Does anyone know how to remove a scratch on the silver trim area of a 3rd generation TL?

The other day I was bringing my cell phone into the car and accidentally dropped it while getting inside on the silver trim area. I thought it wouldn't make a mark but it made a white mark where it landed on the silver trim and I can't seem to get it out.

I really don't want to pay for a full interior repair for such a small mark so I was wondering if there was a spray or anything out there that might be able to remove it.

Thanks!

 

if it's the door sill area, try some metal/aluminum/mag polish to get it out. If it's the trim like on the actual door and center console, I cant help you there!

 

Hmmm...it's actually the silver trim on the center console area area, all around the radio. The two strips of silver, except the one that got scratched is the one on my side and not the passengers.

I was thinking, would it be cheaper to just purchase a replacement part? I'm sure if it can't be buffed out that having some interior repair place fix it up would be the same cost or maybe even more than just buying a new silver trim.

What do you all think?

 

Mine's scratched there too don't know how it got there but I'll wait till it get some more and looks real bad before I replace that whole silver strip I read they're a pain to get out.

 

I dont think something like that will buff out. It is kinda textured, so it might be hard. You'd be better off buying a new piece (I think it's the set of both sides) and maybe consider doing something custom with the damaged/old ones if you want to try that!

 

The same thing happend to me but with the seat belt. I barely touched the trim and left a nice 3/4 inch scratch.

I think that trim will scratch very easily and unfortunately I am sure it will happen again. Maybe there is a Rock-Blocker type of product out there?

Anyway, I'll wait a year or so until I have a couple more and then replace it.

 

Yeh true that. I don't think it's worth it to replace it right away cause it looks like it'll get scratched super easily again.

Man, it really seems like a bunch of the interior materials inside the TL get scratched so easily. I paid $50 once just to remove two scratches that occurred on the rubber finish on the door.

Maybe there's some protectant or something out there

 

Those silver trim peices are about $90 bucks each. I scratched and dented mine with the seatbelt when I first got my car. Even though it drives me crazy to look at it I am going to wait untill it gets worse or I get better with aiming my seatbelt : Who would have thought I would have to learn how to aim my seatbelt better.

 

GOO-GONE $3.95 at Wal Mart.

 

What's that Goo-Gone stuff? Does it really work?

 

goo gone is great for getting stains/glue/stickers, etc off of different things. i havent ever used it for removing scrathes but its worth a shot.

 

Hmm....it's definitely worth a shot but I think mine might be more of a chip into the texture and not really a scratch. Kinda leaves me stuck.

 

Same thing happened to me. My buddy saw a little white spot, tried to scratch it out and made it way bigger... doh... I took the strips off... started from the back near the center console... pulled it up to release the bottom part, then pulled back from the top and it popped out... need a fair amount of force and confidence that you're not going to break it... held my breath the entire time... the texture we see on the front is just a sticker, that's why it scratches so easily... I suppose you can peel it off and put new stuff back on... save a couple bucks...

 

yea I just replaced both of mine, $80 each from my local Acura dealer. They are pretty simple to remove, they are held on with clips just pull carefully..

 

titus, when you peeled it off, what did it look like underneath?

 

what about using an abbrasive of some sort? you can try one of those compounds which remove scratches from the car. Or if your adventurous, some really fine steel wool.

 

does anyone know the part number for this?

 

I wonder what it looks like underneath the sticker? Maybe polish it to an almost chrome-like finish. That would be kinda cool. Or a brushed look like the radio knobs!!

 

i bought two replacmeent ones, due to a huge amount of seatbelt dinging on the passenger side and some unsightly scratches from transporting things. anyways, a good tip: i put some protective overlays (the ones you can use for pdas, cell phones, etc) on the bottom part near the belt buckle, that prevented a lot of dings. much better over the last year.