Has anyone used armor all (don't know if I spelled that right) on the plastic fender flares? I used it the other day when I washed my car, and somebody told me that it can eventually cause discoloration. Is this true?? I was just wondering if anybody else uses it, and if it can, in fact, cause discoloration. Because if that's the case, I won't be using that anymore!! =)

Thanks,
Lindsey

 

They sell a gazillion gallons of the stuff. I think discoloration and premature cracking of vinyl materials when Armoral is applied may be a myth. The poly plastics used for the trim is an oil based product. Exposure dries out the surface and creates the light grey spots that remain even after proper washing. The only way to resore the dark black is to apply something that will saturate the surface a few microns and put the oil back in.

It only penetrates a small amount so I can't see a long term effect and it can last quite awhile if applied correctly. There may be a better product out there but it works.

Tips: Don't spray it on the car, spray or pour onto a rag and then apply. Keep it off the paint! It penetrates paint and leaves splatter or wipe marks. Oh, and never spray it on your pedals that can create a whole new driving experiance.

 

I use Stoner Trim Shine on all my plastic trims. It's a satin shine and not the cheap lookn "wet lipstick" look. And it isn't oily or greasy. If you're trim is dulled from aging, Griots has a product that has dye in it to restore the black

 

On my Land Rover defender, I apply a light coat of used motor oil to the black fender flares and matte black painted bonnet. Works great, lasts a long time, and it's free

 

Do NOT use Armor-All, and if you have any, throw it away!!! It is silicon-based and will do nothing but degrade the plastic and make it look shiny and cheap.

Treat yourself to a bottle of Lexol Vinylex, you'll be much happier. It's water based, and will give a nice satin finish.

 

Pinnacle vinyl treatment works well and leaves a satin finish. Even though it smells good don't drink it.

 

Lotsa folks here recommended using 303 Aerospace Protectant so I went with that. The results have been very good. It can be used on plastic bits inside and out.

 

>>On my Land Rover defender, I apply a light coat of used motor oil to the black fender flares and matte black painted bonnet. Works great, lasts a long time, and it's free :smile:

 

I did a test on a piece of extra trim (had to get a piece replaced). So I applied three different trim products to it and left it in my back yard to experience close to a year worth of very hot sun (PHX, AZ) and dry conditions. There is no noticable difference whatsoever between the three areas. I used Stoner's Spray on Trim Shine, Armor All, and the MINI product supposedly for use on the inside dash pieces.

 

I've tried using armorall in the past but I didn't like it because it leaves a greasy-looking shine and it attrects dust so that exterior trim will take on a brownish tint after a week or two. I now use Meguiar's because it looks natural, doesn't attract & retain dust and doesn't have a strong odor (when used on interior bits).

 

Mother's Back To Black is what I use.

Armor all....i use that to shine the bottom of my shoes when I go
driveway skii-ing.

 

Do not bother with armorall, waste of money and effort. The silicone will discolor the plastic overtime. For a low gloss sheen on interior plastic I use Lexol Vinylex, works great and leaves no greasy residue. Its not that good on the exterior because it does not last after a rainfall. For the exterior I use 3M Rubber Treament and Tire Dressing, provides a long lasting mid gloss sheen. I am sure there are other products out there that are also very good.

 

I use One Grand ERV. Good satin finish. I use Lexol Vinylex on interior. Silicone in Armorall is supposed to have a negative affect and I like the appearance of the ERV much better. Available online at Autowarehouse.com or Properautocare.com among others.

 

Try peanut oil on the black plastic trim!!!

Honest to God, it works. I read about it on this site, and felt like an idiot trying it. But it works quite well. Not on the inside interior stuff, just the outside. It hangs in there for quite a while and looks like the original finish.

I apply it with a soft lint free towel and wipe off the excess.

 

My mini is still very young, so I stay away from giving her peanut oil or peanut
anything.





neat idea...will need to try that some day.

 

>>Do not bother with armorall, waste of money and effort. The silicone will discolor the plastic overtime.

How long does it take? Weeks? Months? Years? Decades?

 

>How long does it take? Weeks? Months? Years? Decades?


One rain fall after application will begin to show discoloration.

 

In the interest of MINI science, I am going to go out now and treat my plastic trim with a very light coating of Mobil 1 synthetic oil (I have a bottle that is the wrong weight).

I'll post my immediate results as well as monitor it over the next month until the Dragon event!

edit: I just did my motor oil treatment. I placed a towel on the open bottle of oil and turned it over, so that I only wetted a small portion of the towel. I rubbed it all over the moldings and then used the dry part of my towel to buff any excess oil from the trim. I must say that the trim looks better than it ever has. Being that this is synthetic motor oil, it should last a long time. My only concern is that it will pick up dust more easily, but probably no more than armor all or other such products
_________________

SE Regional, BAMA Club Moderator: PM me

 

>>In the interest of MINI science, I am going to go out now and treat my plastic trim with a very light coating of Mobil 1 synthetic oil (I have a bottle that is the wrong weight).
>>
Ever read the health warnings on a Motor Oil MSDS?????? Might want to do that.......

 

>>Ever read the health warnings on a Motor Oil MSDS?????? Might want to do that.......

Only dirty motor oil is dangerous (it contains carcinogens).

FWIW, I use Armor All on all my cars' interior plastic trim & think it looks great. It does attract dust, though.

 

>>
>>>>Ever read the health warnings on a Motor Oil MSDS?????? Might want to do that.......
>>
>>Only dirty motor oil is dangerous (it contains carcinogens).
>>
>>FWIW, I use Armor All on all my cars' interior plastic trim & think it looks great. It does attract dust, though.

Like I said....just MIGHT want to take a little peak at an MSDS for any motor oil in the market.........

 

I'm very familiar with MSDS's. I used to be a pharmaceutical chemist and used to get a real laugh from some of them.

My favorite two were for Sucrose (purified cane sugar) and washed sand.

Sucose had a warning that prolonged exposure increases the incidence of tooth decay.

And if you read the warnings about sand, you would never go to the beach again! That stuff is deadly!



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SE Regional, BAMA Club Moderator: PM me

 

>>>How long does it take? Weeks? Months? Years? Decades?
>>
>>
>>One rain fall after application will begin to show discoloration.

My test piece never experienced this discoloration. Like I said in a previous post in this thread, I had left this test piece with three different products, each in their own section, in the hot AZ climate for nearly a year (yes, this included rain-fall).

 

>>>>>How long does it take? Weeks? Months? Years? Decades?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>One rain fall after application will begin to show discoloration.
>>
>>My test piece never experienced this discoloration. Like I said in a previous post in this thread, I had left this test piece with three different products, each in their own section, in the hot AZ climate for nearly a year (yes, this included rain-fall).


Did you also leave a spot on your test piece with no product on it....just to see how much the various products where actually helping?

I like Armor All, been using it for years with no problems. It comes in different formulas if you want something with less shine.


R.E.

 

I agree with WhiteKnuckles above that the bad rap Armorall has been getting may be based on a myth (or at least an unfair test against other products). I haven't seen any controlled experiment showing that Armorall is bad (drying; cracking) for your car. It does give a shiny, wet look to vinyl and plastic, so I personally have started using Meguiars vinyl protectant. The Meguiars product doesn't apply as evenly as Armorall, but after it dries it looks fine and without the 'wet' look.