Plast-X problem

[TDI]

Used Plast-X to remove fine scratche's from instrument panel but it seems to have left even move fine scratche's than I began with. I followed the instructions on the bottle and used two seperate terry towels to apply and remove and I don't have a clue what I have done wrong. I also cannot supply pics as my digital camera is out of action. Any help would be welcome. Dan

[Mike Phillips]

Hi TDI,

Seeing that this is your first post, Welcome to Meguiar's Online!

Sorry to see you first post is over a problem.


Plastic polishing can sometimes be a hard thing to do because some plastics are coated, while some plastics like Lexan are as hard as glass and don't lend themselves well to polishing.

When working on a delicate surface such as an instrument panel, even things like the nap of a terry cloth can instill scratches. Before you go any further I'm going to have Tom McDonald contact you about this and discuss some next steps.

Off hand I would suggest re-polishing the surface with a foam applicator which is more gentle and less abrasive than terry cloth. A polishing process for any surface is part chemical, part applicator material and part application method. You can change just one of these variables and get a different result. For example when demonstrating ScratchX on clear coat finishes, because clear coat finishes are scratch-sensitive, we show applying it with a foam applicator first as the foam is more gentle to the finish than a fiber material applicator. Re-polishing with foam might cure the problem, but lets let Tom look into this and contact you first.

Also after polishing with a product like PlastX, for fine optical surfaces, it's a good idea to apply a coat of M17 Plastic Cleaner or M10 Plastic Polish to bring the surface to an even higher level of clarity and smoothness.

So that Tom knows what he's dealing with, what kind of car is this?

Tom will not be back to work until Monday, but I'll send him an e-mail right now.

FYI
Here in SoCal it's 4:46 am and I'm heading out the door for our Saturday Detailing Class so I will not be able to reply until the class is over and I return home.

[TDI]

Thanks for your reply Mike, especially since it's so early in the morning where you are (It's 10pm where I am). The car in question is a 2005 Volkswagen Golf 2.0L TDI which I've had for about 5 weeks now. The scratches appeared after wiping away some dust with a dry cloth, so I decided to use PlastX to rectify the problem. I tested it on my old car which is a 1989 Nissan Pintara (Datsun Stanza in the US I think) and it worked fine. I then did the VW's instrument panel using the same cloths but with different results (Tight swirling scratch marks). Hope this information helps. thank you again. TDI

[Tom MacDonald]

Hi TDI,

Sorry about the problem you experienced with our PlastX. I am going to go through some things to look for and eliminate anything that may have caused this result, then try to correct it for you, so bear with me.
The first thing I would like you to do is make certain that the towels are 100% cotton terry towels or micro fiber towels. These are the absolute safest material for removal. Next I recommend applying the PlastX with a foam applicatior. When applying the product apply it thoroughly, but NOT aggresively. Often times people will get too agresssive with a product when trying to clean a problem off an automotive surface. I would like you to re-apply the PlastX in a samll area with the foam applicatior using a back and forth motion (Not circular). Apply back and forth to a small area and wipe with the same motion. Take a look at the area to see if the problem has been corrected. If it has, repeat the same process on the rest of the plastic surface. If the problem has not been corrected contact me again at that point. I am pretty confident that with these recommendations you can correct the problem.

Keep me posted on how it goes.

Tom

[TDI]

Hi Tom, thanks for taking time out to help me. I reapplied plastX with a foam applicator using medium preasure in a back and forth motion for about 2min, then I used a meguiars terry towel to remove any remaining residue also with a back and forth motion. Initial inspection of the instrument panel showed a shinier more smooth looking surface than before, but on closer inspection the scratches are still there just less obvious. I also looked for M10 and M17 plastic care products but I don't think they are sold here in Australia. Again I hope this information helps. Regards TDI

[Tom MacDonald]

TDI,

are the swirls that you are still seeing in a back and forth motion or still the semi-circle swirls?

[TDI]

Hi Tom, they are the same tight swirling scratches I explained before.

[Tom MacDonald]

I have contacted our distributor in Australia to see if they carry M10 and where you can get your hands on it. This may be the next step to a solution. It sounds like this plastic is very soft. Try one more application of PlastX using very light pressure in a back and forth motion to see if it helps.

I will keep you posted on M10 in your area. By the way where in Australia are you located?

regards,

Tom

[TDI]

Tried it with with lighter pressure but I'm still getting the same result. And to answer your other question I am in Townsville north Queensland. Regards TDI

[JCB81]

Hi TDI,

Im located in Mackay and we have both M10 and M17 available (I know I use them on my gauges). Let me know if you cant track some down and we can work something out.

Cheers

Jason

[Tom MacDonald]

I am a little confused. Do you have some M17 and M10 in your possesion? If you do just use the M17 working it gently into the surface and immediately wiping off. This should take care of everything for you.

Regards,

Tom

[rusty bumper]

FWIW, I applied #17 with a foam applicator to my clear plastic gauge cover, followed by #10 with a different foam pad, and I removed both steps with a clean microfiber cloth with excellect results.

[Tom MacDonald]

Glad to hear that we were able to find a solution to this for you.

~Tom

[Tom MacDonald]

I guess I was a little pre-mature in my previous response. I was thinking you were Dan in Australia that had the original problem. Hopefully my suggestions will provide the same results from him!!!

[TDI]

Thanks for the heads up jason, was not sure if M10 & M17 were sold here in australia. Did you get yours at SuperCheap, Autobarn or some other car care store? Thankyou again. Regards TDI.