cosmoline?

I'm SO glad that i'm not the only one with this problem!

 

and he said that the trim would probably need to be replaced. Only 1200 miles on my car!

If I knew how I would upload a few pictures of this stuff. Can't seem to get the pictures to upload...error message: "upload has failed".

 

Probably too big. Resize on a server like photobucket.com

 

it's not a pretty sight. My advise to anyone buying a new MC is to make sure that the dealer cleans all of the cosmoline from beneath the hood. This is a dealer issue for sure. This is part of the dealer prep (that you pay dearly for) and it's obvious that some aren't getting the job done.

As the summer days get hotter, the mess under my hood gets worse. I contacted the dealer today (3 hours away) and scheduled an appointment to have the mess cleaned and the trim replaced. I emailed them pictures of the cosmoline and the trim discoloration. All of this added trouble and expense could've been avoided by simply doing a good job of preping the car before delivery.

 

This stuff really isn't cosmolene, at least in the traditional sense. Cosmolene is nearly solid at room temperature and is usually a shade of brown. You're right, tho, it needs to be heated before it can be cleaned. I have an old British .303 Enfield rifle that still sweats cosmolene everytime it gets hot, and that's after nearly 8 years of use and regular cleanings.

The grease coming out of my bonnet was clear, fairly thin and really sticky, so it was picking up dust and grit pretty fast, which turned it black. At first I though the engine was spraying oil up against the bonnet, but that wasn't the case. I ended up washing the car 3 times in the first month, so maybe the stuff didn't sit long enough to stain the plastic, although at one point I thought it had. I might have gotten lucky, too...

I've also discovered the grease coming out of the drain hole in the boot hatch, but not to the same extent as the bonnet.

Good luck everyone, I hope you can get it fixed.

 

here are some pics of the cosmoline goo that is dripping from the hood of my brand new (6+ week old) '08 MCS.

 

On your light bulb issue, it could be a parking lamp. Turn your light switch to the first position, and look directly above your fog lamps. If one of the small bulbs is burned out that's why the indicator will illuminate. This happened to my car about a week ago, and couldn't find what bulb it was because the front parking lamps turn-off when you turn the headlights on.

Hope this helps

 

Picture 1 is totally what my black trim looks like on one side, and the other side looks worse from my trying to clean it up, which has only served to smear it. I will be calling my SA today to get some answers!

 

Thanks. I'll check this on my MINI today and see if it's the problem. The light doesn't stay on for more than a minute, but it's still coming on and it didn't use to do that. So, i think something's blown, i'm just not sure what.

 

The dealer replaced both front fender trim's on mine. Then I cleaned the remaining from under the hood with PB Blast.

 

this stuff cannot be cleaned up. At least that's what the dealer indicated to me. The trim has been permanently stained/discolored.

 

I think I got lucky...

 

me too...but I'll look to closer to see if I have any. If I do, I'll try something I have at work and let u guys know if this stuff works.

 

hey guys...for home remedies...have you tried hot/warm water with "Dawn" dish detergent? Dawn should break down any kind of grease.

I don't think it's cosmoline. It is the same substance like solder paste or flux. In this case it is for welding.

I tried another chemical solution at work and it worked great on the black trims. It calls "Flux-Off" made by Chemtronics. It is water soluble, plastic safe and I think you can get it at Radio Shacks or any electronics stores.
good luck.

 

DaPooh65 had yours been sitting on your black trim or was it fresh?

 

MiniKart....2 days. I sprayed the Flux-Off and let it soak for a minute..came right off. If yours had been there for awhile, you should let it sit longer. Try the Dawn first, if it doesn't work then go buy Flux-Off.

 

I have tried two things; regular car wash detergent and then Dawn and hot water (no luck). I would be cautious when applying anything stronger because you might end up further damaging the the trim. This is especially true if your car is new and in warranty. I have not tried Black Wow and for an older vehicle/out of warranty, this might work...don't know.

This stuff is a cosmoline "like" substance applied before the vehicles are shipped from GB. It can and should be cleaned from the underside of the hood (painted metal) but once it gets onto the textured plastic trim it's a whole 'nother thing. Perhaps if one were observant enough and noticed it right away it could be removed with hot water and Dawn...perhaps.

 

Yeah, i dont think mine would go anywhere with just Dawn. It's been there for a while now because i didn't know what the heck it was coming from or what to do about it. I did wash my car recently and it's still there. I definitely need to call MoS dealer today and ask them.

 

Lucky219...
Brought my car in today for window dripping problem. They fixed it with "GIAGT1" by "Normalization and Demormalization"...I just wrote what's on the work sheet". Sounded like they have a new batch to re-program the window dipping issues. Lots of people have this problem and this batch was distributed all over Mini dealers. Good luck.

 

Thanks!
I spoke with Debbie at MINI of Sterling (VA) and as far as the cosmoline drip onto the black trim - she says that if i bring it in after the summer (since it's caused by the heat) that they'll clean it off. Also, that i could go to an auto parts store to see if they recommended anything to get it off, but there wasn't any "over the counter" (so to speak) that i could buy myself, that she knew of.

 

Luck219,
i haven't gotten through to MoS yet. I'll try again once I get back from vacation. I had asked when we went to autozone what to use, and they had no idea. Let me know if you get some better answers. and was debbie your MA or is she the SA?

 

LUCK219,
Another possible over the counter product to try is 3M Adhesive,Tar & Wax Remover.

Found at most Advance Auto Parts stores.
Link: http://www.partsamerica.com/productd...rtNumber=03607

 

someone post pics of this issues

 

Mr Clean magic eraser works great on cosmoline cleanup.

 

Cybergypsy...look back up at some of my posts...pics attached.