How to return unpainted plastic bodywork to black?

The exterior of a car worries owners no less than its appearance, so they spend a lot of time, effort and money to maintain the interior in its original condition. Since the main material in the interior is plastic, car owners should pay enough attention to its restoration. If you know the basic methods, then you can do this work yourself. It is possible to replace a worn part, but some plastic parts are quite expensive, so it will be much more profitable to restore the interior plastic . More details about the methods of blackening the plastic of a car interior will be discussed in this article.

Volkswagen Passat 1.6 completely AHL › Logbook › Blackening of body plastic

Every time after washing the car, I noticed how gray the plastic of the bumpers, sills and moldings had become.
There were scratches here and there, which did not add any charm to the appearance of the car. So, this whole picture was an eyesore every time I went out into the sun, after foam, sponge and water. It was decided to do something about it and Google suggested several options, namely: - Melting the top layer of plastic with a construction hairdryer (too aggressive for paintwork and plastic)

— Glycerin solution — Specialized auto chemicals

I decided to take the path of least resistance so as not to waste time observing proportions and going to pharmacies. Therefore, on my next visit to the auto store, I purchased a bottle of Turtle Wax Black Shine

for the sample and the sponge with which this sample was subsequently made.

The car had been washed, vacuumed, wiped and dried the day before, so before applying the ink, all that was left was to brush off the settled pollen from the surfaces being treated.

Immediately after starting work, the result was noticeable.

At the same time, I blackened the sills, seat bases and door cards, because all these elements are sooner or later touched by feet and the plastic there was also faded. I can say that the car has been refreshed in appearance and looks younger, and this cannot but rejoice. The manufacturer promises an effect of up to two washes, so from now on I will carry out this blackening procedure from time to time.

While I had some free time, I decided to adjust the windshield wipers a little, since the driver’s windshield wipers began to fit poorly on the glass and became practically useless at speed, and at the same time clean the space behind the cabin air filter.

After removing the box (if you can call it that) of the cabin filter, we find the following:

I don’t understand why they didn’t get around to cleaning this place earlier, because it’s high time to plant seeds in this peat and in the summer to have your own garden with fresh vegetables in the car - it would be useful on long trips.

The drains under the battery and the place under the ECU box had already been cleaned at the beginning of autumn, so now I decided not to get into it, because I didn’t have much free time, so we were picking out all the dirt and dirt from the corners.

New gasket = old gasket + sealant:

After removing some soil ( excess weight

) from a car, a directly proportional increase in engine power and an increase in satisfaction from operating the car are expected.

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Foam from a car wash

This tool is ideal for cleaning dirty stains on bright plastic interior parts. If your city has a self-service car wash, you can pour ready-made foam into a liter jar - that's enough. If not, you can buy it at your local car wash, it costs pennies, or we can make it ourselves.

Why liter? Because if we take a smaller container, after “settling” the foam, the funds themselves will not be so much. A liter is enough to renew plastics at a car dealership.

How to use

• The cleaned surface must be moistened so that dirt is removed. On her.
• We take the rest of the foam that was in the can and rinse it off the plastic.
• Rinse with water.

Using my example, I can say that the external plastic elements, engine cover, and door cards have returned to their original cleanliness. Plain water will wash them so much that it won't work. Water cannot remove dirt from them as it will make car shampoo. Don't wash your hair with water, right?

The film below shows details of how to apply the described methods for updating the plastic interior of a car. You will see the results before and after using them. If they became useful to you, you could update the plastic elements of the interior and, hiding the scratch, share the article with friends.

9th position. Bumper and tire ink with trigger matte effect LAVR Black Tire Conditioner, 500 ml

The Russian company LAVR is a well-known manufacturer of cosmetics for cars. The line includes several types of ink for plastic and rubber parts.

LAVR Black Tire Conditioner

The product with a matte effect protects tires from cracking and premature aging. Minimizes exposure to natural phenomena and reagents. The ink also has a similar effect on plastic body parts.

The ink is easy to use: it is applied to a dry, pre-cleaned surface by spraying. Polishing is not necessary. The product dries quickly, body parts and tires instantly acquire a matte black color.

Blackening of rubber with shoe polish and solvent

This method is used in the military environment - “cheap and cheerful.” The mixture is used to rub tires on trucks and wheeled combat vehicles. The mixture is obtained by pouring the solvent into a metal container, and shoe polish is added there. The resulting composition is mixed and heated to a boil.

Next, the resulting mixture is applied to the tires. The tires become like new.

• The blackening is enough for literally one or two trips; Shoe polish dries the rubber, which leads to increased wear.

In general, it is not recommended to use this method due to its fragility and even harm to tires.

Solvent shoe polish is also not the best option for blackening rubber.

This method is based on mixing waste oil with a solvent, diesel fuel with bitumen or soot, but without subsequent heating. This composition of components is present in almost every garage. The disadvantages of these methods are the same as for the shoe polish + solvent composition.

Working options for blackening faded plastic on the bumper and moldings, and removing scratches from it

Gray or scratched black plastic parts spoil the appearance of any car, including older models and even trucks! How can you restore the original appearance of these elements, and what auto chemical products and mechanical options should be used depending on the degree of damage? Let's figure it out. Indeed, in some cases, cosmetic repairs on your own do not pose a big problem even for an inexperienced car owner. And in general, why turn to professionals for a lot of money if there are options to do everything for more reasonable means.

Most cosmetics designed for black plastic can be used on dark gray plastic; Black plastic bumpers, as well as black moldings and mirror housings can be painted to hide traces of minor accidents; Professional polishing chemicals can sometimes effectively replace expensive restorations

Damage to the rough, and seemingly mechanically resistant black plastic bumpers does not necessarily appear on your car due to direct mechanical contact of the bumper with other road infrastructure or road users. Minor flaws can also appear over time due to weather conditions (temperature changes), exposure to direct sunlight and automatic contact and contactless car washes, and primarily the damage is caused not by mechanical rollers, but by cleaning agents, especially active foam.

At the same time, if you are wondering why permanent stains remain on plastic, then this is also the effect of visiting a car wash with active auto chemicals. If the detergents were not completely washed off, on a warm day under the sun’s rays, car shampoo and that same active foam will also leave sloppy marks that you also need to be able to remove.

Additional recommendations

To create a dense and uniform coating, you must use only high-quality inks. Experts recommend buying products in small bottles with a sprayer. This will reduce the consumption of the substance. Work should be performed with gloves and closed clothing to avoid contact of the product with exposed skin.

Restoration of interior plastic

Important! The optimal distance to the surface during spraying is 25-30 cm. Compliance with this rule will prevent the appearance of streaks.

It’s not difficult to use restorative products, so if you want to improve the condition of your car’s interior, then you don’t have to go to a car service center and overpay. You just need to choose an effective remedy, trying not to save too much, and also allocate some free time. And you're done! The salon looks like new again!

Cheap auto chemicals as a means to remove streaks on plastic

For example, a bottle of “Color restorer and polish for plastic body parts and tires” Turtle Wax will cost about 400 rubles market.yandex.ru

This polish is enough for several restoration operations. Simply apply the product to a washed, dry, clean surface using a cloth to a small area. 3-5 minutes - and the product is absorbed. Wipe off any excess with a napkin or clean cloth. Ready!

Minuses

This method has significant disadvantages. Unfortunately, at the latest on the third day or after the first rain, not a trace of the chemical will remain. The plastic will become faded again. Of course, polish or sprays cannot help with deep wounds on the bumper, and they also smell significantly. Especially on a sunny warm day. You will definitely feel a foreign smell even in the interior of your car.

DIY plastic ink

There are various recipes for making ink at home. Such products cost little, around 80 rubles, but some of them are as effective as store-bought products. To prepare plastic ink, you need to prepare 6 tubes of glycerin, clean water and a small bottle with a spray bottle.

DIY plastic ink

The instructions for preparing the interior plastic restorer are as follows:

• water is mixed with glycerin in a plastic bottle;
• the bottle is tightly closed and shaken;
• a sprayer is installed;
• The ink is applied to the cleaned surface.

How to prepare plastic ink
The finished product does not have a rich black tint, but it can be used to mask small scratches on the surface of the plastic.
If necessary, home restorer can be reapplied.

Using a technical hair dryer to blacken bumper elements

Some people use a heat gun to restore bumpers and protective inserts to their original dark color (the device works similar to a hair dryer, but produces less air flow, with a much higher temperature).

The advantage is that heating the plastic does not require the use of useless auto chemicals, provided that you have someone to borrow an industrial hair dryer from your neighbors in the garage or from friends. Although. the cost of the cheapest technical hair dryer will cost 1000 rubles, but it is guaranteed to last you more than one year: www.220-volt.ru

Moreover, the device can be useful in other automotive or similar repairs around the household. And they can also remove even not very deep scratches:

True, there are a couple of important disadvantages.

Minuses

Heating the material does "bring out" the original color, but unfortunately it also "softens" the texture of the rough plastic surface. In addition, if we heat the element too much, it may become deformed or crack.

Also, if we update the black stripe on the bumper in this way without removing it from the car, we may damage other elements.

Blackening with laundry soap

Regular laundry soap, available in every home, can save the situation. To prepare the ink, laundry soap is cut into pieces or grated. Water is poured into a container with crushed soap. After the soap has dissolved, the working fluid is ready.

To apply the composition to tires, a brush with medium hardness (about 70%) is suitable. Clean tires are rubbed with the resulting mixture, or soap is lathered directly onto a brush and rubbed into the rubber with active movements. The rubber will be black, like new.

Blackening rubber with laundry soap

The advantages of the method include simplicity, availability of funds and speed of application. This method has one drawback - you cannot often use laundry soap, as it dries out the rubber and reduces its service life.

Preparations for external plastics

And again “chemistry”. Renewing exterior plastics using special chemicals is definitely a safer method. Most of them are pigments (that is, dyes), the color of which can be a colorless gel or a milky white emulsion.

These products deepen the color and work on the principle of leaving a colorless, not completely dry surface; the same gray bumper darkens after contact with water, but as soon as it dries, the effect disappears.

Cons are also pros

After applying a product for external plastics, the gray bumper will not turn completely black, but such products will work much longer than the silicone contained in the “chemistry” from the first example. Durability of the coating (up to several weeks) - with regular use of the drug, an even better effect is ensured every time. These measures don't help remove or disguise deep scratches and scuffs, but they do work when our plastic parts aren't too damaged.

Silicone

To restore the plastic interior of your car to the condition it was in before the scratches, use a special product from the store. Let's get acquainted with its composition. It turns out that it uses regular silicone. So why overpay?

Use regular silicone lubricant to seal your car door and apply it to the scratch. The silicone will fill them in, partially masking them. Its cost is lower than that of purchased plastic polishes for polishing car interiors, about 35 rubles. In this way you can “disguise” minor scuffs from shoes on door leaves or window sills.

It is important to understand that silicone grease will not completely remove deep scratches, but will only partially remove them.

Then apply tire stain and give the parts a dark black color, it's cheap and looks nice.

Painting with structure spray (using structure paint)

Deep scratch on the bumper or scuffs, scratches on the black unpainted bumper protection strip? There is no need to replace the bumper or its element, however, chemicals will not help here either.

In this case, texture paints (those that create a rough surface that imitates the original, typical texture of a bumper or black buffer on a car's bumper or side moldings) are best suited for repairing such elements.

To remove scratches, they must be sanded with abrasive paper, and larger voids will need to be primed, having previously degreased the surface. You can start painting.

It is important to know!

An experienced specialist can paint even part of the bumper in such a way that you will not be able to see the “transition” between the untreated and updated surface. However, if the bumper is old and covered with a network of small scratches, faded and generally looks unsightly, it is better to restore the entire element.

As experts say, in general, to apply this paint you can use a wide brush with soft bristles, but wisely, for a better result, you should use a sprayer.

Any paint manufacturer can be used, however, application and painting instructions must be strictly followed, otherwise the paint will begin to flake and fall off.

Minuses

One of the disadvantages is the relative high cost of restoration work at service stations. With proper painting, you will need to remove elements (bumper, moldings) from the car, carry out painting work and put everything in place. Depending on the prices of the workshop and the scope of work, a turnkey restoration can cost a pretty penny. True, the result will be of the highest quality.

You can do everything yourself, saving many thousands of rubles. But no one will guarantee quality in this case. You need to carefully read the instructions for use, read forums, pay attention to the experience of other repairmen, and only then begin to act.

Example from Drive2 website from user Frazer17: www.drive2.com

A hybrid option is also possible. Remove the bumper and moldings and send them for painting. Perhaps this option will be the most relevant for the majority. Here, the quality will remain high, and the check will not hit your pocket as much.

Masking plastic defects with carbon paper

Step 1. During use, such scratches appear on the car doors. They are especially active on budget car models, where manufacturers use hard plastic.

Scratches on the door plastic

Step 2. Prepare several sheets of tracing paper and rubber gloves for work. Gloves are necessary because tracing paper can get dirty.

Tracing paper for plastic restoration

On a note! Before work, be sure to clean the surface of the plastic. To do this, you can use a soap or foam solution.

Step 3. Place a sheet of carbon paper on the surface to be treated and begin to intensively press the plastic.

Rubbing plastic with carbon paper

Step 4. Rub surfaces in different directions. As work progresses, small scratches become less noticeable.

Changes after a few seconds of work

Step 5. Treat all problem areas on the plastic surface. If necessary, take a new sheet of carbon paper.

Treatment of problem areas

Step 6. The plastic has been restored and is not much different in appearance from new. One door requires 5 to 10 minutes of time.

Plastic restored using tracing paper

The most persistent “chemistry” for blackening

The Finish Black Plastik & Vinyl Restorer solution is one of the most expensive restoration options we found. True, the drug is mainly sold abroad, for example on Amazon.com

A 12 ounce (355 ml) bottle costs RUB 1,600, but it is one of the few products that contains a large amount of black plastic dye.

Since the product contains a large amount of pigments, even a minimal amount of it qualitatively colors the material black. A small amount applied to the black strip using a sponge applicator or cloth is enough to turn the element black - and it will be black with an optimal matte sheen. Still, it's not paint. After cleaning, the black bars remain black. In a month they will also be black. This thing works well!

Black plastic has faded, how to restore color

Fault: Black plastic has faded, how to restore color

Symptoms

• Change in surface color.
• The appearance of abrasions and scratches.

Causes of malfunction

• Mechanical damage during operation.
• Exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
• Exposure to high and low temperatures.
• Exposure to chemical reagents.

Possible consequences of failure to eliminate

Failure to maintain external plastic parts will lead to a significant deterioration in the appearance of the vehicle and loss of its value. Lack of treatment for a long period contributes to the drying out of the plastic, the appearance of cracks, and the detachment of mounting elements.

Solution

Care product for external black plastic Kunststoff Wie Neu (schwarz)

The concentrated composition of the product gives the product an optimal appearance in one treatment. Provides excellent protection against harmful environmental influences and UV radiation.

• Gives a fresh look to plastic car parts.
• Excellent protection against aggressive environmental influences and ultraviolet radiation.
• Forms a durable protective layer that prevents fading of plastic surfaces.
• Easy to use.

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