Silver/Chrome Trim - CLS

[clk2002]

I know there are other threads about this but has anyone recently refurbished the chrome trim on a MB CLS 2015 model. Mines is starting to take the look off the car which is white and the silver looks awesome when it glints in the sun.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Gnasher141]

I think you will find it is the clear lacquer that that has gone creamy and probably won’t polish up. You could try stripping the lacquer and polish up and re- lacquer, or get them wrapped which would be the way I would go personally. I’m sure there are chrome effect wraps out there.

 

[LostInSpace]

Mine are also showing some sign‘s of this - the car is new to me, but a 1 owner 2017 car with 25k miles, always garaged and only hand washed by the owner. The chrome finish is very difficult to maintain, pragmatic option is to wrap. A bit if googling, including detailing specific forum’s hasn’t identified any easy way to refurbish (either in situ or remove and repaint) and replacement trim isn’t a cheap solution. I’ll be wrapping in gloss black, but I do have a black car which will blend well - don’t think it would work as well on a white car.

 

[Gnasher141]

I’ll be wrapping in gloss black, but I do have a black car which will blend well - don’t think it would work as well on a white car.

sorry to disagree but imo it looks good on white cars- better than the original polished alloy

 

[clk2002]

Mine are also showing some sign‘s of this - the car is new to me, but a 1 owner 2017 car with 25k miles, always garaged and only hand washed by the owner. The chrome finish is very difficult to maintain, pragmatic option is to wrap. A bit if googling, including detailing specific forum’s hasn’t identified any easy way to refurbish (either in situ or remove and repaint) and replacement trim isn’t a cheap solution. I’ll be wrapping in gloss black, but I do have a black car which will blend well - don’t think it would work as well on a white car.

Be good if you put a post up of the wrapped trim once you have done it - I have considered the wrapping option - but I will let you go first lol

Cheers

 

[Gnasher141]

Loads of film available on EBay

 

[clk2002]

Loads of film available on EBay

Have you wrapped yours? I have a white CLS which I only recently bought so slightly reluctant to start messing with it (yet lol). Still admiring it

 

[Cyclone1]

Not white, but before and after dechrome

 

[Gnasher141]

No I haven’t yet - on my to do list!
The good thing with wrap is you can take it off if you don’t like it or just want it back to original

 

[clk2002]

Not white, but before and after dechrome View attachment 141943View attachment 141944

Stunning Car

 

[Cyclone1]

Stunning Car

Thank you. Love the shape and lines of the CLS….

 

[LostInSpace]

sorry to disagree but imo it looks good on white cars- better than the original polished alloy

To be fair, I saw a white Audi A4 estate yesterday with all black trim and it looked really good. What came to mind when I made the comment is a 1 series BMW in the work carpark that is a mix of chrome and black on white - it doesn't look very cohesive, so may be it's car specific?

 

[LostInSpace]

Not mine, but a pic I've saved from the inter web as a reference for what mine would look like when dechromed

 

[Cyclone1]

Not mine, but a pic I've saved from the inter web as a reference for what mine would look like when dechromed

View attachment 141974

That looks stunning

 

[ALFAitalia]

.....the car is new to me, but a 1 owner 2017 car with 25k miles, always garaged and only hand washed by the owner.

Hand washed maybe ..but he used too strong or too caustic a wash chemical. The cloudy appearance of the lacquer over the chrome or alloy strip is only really damaged like that. Commonly happens on caravans trim when cleaned with "traffic film remover".

 

[LostInSpace]

Hand washed maybe ..but he used too strong or too caustic a wash chemical. The cloudy appearance of the lacquer over the chrome or alloy strip is only really damaged like that. Commonly happens on caravans trim when cleaned with "traffic film remover".

That’s my guess as well. I’ve got PH neutral stuff, but the damage is done and I’ve not found anything to suggest it can be recovered - detailingwork.co.uk is my go to.

 

[OldskoolRS]

That’s my guess as well. I’ve got PH neutral stuff, but the damage is done and I’ve not found anything to suggest it can be recovered - detailingwork.co.uk is my go to.

Our C Class had damage from TFR but I was able to machine polish it out. This was as bought:




Just taken a quick phone picture, this is 1 year later (sorry for the dust):

 

[clk2002]

Our C Class had damage from TFR but I was able to machine polish it out. This was as bought:

View attachment 142062


Just taken a quick phone picture, this is 1 year later (sorry for the dust):

View attachment 142064

I have a machine polisher (DAS6) so I could give it a go. What polish would you recommend? I have Angelwax Regenerate which is a one stage medium cut compound which I have not used on this car

 

[OldskoolRS]

Yes, mine is similar it's DAS6 Pro (can't remember what the difference is with the 'Pro' though).

I probably used my usual Meguiars DA Microfiber correction polish, which is quite a heavy cut, but I'd have gone gently with it.

Either that or I might have used the lighter correction polish that I did the second stage with...I can't remember now as it's a year ago. My lighter polish(es) would have been the Poorboys SSR range as I bought a few last year. SSR1 or SSR2, but anything of that ilk would do it unless the trim is completely gone.

 

[ALFAitalia]

I doubt polish will help....unless you take the lacquer right off with it!!. The staining usually goes all the way through the clear coat.....