BENGE JK

Just a quick background...we bought out 07' Wrangler JK bout 2 months ago..this was our first expeditin into "Jeeping" (lol)...we got it from the dealership and it was all shiny and the black fenders were very shiny...Two weeks later we too it to the beach for a 2 day excursion...Drove down the beach and into some water, nothing major...when we got home after the two days we washed it off that night and noticed we could see spots all over anything that was "plastic"..we scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed and finally got it out (almost)...my hubby did some research on the best thing to treat them with and it was 50/50 between Ice and 303 Aerospace...Then he read about cleaning them with Simple Green....that seemed to work great..he cleaned them, the spots were gone and then he treated it with the 303...What he DIDN'T do was wash the Simple Green off before he applied the 303...He got onto a forum and some one mentioned that the fenders were probably dried out and make sure to apply it more than one time (since some of the fading was back)..this past weekend we through some minor mud..once again, nothing major..mainly just dark water that was in the woods by house...came home and washed it off...GUESS WHAT ?!?!?! You can see EVERY spot where the mud hit the plastic ...And now when you hit the fenders to clean them with anything (even water) it just beads up...you can definetely tell that "something" was applied to it to help repel water, but it didn't work on the mud and now NOTHING will get the spots off (I MEAN NOTHING..Ice, Simple Green, Cab Cleaner, Scrubbing Bubbles, Spic and Span, hell we have tried it ALL)...

So I am at my wits end !!! Does anyone have any idea ???

My theory....The plastic was cleaned (withe Simple Green) and then hubby added the 303...it was enough to moisten the fenders, but not enough to completely "fill in" all the minute cracks in plastic...sooooo the mud kinda got under the 303 and now that it's dry again we can't penetrate it...does that make sense to anyone??

HELP !?!?!?!?!?! We are soooo fed up...

Also on another note...we got the Bestop soft top for it and it seems to show some of the mud too...Just "missed" cleaning spots or ???

ARRRGGGHHHHHHH

PS...forgot to mention that after hubby applied the first coat of 303 there were "runs" showing up the next day...almost like water was poured over it...he thinks bcuz he did it at night the condensation got to it before it completely dried....

Robert.frederick

Cotton ball and mineral spirits should strip anything you put on the fenders off. Then wash them with soap and water dry completely and reapply 303. That is what id do

GP3.8

I've tried almost everything mentioned on this forum and while most products darken the trim, it just simply does not last, especially after a good rain.

After some searching, I ordered some "plastic trim restoration" dye from these guys (htt p://www.goestores.com/storename/detailking/ViewDept-244469.aspx) and I applied it to all of the fenders and the rear bumper. That has probably been about 4 months ago and it still looks good. It has saved me a lot of time and frustration in the long run.

Hope this may be of some help.

Dawdge

Well if cleaning and nothing else works.. Maybe just pull them off and rhino line them?? Or some rustoleum bed liner, if I'm not mistaken that one matches the bumpers texture.. It's just an option. And if you don't want to pull them off, just tape around the fenders on the body and wheels and spray away... Just an idea... Personally I don't clean mine ever maybe 1 a month and use turtle wax trim restorer. After it gets sandy I just take it to the wash and power wash all the fenders for about 2 minutes each. Works for me

gunbo75

The 303 works great for me when it streaks simply wipe it again I do not apply at directly to the fender I shoot it on a clean polish applicator then wipe it off and it seems to get everything up and clean good luck.

k0260

I have great success using 'forever black', It's OE plastic dye. I apply it a few times a year. The plastic does seem to require maintenance. All yhe small black pieces: license plate holder, door handles, tail light housings, I painted with semi gloss high temp paint. Seems permanent.

Rooster76

I feel your pain. I have found that "Mothers-Back to Black" works very good for keeping the fenders looking nice. It's alot cheaper and easy to find at wal-mart. It's about $5 and that will do 2 applications to the fenders and bumpers. There was a guy on a mini cooper forum that did little parts of his fender in different products an it held up a bit better then 303 and a few others. I think you can use it on a soft-top, but i'm using 303 on that right now.

My secret weapon before putting that on is using a "Magic Eraser". I first wash them as good as possible. Then the magic eraser seems to get that last little bit that keeps looking bad when it drys. One of those pads will probably last about 3-4 uses.



I would love to hear from some people who have painted or bedlined there fenders.

Bosco109

WD-40 worked the longest for me. I got sick of them and replaced the fenders with PSC fenders. Best money I've spent, makes the JK look so much better.

bob-o

Maybe just bed line them or plasti-dip

phillybaggett

this stuff worked really well for me. i picked it up at autozone or advanced auto(cant remember) for pretty cheap. I originally got it because it comes with some type of micro cloth, but it really works. And you don't even need to apply much. I only used about 1/4 of the bottle on all the black plastic; including some interior. 1 month later it still looks good.