| jjnv |
Right after I got my chrome side steps installed, it started to rain and rain and rain...
The chrome looks really bad compare to the rest of the car now. It got big water spots all over. Has any one tried Zaino on the chrome bar? Anything else? |
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| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by jjnv
Right after I got my chrome side steps installed, it started to rain and rain and rain...
The chrome looks really bad compare to the rest of the car now. It got big water spots all over. Has any one tried Zaino on the chrome bar? Anything else?
Might try just good old fashioned chrome polish at your auto parts store. Stick with a brand name, Meguair's, etc.
While I am a big fan of Z stuff, when lower priced solutions are available, I find they work just as well. Except for the paint finish of course. But if you got some Zaino Z2, etc. laying around, it can't hurt to try it. To me it is a waste on chrome.
Another old fashion remedy is Glass Wax, a pink polish in a can that works on most any shiny material. Works great on stainless steel, and even polishing glass. Last resort, more expensive but excellent, is Haggerty's 100 metal polish or Flitz. |
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| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by jjnv
Right after I got my chrome side steps installed, it started to rain and rain and rain...
The chrome looks really bad compare to the rest of the car now. It got big water spots all over. Has any one tried Zaino on the chrome bar? Anything else?
Of course, I'm assuming you have the Acura chrome steps? I am asking, because most other bars are stainless not chrome.
In the case of stainless, I would forget the chrome polish or Zaino.
The other remedies should work, as well as other stainless polish. |
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| Morph |
Chrome is a metal/alloy, so you should not use paint care products like Zaino on it. Especially Zaino's sealants or any kind of wax...metals need to breathe and inhibiting that process with polymer or carnauba coatings could lead to pitting.
I always start with the least agressive approach, and with that in mind here are the products I would suggest for removing waterspots from chrome.
1. Glass cleaner - what you have around the house should be fine. If the spots are recent and not a result of months of neglect, glass cleaner should do the trick and is a lot easier than polishing.
2. Chrome polish - if the glass cleaner didn't work for you, step up to chrome polish and follow the package instructions for use.
3. Barkeeper's Friend - this stuff is great and has a multitude of uses around the home and car. It is widely available in most grocery stores (cleaning products aisle) and only cost a couple of dollars...look for a gold and blue canister. It is also a polish but is a bit stronger than chrome polish. This also works well on getting stubborn water spots off of glass and even tailpipes. |
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| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by Morph
Chrome is a metal/alloy, so you should not use paint care products like Zaino on it. Especially Zaino's sealants or any kind of wax...metals need to breathe and inhibiting that process with polymer or carnauba coatings could lead to pitting.
I always start with the least agressive approach, and with that in mind here are the products I would suggest for removing waterspots from chrome.
1. Glass cleaner - what you have around the house should be fine. If the spots are recent and not a result of months of neglect, glass cleaner should do the trick and is a lot easier than polishing.
2. Chrome polish - if the glass cleaner didn't work for you, step up to chrome polish and follow the package instructions for use.
3. Barkeeper's Friend - this stuff is great and has a multitude of uses around the home and car. It is widely available in most grocery stores (cleaning products aisle) and only cost a couple of dollars...look for a gold and blue canister. It is also a polish but is a bit stronger than chrome polish. This also works well on getting stubborn water spots off of glass and even tailpipes.
Mmmm. interesting. I thought auto paint has to breath too....maybe with clear-coat it doesn't?
I like the glass cleaner approach. Glass Wax not only cleans but also polishes. In that respect it is similar to chrome polish but has more universal applications.
I also heard good things about Barkeeper's Friend.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...=kitchen&n=1000 |
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| Fabvsix |
| Another one of my secrets. Ok get Happich "Simichrome Polish" made in Germany in your local hardware store. It's cheap too ! |
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| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by Fabvsix
Another one of my secrets. Ok get Happich "Simichrome Polish" made in Germany in your local hardware store. It's cheap too !
Good one! Similar to Flitz I believe. |
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| Fabvsix |
| for those inquiring minds it comes in a tube much like tooth paste and contained in a box that is yellow, red with white lettering. Imported by Competition Chemiclas, Inc. Iow Falls, Iowa 50126: 1: :1: |
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| Morph |
quote:
Originally posted by DaleB
[B]
Mmmm. interesting. I thought auto paint has to breath too....maybe with clear-coat it doesn't?
Auto paint only needs to breathe significantly during the curing process (30-90 days after being painted) to allow the solvents in the fresh paint to dissolve. After that period it is safe to "seal" the surface with wax or paint sealants. A small amount of breathing may still take place over time (oxidation) but it is not substantial enough to be inhibited by sealants/waxes.
Chrome on the other hand, is porous and needs oxygen to retain is highly reflective appearance. Wax (and polymer sealants even more so) will trap moisture in the porous surface and cause the substrate to corrode, pit or cloud.
edit: Flitz is also a good option if glass cleaner doesn't work.
To reduce future spotting, do not leave your car parked near water sprinklers (hard water causes more severe spotting, especially if allowed to bake on in the hot sun), and when washing your car, be sure to do it in the shade and dry it thoroughly with a soft cotton towel/microfiber after washing. |
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| screbr |
| jjnv - I just posted to another of your threads about side steps. Which ones did you end up going with - OEM or something else? |
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| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by Morph
To reduce future spotting, do not leave your car parked near water sprinklers (hard water causes more severe spotting, especially if allowed to bake on in the hot sun), and when washing your car, be sure to do it in the shade and dry it thoroughly with a soft cotton towel/microfiber after washing.
Thanks for the info, morph...appreciated as always. :29: |
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| jjnv |
Thanks a lot for the information. I will get busy tomorrow if the rain is truely gone.
I am a bit confused about Stainless Steel or Chrome :confused:
This is the item I got from ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...&category=33650
It says Chrome. But I really cannot tell the difference from Stainless Steel. |
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| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by jjnv
Thanks a lot for the information. I will get busy tomorrow if the rain is truely gone.
I am a bit confused about Stainless Steel or Chrome :confused:
This is the item I got from ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...&category=33650
It says Chrome. But I really cannot tell the difference from Stainless Steel.
The picture is no help at all. Wait til you get them. Chrome is a hard shiny plating...very shiny with no scratches.
Stainless just looks like polished steel which it is. It may have fine scratches in it. If it doesn't it will in time, but keep it clean it does not detract much from the looks. If they are truly Acura, then they will be chrome. |
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| socalJD |
quote:
Originally posted by DaleB
The picture is no help at all. Wait til you get them. Chrome is a hard shiny plating...very shiny with no scratches.
Stainless just looks like polished steel which it is. It may have fine scratches in it. If it doesn't it will in time, but keep it clean it does not detract much from the looks. If they are truly Acura, then they will be chrome.
It's gotta be OEM Acura steps, else you should get a full refund for deceptive advertising. The seller claims to be an authorized Acura dealer, shows a picture of a MDX with OEM steps (in other words a stock photo as opposed to an actual pix) and charges over $400. Aftermarket steps should go for about 50% of the OEMs . . . |
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| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by socalJD
It's gotta be OEM Acura steps, else you should get a full refund for deceptive advertising. The seller claims to be an authorized Acura dealer, shows a picture of a MDX with OEM steps (in other words a stock photo as opposed to an actual pix) and charges over $400. Aftermarket steps should go for about 50% of the OEMs . . .
Good point. Would be better to pay Tim a few more bucks, at most, and know you are getting the real article, and from a real supplier.
But if they are the 'real thing' it's a fair price. |
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| jrtiger |
jjnv,
I have had my MDX for over a year and during that time I installed the OEM chrome side steps. I wash my vehicle about twice a month and use chrome polish about once a month. A friend recommended Mothers chrome polish and it was inexpensive so I gave it a try. I am very happy with it after several applications and it does indeed leave a brilliant shine as the bottle states. It is a liquid wipe on, wipe off and it doesn’t seem to harm the finish. I have included a picture showing the results on the chrome wheels and side step. You can see the high reflection and the blue tint is actually from the sky here on the central coast of California.
jrtiger |
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| jjnv |
Hi jrtiger,
Nice looking MDX! Where can you find Mothers chrome polish? I went grocery shopping today and got the Bar Keepers Friends. When I got home, I noticed my bottle says "Multipurpose Cooktop Cleaner". The label says it can be used for Chrome, Copper, Brass in addition to the Glass-Ceramic Cooking Surfaces. I will give it a try tomorrow.
Thanks,
Jane |
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| screbr |
Did you install a kitchen in the back of your X?
:2: |
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| jrtiger |
jjnv,
I got my bottle at a local Kragen’s automotive store. There is a lot of info on the net about the product. Here is the Kragen link and you can search their site and use your zip code to find a nearby store. It only costs $4.99.
http://www.partsamerica.com/Product...artnumber=05208
jrtiger |
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