected the original pieces are. The best time to use BW is before you do a car wash. Do it a few days before. Yes there will be some dust attraction until that first wash where the excess will be removed but the important stuff will have been absorbed.

Typical users have been reporting 3 to 4 years out of a single 4oz bottle of Black Wow.