Window trim
Thread Starter
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
From: Estonia
Window trim
Hi,
I searched for some topics on this subject but didn't really find the answers I was looking for.
I've got a small problem with the window trim (chrome). It's getting more and more oxidized and is starting to look quite bad from close up. I had them polished with some chemical guys products but they didn't have much of an affect. Some places were bit better straight after but after few weeks they looked the same again. The guy who polished them wasn't really an expert on trim restoring but in general is a pretty good polisher. It was a new product and they only had tested it on a Mercedes before which gave very good results. No idea what is so different about Mercedes but for my car it didn't do much.
Stealership asks about 100€ for each window trim piece, which would total about 300-400€ a side depending on how they count the pieces. I love my car but I'm not willing to pay that much for just some window trim pieces. So any suggestions here are welcome.
Also I'm wondering how to remove them, I read in some other thread that they should come off easily and no disassembling is required but I'd like to confirm this.
I searched ETKA but I only found this picture:
http://www.partsbase.org/media/image...16283448c3.png
I searched for some topics on this subject but didn't really find the answers I was looking for.
I've got a small problem with the window trim (chrome). It's getting more and more oxidized and is starting to look quite bad from close up. I had them polished with some chemical guys products but they didn't have much of an affect. Some places were bit better straight after but after few weeks they looked the same again. The guy who polished them wasn't really an expert on trim restoring but in general is a pretty good polisher. It was a new product and they only had tested it on a Mercedes before which gave very good results. No idea what is so different about Mercedes but for my car it didn't do much.
Stealership asks about 100€ for each window trim piece, which would total about 300-400€ a side depending on how they count the pieces. I love my car but I'm not willing to pay that much for just some window trim pieces. So any suggestions here are welcome.
Also I'm wondering how to remove them, I read in some other thread that they should come off easily and no disassembling is required but I'd like to confirm this.
I searched ETKA but I only found this picture:
http://www.partsbase.org/media/image...16283448c3.png
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
I stand to be corrected...
But I'm pretty sure the window trims are aluminium. I polished mine by hand after the car wash left residue on them, leaving them looking oxidised. Good body polish and a wax afterwards was enough....
K9
K9
Hi,
I searched for some topics on this subject but didn't really find the answers I was looking for.
I've got a small problem with the window trim (chrome). It's getting more and more oxidized and is starting to look quite bad from close up. I had them polished with some chemical guys products but they didn't have much of an affect. Some places were bit better straight after but after few weeks they looked the same again. The guy who polished them wasn't really an expert on trim restoring but in general is a pretty good polisher. It was a new product and they only had tested it on a Mercedes before which gave very good results. No idea what is so different about Mercedes but for my car it didn't do much.
Stealership asks about 100€ for each window trim piece, which would total about 300-400€ a side depending on how they count the pieces. I love my car but I'm not willing to pay that much for just some window trim pieces. So any suggestions here are welcome.
Also I'm wondering how to remove them, I read in some other thread that they should come off easily and no disassembling is required but I'd like to confirm this.
I searched ETKA but I only found this picture:
http://www.partsbase.org/media/image...16283448c3.png
I searched for some topics on this subject but didn't really find the answers I was looking for.
I've got a small problem with the window trim (chrome). It's getting more and more oxidized and is starting to look quite bad from close up. I had them polished with some chemical guys products but they didn't have much of an affect. Some places were bit better straight after but after few weeks they looked the same again. The guy who polished them wasn't really an expert on trim restoring but in general is a pretty good polisher. It was a new product and they only had tested it on a Mercedes before which gave very good results. No idea what is so different about Mercedes but for my car it didn't do much.
Stealership asks about 100€ for each window trim piece, which would total about 300-400€ a side depending on how they count the pieces. I love my car but I'm not willing to pay that much for just some window trim pieces. So any suggestions here are welcome.
Also I'm wondering how to remove them, I read in some other thread that they should come off easily and no disassembling is required but I'd like to confirm this.
I searched ETKA but I only found this picture:
http://www.partsbase.org/media/image...16283448c3.png
Audiworld Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 85
Likes: 2
From: College Station, Texas
HI,
I thought the trim around the doors was Aluminum (As per the owners operating manual).
If you use chrome cleaner on it it may take off the protective coating (Again as per the owners operating manual)
I used an aluminum cleaner and then waxed it. It was all I could do because it looked like the previous owners used a non-alumaime safe metal cleaner on them before.
They look much better now..
Dan
I thought the trim around the doors was Aluminum (As per the owners operating manual).
If you use chrome cleaner on it it may take off the protective coating (Again as per the owners operating manual)
I used an aluminum cleaner and then waxed it. It was all I could do because it looked like the previous owners used a non-alumaime safe metal cleaner on them before.
They look much better now..
Dan
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 15,310
Likes: 696
From: SF Bay Area, CA
Net, probably not repairable
I dealt with this back on my 1985 C3 Audi 5000 (aka 100/200 in Europe. Back then the piece was a combination of plastic base, shiny aluminum metal trip and then plastic top coat to seal the aluminum--assuming you mean the piece at the top of the door sheet metal and the base of the glass. They had a TSB on it like 25 years ago now--literally.
I think the construction has changed in one way, but the basic tarnish issue is the same. Once that top plastic seal layer is compromised, it's all over as far as the tarnishing. On the 5000 era design, it was a double whammy because then the metal part would also get flaky and start to delaminate from the plastic base layer and get all wavy. I haven't seen that wavy delamination on an Audi in many years, but I still see l some of the tarnishing. I have a tiny bit on my 13 year old A6 now on a few body strips, but none so far on the D3.
I think the construction has changed in one way, but the basic tarnish issue is the same. Once that top plastic seal layer is compromised, it's all over as far as the tarnishing. On the 5000 era design, it was a double whammy because then the metal part would also get flaky and start to delaminate from the plastic base layer and get all wavy. I haven't seen that wavy delamination on an Audi in many years, but I still see l some of the tarnishing. I have a tiny bit on my 13 year old A6 now on a few body strips, but none so far on the D3.
Thread Starter
AudiWorld Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
From: Estonia
Any suggestions on which product to use?
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 885
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
If the coating is compromised, you'll need to polish and wax it forever more.
I'd be looking for someone who can clear coat them once polished - maybe a trim restorer.
Shouldn't be too dear, even if they have to be removed.
I'd be looking for someone who can clear coat them once polished - maybe a trim restorer.
Shouldn't be too dear, even if they have to be removed.
AudiWorld Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
Yeah, my bad, I'm sure it's aluminium. Checked the car wash and the compound they used is ment for aluminium as well. I tried doing this by hand a while ago with a Meguiars polish and it gave some results but it even small results took a lot of work.
Any suggestions on which product to use?
Any suggestions on which product to use?
I had some success with clay, I use Mothers Clay Bar. But mainly just a polishing compound with a decent wax afterwards.
Allow any solvent to dry on them and they're toast.
K9
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