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josmatic
12-09-2001, 07:38 PM
I have been driving my XC since October of this year and I noticed this weekend that the "plastic" contour and sidings were turning white from their original blue colour. Fortunately, it was warm enough outside and I decided to try a protectant recommended to me for these parts. It is called " Blue Magic ". It restored the colour but darkened it. Is there anyone that experienced this problem and how did you correct it??

Thanks.
Josmatic ( alias Louis )

coastal
12-10-2001, 04:25 PM
Louis,

To what degree is it turning colour, like actually white or lighter?

Perhaps Art can help us here. I surfed onto this page from where that xc group shot was served and found what looks like a guide on some sort of plastic restoration job.

http://www.geocities.co.jp/MotorCity-Rally/1009/C.htm

http://www.geocities.co.jp/MotorCity-Rally/1009/C1.JPG
http://www.geocities.co.jp/MotorCity-Rally/1009/C2.JPG
http://www.geocities.co.jp/MotorCity-Rally/1009/C8.JPG
http://www.geocities.co.jp/MotorCity-Rally/1009/C9.JPG

Looks like it did a pretty good job, but I don't speak Japanese. :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

AkXCman
12-10-2001, 04:27 PM
We have the same problem. We have been driving our XC for 1 year. It appears to me that the plastic is absorbing dirt and road grime into its structure.

I like everything about the car except for the plastic. Once it starts, it is impossible to get it clean, especially in the winter when they tend to use chemicals on the roads. 90 % of the time I spend on cleaning the car is spent on this plastic. The only thing that seems to help is to apply a plastic restorer (I have tried two or three different products). All they do is hide the problem. It will show up again with the next wash.  Our Volvo only has about 6500 miles on it and the plastic looks horrible.

I have told myself that I will never buy another Volvo that has this type of plastic. I expect that it is one of the "enhancements" that Ford brought to the company. Ours is a 2001 model and I don't know if the 2002 models use a different plastic or not.

josmatic
12-11-2001, 04:47 AM
AkXCXman,
I  learned from my representative that one of his customers got his bumpers and siding painted after having Volvo accept the cost...he claimed that this problem was under warranty. Maybe you should try it out.
As for my discolouration the plastic does turn white. And in fact, it seems to absorb dirt.
Thanks for the response. Maybe we should get Volvo to do something about it if there are enough of us that have the same problem.
Josmatic

GenXCer
12-11-2001, 12:10 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I have told myself that I will never buy another Volvo that has this type of plastic. &nbsp;I expect that it is one of the &quot;enhancements&quot; that Ford brought to the company. [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

VW/Audi puts this stuff on some of their products as well. &nbsp;The Passat has it as well as the A4. &nbsp;However, VW has been doing this for a long time - I had it on my 81 Scirocco and it IS difficult to keep black. &nbsp;I’m not sure if this is relatively new for Volvo. &nbsp;I DO know that VW also puts some kind of coating on the lower panels that protects against rock chips on the paint. &nbsp;Many VW owners discovered this after waxing for the first time and seeing a dull section just over the black rubber/plastic that’s similar to Volvo’s on the XC.

They used to sell this terrific product called &quot;Back to Black&quot; made for this material. It's an excellent product, but the last I heard the company was going to be bought out and they temporarily stopped manufacturing. &nbsp;I need to look into this and start putting it on NOW before it gets washed out looking. &nbsp;I'll let you know if I find anything.

GenXCer
12-11-2001, 03:32 PM
On IPD's website they have something called Black Again Trim Renewer which states that it's good on colored trim as well. &nbsp;I have no experience with this product, though. &nbsp;Anyone know anything about this?

Art
12-12-2001, 10:22 PM
Coastal,

My appologies for taking so long to respond to your post. From what I understand, the treatment is a 4 or 5 step process.

1) The exterior of the car is completely washed/dried.
2) All areas to be left untreated are masked off with the tape.
3) The liquid in the 3rd bottle from the left is called Silicone Off and is applied to remove any foreign substances such as grease, dirt, etc.. this is then allowed to dry.
4) The 2nd and 4th bottles (protectant/hardener) are mixed together in the 1st bottle, which BTW is empty, and applied to the affected surfaces with the sponge.
5) The tape is then removed and the protective coating is allowed to dry for 15-20 minutes.

The Japanese owner, who applied this protective treatment on his car over 3 months ago, states that the restored surfaces still look prestine and that all that is needed to clean the cladding is water. The manufacturer claims that the special coating will last for up to 1 year and that the kit shown in the photo is enough for one application to do the entire car. Sounds labor intensive, but if it really does last that long it might be worth looking into.:)

Art
12-16-2001, 07:27 PM
Sorry, I forgot to mention the name of the product is called PCS (Protect Coat System) and effectively works as shown in this photo:

http://www.geocities.co.jp/MotorCity-Rally/1009/C10.JPG

JAVI BCN
04-13-2002, 04:00 PM
Hi,

Anybody has experienced about how volvo care kit goes with this problem? in less of a year plastic turns with white stains.

BenMeStephHer
04-14-2002, 01:38 PM
I really like the idea of painting the plastic. Think of the Gran Cherokee Limited SUV's that had their bottoms painted. It really stands out. I have seen a handful Chevy Avalanche's painted their plastic too. Wonder how long the paint would last? Anyone have any thoughts? Also, anyone had any scratches or rubs on the plastic? How do you take care of that? Replace the whole bumper ro just live with it?

coastal
04-14-2002, 02:30 PM
Jeff from Switzerland had his body mouldings painted black. http://www.v70xc.com/pics/jeff/06.jpg&lt;p&gt;More here: &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.v70xc.com/pics/jeff/&quot; target=&#39;_blank&#39;&gt;http://www.v70xc.com/pics/jeff/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our body cladding has held up very nicely. I had a molding piece replaced last week above the rear right wheel well because it was pulling away from the body. The difference in colour is barely noticeable between the new and old pieces. I&#39;m at 34,000KM, had the car for just over a year, and it&#39;s parked outside pretty much 24/7. &lt;p&gt;Climate would definately be a factor though, Vancouver&#39;s not exactly known for it&#39;s harsh summers. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Craig
04-15-2002, 02:41 PM
Re the question in a previous post about &quot;Black Again&quot;. &nbsp;I have used this product on the plastic trim on my BMW, and it works GREAT! &nbsp;Will use it on the plastic trim my wife's XC, and sure it will give similar results. &nbsp;It is actually a white colored cream that you apply with a soft cloth. &nbsp;Turns invisible when you rub it in, and it removes all the discoloration, wax stains, etc. &nbsp;I recommend it.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;... Craig in Colorado

Northern Rider
04-17-2002, 08:29 AM
The Back to Black product is still available for Canadian members at your local Canadian Tire stores. Laura had referred to it in her post GENXCER. It is true it works great just applied it on the CRV and it really did the job. Not yet required on the XC.

Northern rider &nbsp;

ingar86
05-28-2002, 05:22 PM
Black Again, available from IPD in Portland, Oregon does a good job removing the discoloation...Black again is a clear semi-gel and requires a bit of bubbing...

I have also tried Classic paste wax in the 12 oz. can...This is a pre-softened, white carnuba wax with no polish or cleaner in it...It does an excellent job with very little effort...I think the discoloration comes from mineral deposits and the Classic seems to remove it easily, restoring the original color...I rub it out with a polishing cloth after application...