Removing ceramic coating from plastic trim

DougNuts

'18 F150
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Hello Guys,

I had a local shop do a ceramic coating on my truck and they got quite a bit on the black trim. Do you all know what to use to clean it up? The shop doesn't seem to be too worried about calling me back to finish the rest of the job they quoted me, so I guess I'm on my own here.
 

NastyGT500

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Sorry to hear this. Do you have 'shiny' spots on the trim?

You can use APC and a lot of elbow grease, but be wary of doing too much as you could give the trim a dull sport or scratch the heck out of it.

My other recommendation is to coat the trim so it looks even and then it is protected as well.
 

NastyGT500

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This is very strange, as I know of no ceramic coating that will stain trim. Are you sure the vehicle was coated?

If it is stained you can use a trim restorer along with their plastic/trim cleaner and that should get it back to looking the way it should. Hard for me to really say without seeing it.

Post up some pics if you can.
 

DougNuts

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This is very strange, as I know of no ceramic coating that will stain trim. Are you sure the vehicle was coated?

If it is stained you can use a trim restorer along with their plastic/trim cleaner and that should get it back to looking the way it should. Hard for me to really say without seeing it.

Post up some pics if you can.

Well, I know I paid for a ceramic coating at a local detailer. With the other issues I had, it wouldn't surprise me if all I got was a wax job.
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black92

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Could be either compound or polish residue, but it does remind me a lot of wax as I've for the same thing. Hopefully you didn't pay a lot to have that done and it sucks they aren't making it right.
 

Gr8fulmtnbiker

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Did you just have a detailer throw a ceramic coating on your car or did you use a certified ceramic installer with bona fide credentials? My detailer actually had to be trained and was given a certificate from gtechniq permitting them to use their product and warranty their work. Your car should have received a warranty number and sticker for the product and detailer. Without that they are likely not a certified shop with the proper credentials. Anyone can buy any number of ceramic coating products online or at an auto shop but that does not mean anything. Based on those pics that so called detailer blows, ceramic or not. Sorry.


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NastyGT500

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The cowl looks like it is polish/compound residue. It should have been removed prior to delivery/you picking it up.

The other pics, I don't know WTH is going on. Definitely NOT ceramic coating residue. And those areas I would dare to say were NOT coated.

The mirror looks like it had some trim restorer or armor all type product applied and then it ran off with the morning dew/rain/etc.

Sorry this happened to you.
 

DougNuts

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This is who I used: Ceramic Clear Coat

Note: The owner listed on the website is not the current owner. This work was done not long after the new owner became the sole owner.

I did take it back to them the next business day and told them about the issues and he said he'd take care of me when the wider clear bra material came in to do my hood, but they never called me back. They did clear bra the front end, except for the hood, and didn't charge me for it because they were going to finish it when the material came in. I suppose it's on me to be the squeaky wheel, but as you can imagine, I was not sure that I wanted to give them the truck again.

I did not get a sticker, just a receipt (which I had to ask for when I showed them the trim). As mentioned, I have my doubts as to whether the truck was actually coated, I think they just waxed it and clear bra'd the front end. Reading their website makes it sound like the coating can be applied to trim. <shrug>
 
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M91196

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Agree with Nasty, looks like they didn’t tape off your trim and hit it during a paint correction. Probably the same on the lower cladding, looks like a typical car lot detailed mistake.

It will all clean up.
Good luck
 

DougNuts

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I had some time off work today so I stopped by the shop. Only the shop workers were there at that time. One of them went over all of the trim with Manett's Mega Shine and it appears to have removed the compound. The shop guy's opinion was that the truck likely got coated by the way water splashed off when he poured it on the fender.
 

AdamR@Gotham

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I dont think thats ceramic coating. As said, ceramic coating is fine for trim. That looks like the hit it with the buffer. You can try something like solution finish to re-dye it.
 

08mojo

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No shiny spots, the trim was turned white, like it was waxed.

You'll know if it was ceramic coating or wax here pretty soon. Ceramic coating should hold up for a minimum of one year. Wax will start to lose its hydrophobic properties in 4-6 weeks. Don't worry if the coating loses its slickness feeling, just pay attention to how it beads water.
 

COOL COBRA

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You'll know if it was ceramic coating or wax here pretty soon. Ceramic coating should hold up for a minimum of one year. Wax will start to lose its hydrophobic properties in 4-6 weeks. Don't worry if the coating loses its slickness feeling, just pay attention to how it beads water.
Was it you that did the coating yourself? I was trying to find that thread the other day. If so, what product did you use?
 

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