I used a little mother's (i think) back to black on the otherside and it definetely improved it but there are still some spots left. It seems to be on the surface. What would be the best way to remove this stuff on the black trim?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

if you mean the stuff that is on those chrome strips, i'd use some metal polsih.. If you mean the back window frame thing, do you want to strip the paint on it or do you want to fix that rough look?

 

I think TCM wants to know how to get that stuff that looks like grime, off of the rubber molding. I would opt for a little elbow grease and APC. Then recondition with some Four Star Tire Gel.....(Yes tire gel, you'd be surprised, hey rubber is rubber. That just has a little extra plastic componant in it)

 

Yes exceldetail is correct. What is APC?

 

All purpose cleaner. What your seeing is either a buildup of protectants, or dead rubber (Oxidized rubber), or a combination of both. It happens to every car Ive seen. You can take a nylon brush, similiar to a toothbrush, or even a old toothbrush for that matter, with some APC an just lightly scrub it off. just make sure you reapply some protection to deter deterioration down the road.

 

Thanks, I will try it as soon as it stops raining down here and I'll post the results.

 

Rubber Seals:
The seals on most vehicles are no longer made of natural rubber; vehicle manufacturers use a specialized synthetic material called ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). Real rubber, or blends containing real rubber, just cannot endure the direct exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet light) and the harmful-to-rubber oxidizing gases in our atmosphere.

The soft seals around doors, windows, sunroof’s, hood and trunk are constantly being flexed and compressed all the while being subjected to a hostile environment, ultra violet radiation (UVR), which turns them grey. For any type of protectant to work well the surface must be clean, on rubber first remove any road tar, grease and grime, wax and dead rubber from the surface to properly clean it. 3M Tire and Wheel cleaner quickly and safely cleans the EDPM surfaces, in between washes

Use a product that contains glycerine (Zymol Seal - http://www.zymol.com) a natural plant anti-oxidizing agent, it will prolong the useful life of the seal by restoring the original moisture and resist tearing and sticking (See also Water-based Dressing)

Alternative products- Wurth Rubber Care Gel Stick, is silicone-free, biodegradable, and water repellent. http://www.superiorcarcare.net

 

any luck?? my rubber seals around the windshield look like that and i really want to fix it.

 

not yet unfortunately...its been raining continously and unfortunately I got into an accident on monday and I won't have it back for a while. There's a chance we might do it on my friends integra, if we do, ill post results.