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Weirdly, this summer the front door grip on the driver's side of our 2014 Acura TSX Sport Wagon (With Tech Package) started to, essentially, peel. I've never seen something quite like this happen in a car before, but I'll admit we use a decent amount of sunscreen in our family, and folks have been known to leave streaks behind which we use baby wipes to clean off... so, long story short, I drove into my local dealer to see whether the grip could be easily replaced. Turns out it's not a huge piece, can be obtained separately from the rest of the interior door components, and so we authorized the repair.
When the car was returned to me, I noticed that the new door grip is more dark, dark grey than black, and it's matte, rather than shiny like the one on the passenger-side door is (that is, the original grip). I've been assured both by our dealer and by various Internet searches that this part is only available in black (actually, if I've identified it correctly, it's in "Premium Black", part #83516-TL0-G03ZA). The dealer says that the part will darken over time, and I'm just seeing a difference because it's new. He admits he sees the difference, too, but doesn't quite know how to address the issue, since the part is only available in one black color.
But this bothers me, and I'm wondering whether the difference could be because we have a wagon with the "Technology Package." I'm noticing that the specs. on the vehicle show a "metal-look instrument panel insert, door panel insert, console insert". On the other hand, I see no place to buy a distinct "metal-look" door grip. Should I take this back to the dealer and ask about it? I know this is a tiny, tiny detail, but, hey, if I pay for something, I'd like to get the right piece!
Also, don't use baby wipes to clean the interior of your car. Yeah, I knew it wasn't a good idea, but they're so convenient....
I'm talking about the door grip... the handle that you might grab to open the door. Not the shiny metal door HANDLE, but the door grip. I've given the part number, which you can look up, but here's a photo. The one on the driver's side has a cut-out for the button that allows you to adjust your side view mirrors:
That's helpful, 2012wagon... makes me think the dealer was right and somehow my right-hand door grip was shiny due to a combination of use and the fact that I treated my car to a detailing recently. The interior of my 2014 wagon looks like this as well, and it looks like the door grips are matte, not glossy.
09-08-2018, 01:39 PM
