When I have waxed cars in the past, I notice that excess wax sometimes gets on rubber and black trim, leaving a white residue that is somewhat difficult to remove. Is it safe to use masking tape on the black plastic surfaces on the A4 such as the lip around the moonroof, the lower black fascia on the bottom of the car, etc. or will this damage paint or leave a sticky residue behind? If not recommended is there another taping product or technique you use to avoid such "overwaxing?"<p>Thanks for your help.

Switch your wax brand to Zymol. It does not turn trim pieces white. I have used this product exclusively for three years and have not had one problem. I even apply this was to all pieces of trim and plastic lens abd they look great!

x

I'm planning on getting some of the cream for my silver A4, how hard is it to apply and romove? Zymol makes it sound pretty easy.<p>Regards,<br>Rodney<p>'99 A4 1.8tqms

Make sure you get the real stuff and not the stuff made by Turtle Wax. The real stuff costs about $30. Great stuff, but not worth it in my mind. I've had great success with Meguires for less than 1/2 the price.<p>You can put a dab of gasoline on a rag and CAREFULLY wipe the plastic where the white residue is. I used to do that on my Jeep.

I agree with your first comment. I don't even consider that stuff Zymol. <br>Mequires is good, but I had problems with water spots on dark red vehicle when I used their products.. Switched to Zymol and the problem went away. The vehicle is a 1997 and does not have one water spot, even under florescent lights. But, what ever works best for people is what they should use. Live and learn.

Creame is the right product for a Silver vehicle. Just make sure you use the HD Cleanse before you apply the Creame. Zymol will not stick to a vehicle that has old wax on the paint. You need to apply to a fresh, clean surface. <br>It is easy to apply and remove because you don't let the product dry.<br>Good luck!

Try a new wax. I use Meguiar's professional #26, and it does not leave any residue on black trim pieces (their #7 polish does not either). Plus, if there is any wax residue on the trim from previous waxes, the #26 tends to remove it. There are also several other good waxes that will be suggested that will not leave any residue. None of these waxes will be cheap (and they probably won't be found at the local WalMart) but you get what you pay for.<p>Another suggestion - maybe you are using too much wax? Or maybe the surface needs pre-cleaned/polished? I just polished my car with Meguiar's #7 show car glaze, and then waxed with the Meguiar's #26 carnuaba wax. I applied both of these products sparingly, and after the polishing step the wax goes on like butter and very little is needed. The polishing step will also clean (very mildly) and smooth the surface, making waxing easier and less wax will be needed for complete and even coverage.<p>The can of Meguiar's #26 paste was around $20, but given the small amount that is needed I estimate it will last for another 3-4 years (and I bought the can 2 years ago when I got my car). In that light, the $20 is more of a bargain.<p>Dave M - '97 1.8tm<p>P.S. Another tip: you can use a piece of thin cardboard, such as from a shoe box, to place between the black trim pieces and the paint while you are waxing. The trim on the A4 is fitted in such a way that this works great, especially at the tops of the doors, around the roof and A/C pillars and front/rear bumpers. It even works fairly well along the trim at the bottom of the doors.

...for around the moonroof, why not just open up the moonroof 1/4 the way or so? That will get the rubber trim down and out of the way.<p>Dave M - '97 1.8tm

I would't say that any of the "real" zymols are easy to put on the first couple of times. If it is relatively new you don't need the Clense, but if you have had bird/sap mess then it is a must.<p>Zymol is great stuff, just use it very sparingly, make sure it dried completely after washing, and use dry cotton towels.

There are two main problems concerning plastics - dried up wax that can be easily removed and the discoloration of the plastic/rubber by cheap wax.<p>If your plastic trim is being discolored by your wax then change to a different wax. Cheap waxes almost always contain petroleum distillates which suck the life from plastics and rubber thereby "whitening" it. Higher quality waxes (Zymol, Meguiars, Mother's, etc.) use other oils to preserve the plastics. Damaged plastic can be fixed with products tailored to correct the damage by replenishing the material with oils (I've never used any of these so I'm no help here) Just remember: Never buy any wax that lists petroleum products in the ingredients!<p>Now if, you're problem is simply dried-up residual wax in the crevices then that is a waxing technique issue. The key here is to try to keep the bulk of the wax away from the cracks when applying. The more product you use, the more you'll get in the cracks. When applying wax don't slather a bunch on - do small sections and use the product sparingly. The beauty of wet-buff waxes is that they take a long time to dry out so even if you get wax in the cracks the residual wax is not usually noticeable unless the car is neglected for months. I have been using Zymol for about 8 years now and have found that it takes quite many months (4-6) of serious neglect before any residual wax starts drying out and showing up in the cracks - it is quite loaded with oils which retards the drying out process. I would assume the other brands mentioned would be similar in behavior.

...if you're still following!<p>Another detailing trick to avoid wax residue on the black trim pieces is to treat those trim pieces with an appropriate protectant before waxing (I would suggest Meguiar's #40, or Lexol Vinylex - never use Armor All!). This will help keep the wax from adhearing to those areas.<p>Dave M