Strange residue on a clear bra that I can't get off, need some advice please

S

StadiumDetail

New member
Customer brought in his Z06 to me today for a full detail after his track weekend. I noticed while it sat indoors that there was a lot of what looked to be dried puddles and drips all over the front of the car, I dismissed it as really bad road grime even though it was a strange pattern.



During the wash no degreasing, clay, soap or scrubbing even made a dent in it. Afterwards I've tried some solvents I've got, IPA, even M105 on a CCS/Yellow with very little results. The IPA seemed to be slowly turning the mess into a sticky almost adhesive like mess, and after the IPA evaporated it looks as if I scratched the whole thing with a steel wool pad (i used microfiber), but it could just be what ever the stuff is streaking.



The Alcohol made it very similar to when I remove very old vinyl stickers, where the glue just moves around in a gooey mess until it finally all breakes down and can be wiped away. The customer said that nothing was spilled on the film, and he didn't drive through anything he is aware of, but that on the trip home it collected a lot of bugs and he sprayed some bug off on the front (didn't think to ask if he washed it off or not). I decided that if the alcohol was making it act like an adhesive, I could try some Goo Gone Extreme I had sitting in the back of a shelf and tried it on a small test area. It worked better than anything else I've tried most of the gummy residue is being stripped off, but the color is very hazy and I'm not entirely certain the film isn"t damaged somehow.



Anywho, that is all the background. My questions are: Can Clear Bras be damaged by certain products like solvents, ammonia, etc that eat away at the bra itself? Has anyone experienced what I am and can give me a little insight? Is the Goo Gone a good or bad choice for the bra? And should I just keep at it on my small test area and see if I can finally cut through whatever is there.



I've detailed many cars with many clear bras and never saw anything like this, and info whould be very helpful.
 
Without photos it sounds like it could be permanently etched. One product I have on hand I can trust for use on all auto surfaces is Valugard New Car Prep. I've used it to remove residue from new car plastic wrapping and debadging, to remove tar and grease, and as a wipe down between polishing steps. Goo Gone, while an effective product, isn't necessarily engineered for automotive surfaces and so I would always use caution especially if you're using it in widespread areas. IMO New car Prep, or equal autotmotive product is going to be safer.
 
I'll have pics tomorrow, I just didn't have my USB cord today.



I know the Goo Gone wasn't the best solution, but it was the only thing left I figured I'd at least try.



Thanks for the info on the New Car Prep, although I can't wait for an order to be shipped it may be helpful in the future.
 




This is one of the areas I haven't worked on yet. This looks identical to how it arrived to me.





Another view





This is one of the areas I worked on. As you can see, there is no real difference other than the problem is smeared around some rather than the puddle/drip look like the other pics.
 
The bug off product appears to have at minimum stained the clear bra, at worst permanently etched it. This is probably a trickier fix than a stained clear coat paint fix. My best guess is to try something like 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner or New Car Prep. It's also quite possible the clear bra itself might have to be polished to remove remaining traces of the spill. Hopefully folks who have more experience polishing out clear bras or who are versed in the make up of the clear bra material and restoring it can chime in here.
 
Customer called the installer who put it on and he doesn't seem too worried about it. He said there are a couple products he has that should clear it up. He'll be in my shop monday and I'll post some results then.



Thanks for your help
 
StadiumDetail said:
Customer brought in his Z06 to me today for a full detail after his track weekend. I noticed while it sat indoors that there was a lot of what looked to be dried puddles and drips all over the front of the car, I dismissed it as really bad road grime even though it was a strange pattern.



During the wash no degreasing, clay, soap or scrubbing even made a dent in it. Afterwards I've tried some solvents I've got, IPA, even M105 on a CCS/Yellow with very little results. The IPA seemed to be slowly turning the mess into a sticky almost adhesive like mess, and after the IPA evaporated it looks as if I scratched the whole thing with a steel wool pad (i used microfiber), but it could just be what ever the stuff is streaking.



The Alcohol made it very similar to when I remove very old vinyl stickers, where the glue just moves around in a gooey mess until it finally all breakes down and can be wiped away. The customer said that nothing was spilled on the film, and he didn't drive through anything he is aware of, but that on the trip home it collected a lot of bugs and he sprayed some bug off on the front (didn't think to ask if he washed it off or not). I decided that if the alcohol was making it act like an adhesive, I could try some Goo Gone Extreme I had sitting in the back of a shelf and tried it on a small test area. It worked better than anything else I've tried most of the gummy residue is being stripped off, but the color is very hazy and I'm not entirely certain the film isn"t damaged somehow.



Anywho, that is all the background. My questions are: Can Clear Bras be damaged by certain products like solvents, ammonia, etc that eat away at the bra itself? Has anyone experienced what I am and can give me a little insight? Is the Goo Gone a good or bad choice for the bra? And should I just keep at it on my small test area and see if I can finally cut through whatever is there.



I've detailed many cars with many clear bras and never saw anything like this, and info whould be very helpful.
Click to expand...



Use Aluma-1 metal polish by Autotech Mfg. Yes, it is a metal polish, but has many, many uses. Also, you may use Trim Renew by Autotech as well. Autotech Mfg out of Oregon makes the finest products that really work! I have used both on clear bra tape and they both work well/clear the plastic and clean it. Do it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top