W213 Remove hairline scratches to gloss black trim

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JuJigsaw

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E-Class 250 CDi Sport Estate Tip
I've just picked up my 2017 W213 AMG Line and love it. It's reminded me what I was missing since my last Merc, and what Volvo's don't offer.

But the gloss black interior trim to the centre console has loads or hairline scratches on it. I did spot this thread for the S212. Would these recommendations be applicable for removal of W213 interior trim scratches, or are there better products/methods out there? Also, I've noticed a slight fogging in the paint around the filler cap (bit weird) and wondered if the Maguiar's recommended for the interior would also sort the fogging on the bodywork?

Or would any good quality car polish work for both applications?


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Something like Mr Sheen for the inside, outside a good quality car polish, Autoglym then a wax. note polishing and waxing gets addictive and you will do the entire car, black cars look great when polsihed !
 
Something like Mr Sheen for the inside, outside a good quality car polish, Autoglym then a wax. note polishing and waxing gets addictive and you will do the entire car, black cars look great when polished !
Thanks. Can Mr Sheen remove scratches? I thought it was a non-abrasive household polish.
 
I was recommended this on a Range Rover site as the centre console on my Range Rover had some marks with the keys sliding about & it certainly works. Autosol. on a microfibre cloth
No hard rubbing & marks vanished.
 
I have the same piano black trim and they do collect hairline scratches and swirls extremely easily.

The best way to guarantee removal of most marks is to machine polish but very messy trying to do that inside the car, so probably removal of the trim would be required.

Some say that hand polishing with an abrasive like Autoglym SRP but I haven’t tried.

The B pillars suffer the same fate but come up a treat with a machine polisher.
 
I was recommended this on a Range Rover site as the centre console on my Range Rover had some marks with the keys sliding about & it certainly works. Autosol. on a microfibre cloth
No hard rubbing & marks vanished.
Yes I’ve heard that aswell. It’s more abrasive than SRP.
 
I saw a facebook post where someone used a Megiuars product for exactly this. Can't remember the name, will see if I can find it.
 
I have this gloss black trim in a lot of areas on mine, the most noticeable and vulnerable to marking being the trim on the sills.

After trying a few polishes, most of which caused more harm than good, I settled on Meguiars #205 Ultra Finishing Polish. As it's name suggests, it's a finishing polish, so very gentle but still cuts back enough to remove the scratching which this material is susceptible to. Even a standard microfibre cloth can damage this trim as it's so soft, so it's safest to use a small foam pad to apply the polish and I tend to use a microfibre specifically designed for glass cleaning to buff it. These are ultra smooth so don't cause and more damage.

I wouldn't recommend the cheaper cloths which the high street stores tend to sell, these are OK for their designated purpose, basically household stuff, but not too good on cars, as your interior trim shows.
 
Best thing to stop them getting scratched in the first place is a ceramic coating, i know this suggestion doesnt help since its scratched already, but if you do get the scratches out
 
I've just picked up my 2017 W213 AMG Line and love it. It's reminded me what I was missing since my last Merc, and what Volvo's don't offer.

But the gloss black interior trim to the centre console has loads or hairline scratches on it. I did spot this thread for the S212. Would these recommendations be applicable for removal of W213 interior trim scratches, or are there better products/methods out there? Also, I've noticed a slight fogging in the paint around the filler cap (bit weird) and wondered if the Maguiar's recommended for the interior would also sort the fogging on the bodywork?

Or would any good quality car polish work for both applications?


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You're going to buff out those hairline scratches....
Then more will appear. And it's going to bother you every time the sun hits those scratches just right. Or you may end up scratching it worse.
All you can really do is clear vinyl over them, which you may have to cut yourself unless you find someone who can cut appliqués out for you. Etsy, eBay, etc.
 
Thanks guys. I couldn't find my old tube of Autosol but did find a bottle of Autoglym Super Resin Polish at the back of a shelf and had a go with this, and it worked a treat. All hairline scratches are gone but the couple of deeper scratches will need some Autosol when I find the tube.
 
You're going to buff out those hairline scratches....
Then more will appear. And it's going to bother you every time the sun hits those scratches just right. Or you may end up scratching it worse.
All you can really do is clear vinyl over them, which you may have to cut yourself unless you find someone who can cut appliqués out for you. Etsy, eBay, etc.
Or just clear coat a proper patch from a paint shop and then coat the car up with premium ceramics.
 
Thanks guys. I couldn't find my old tube of Autosol but did find a bottle of Autoglym Super Resin Polish at the back of a shelf and had a go with this, and it worked a treat. All hairline scratches are gone but the couple of deeper scratches will need some Autosol when I find the tube.
Good stuff. Glad you got it sorted. Its a pity the inside is not so durable and these scratches are a pain. Have the same in my C class but I stuck to Mr sheen as its not abrasive.
 
Thanks for the tips everyone. I also have this problem with the gloss black trim on my W213, I will try and tackle it this weekend.
 
I used Meguiars Scratch X 2.0 and a LOT of elbow grease with microbe pads and towels and my piano black wood came up good as new.

The bits around the console are a bit tricky, of course, and the 'goo' can get into nooks and crannies, so use tape and compressed air.
 
A heavy cut compound and polish will work with microfibre cloth by hand. Failing that remove and get a machine on it
 
Hi

Thought I'd add to this rather than creating a new thread.

I've been really careless with my black piano trim centre console :-( I used a general interior cleaner and unsuitable cloth and have ended up with a bit of a mess. The hairline scratches don't particularly bother me, but the awful cloudy streaks do :-(

(It looks worse in this close up photo but you can clearly see the problem).

I tried the Mr Sheen option and I suppose it makes it a bit more shiny but they're still obvious.

Does anyone think the Meguairs Scratch X would help? The video posted above uses it and makes it seem so easy. But it's not necessarily the same type of trim - is it? I'm nervous about making it worse. Scratch X seems to be for exteriors too.

I can probably live with it once I get over myself, and like I say, it's not as noticeable as this photo suggests, but if anyone has had good results in cases like this please comment.

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Yes, it would help, lots of elbow grease required, and the residue will get into nooks and crannies. You can stop it getting in with some painter's tape, and you can get it out with a microfibre cloth wrapped around something sharp (and plastic), or maybe a toothpick.
 
Best thing to stop them getting scratched in the first place is a ceramic coating, i know this suggestion doesnt help since its scratched already, but if you do get the scratches out
It a bit of a myth....ceramic coating might help prevent the very finest scratches and swirls....but wont help much in heavy contact areas or if you catch it with a ring or keys. Same as ceramic on the outside of the car. Its less than one micron thick....not enough to offer much protection to anything with any force behind it......The coating company I deal with at work don't even claim any scratch protection.....just a long lasting shine and ease of cleaning.
 

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