Gasoline stain on cladding...best way to clean

[VX KAT]

Went to a gas station this afternoon I'd never been to before, the auto shut off didn't work, poured gas down the side. I immediately used their "window squegee and that dirty water to rinse/dilute it, but I've still got a stain it appears. :freek: What's best to remove this? Something oily ...Windex, ???

[etlsport]

i would pressure wash it.. duno if yours has it still, but when i bought my VX there was a sticker there that said DO NOT scrub it if you get gas on it

[VX KAT]

Yeah, it has the sticker, and I knew not to rub it, so I sloshed the dirty water on it with the squeegee. Ironically I just pealed that sticker off the window today.

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

i would pressure wash it.. duno if yours has it still, but when i bought my VX there was a sticker there that said DO NOT scrub it if you get gas on it

Yeah..just pressure wash it and it'll be fine...done it many, many, times! As far as the Do Not Scrub....that I'm sure is more for dust that sticks to the wet fuel (then dries) and if you scrub now your basically "sanding" your cladding.

At least that's my take on it!

[Pepino]

My cladding is really really dark and it has happened to me too i cant get it to come off, it made my cladding look completly gray on that spot, this happened like 6 months ago and its still there i use armor all to cover it up, but as soon as i wash it off it comes back, that stain wont come off. i dont know if it is because my cladding is really dark but nothing i have tried has actually made the stain come off

[Sprey]

When my dad went and filled the vx he spilled some on the plastic turning it the awful grey color. ended up just washing it off with some water and then using mothers naturaly black to the cladding back to its normal color.

[Riff Raff]

VX KAT--- You're exactly on track with the Windex!!! Use that first as Windex is a very mild cleaner. If that doesn't work, then try 409 Cleaner which is a bit more potent. 409 Cleaner will definately get it off, but always try the Windex first. If that don't work, then go back to the gas station that had the faulty gas pump and throw a pipe-bomb through the front door (just kidding).

[Anita]

i carry a bottle of water in the truck at all times - one of the reasons is for what happened to you. You were right not to rub.. douse with water. I found that if I treated the cladding soon with my zainos tire dressing after a spillage the blotch would disappear and not return.

[Gussie2000]

This gas spill over the cladding isn't the only issue here but the fact the canister is also affected causing your engine light to pop on

[VX KAT]

Gussie...say what? What canister? Are you saying this could trigger some sensor that trips the Check Engine Light? :freek: I need this 48 hrs before I head out! ARGHHH! :(

I tried Windex, nothing happened at all. Now I'm on to 409 as soon as I find some.

Don't have any Zainos handy, not sure it's easily available in my smaller town....any similar product? I was thinking oil on oil would work and that may be what makes the zainos tire dressing work. I tried TrimShine, nothing...
Maybe GooGone might dissolve the oil distillates in the gas.
Keep the suggestions coming.....:thanx:

I'm running out of time to take it to a pressure wash, but that's my fault.

[Gussie2000]

Gussie...say what? What canister? Are you saying this could trigger some sensor that trips the Check Engine Light? :freek: I need this 48 hrs before I head out! ARGHHH! :(

I tried Windex, nothing happened at all. Now I'm on to 409 as soon as I find some.

Don't have any Zainos handy, not sure it's easily available in my smaller town....any similar product? I was thinking oil on oil would work and that may be what makes the zainos tire dressing work. I tried TrimShine, nothing...
Maybe GooGone might dissolve the oil distillates in the gas.
Keep the suggestions coming.....:thanx:

I'm running out of time to take it to a pressure wash, but that's my fault.

Hi kat The canister i'm relating you is the charcoal canister,is a black looking box located right next to the gas tank,the job of the canister is to store the fuel vapors 'till the ECU is ready to vent those vapors to the intake system for burning process.

Is you take a close look at the fuel filler you can notice a small vent located next at the left side,it has a half moon shape ;Whenever you over fill fuel goes into that vent straight to the canister.

That situation triggers the P0446 code (canister malfuntion,clooged,blocked,electrical circuit malfuction,etc )

That canister should not be filled with raw liquid fuel at all other wise it will stop working.

Hope it doesn't happen to you,sometimes a mech can cleaned & the canister works again with no issues,other wise a new canister is need ($ 198)

[VX KAT]

Oh man, thanks Gussie for explaining that. I did drive it about 8 miles after the spill. Wonder if the CEL would have been triggered by then or maybe I got lucky and not much went down the vent.

I didn't have any 409 at home, so I've tried like 5 things tonight, all to no avail...
~Floor cleaner cut 50/50 with water, on the order of a 409 cleaner, not oily, more astingent.
~Greenworks multipurpose spray cleaner (milder than Windex)
~Goo gone
~Windex again
~Trim shine by Stoner

But I did notice with the floor cleaner, Goo Gone and Trim Shine, my cotton terry rag was coming off gray....so I'm removing something....I sure hope it's not marring the finish. So far, I just am left with some rather splotchy marks, darker gray, and some much darker gray than the cladding.

I'm curious what the mechanics are of how a pressure washer will work on this? Does it just blast the gasoline particles right off/out of the cladding? Anybody know?

Scratches and pinstripes I can live with as those were at least obtained while having fun, this, this just looks crappy and ill maintained! I'm bummed.

I'm thinking I may have to break down and buy that Refinish Restorer product,a s that may make the cladding so rich, that the spots won't be noticeable. I think that's the same principle of how Anita's Zainos worked on hers.

Anybody have a small portion of that CarSystem Refinish Restore product that is coming to Moab that I could try???

[Gussie2000]

[QUOTE=VX KAT;157831]Oh man, thanks Gussie for explaining that. I did drive it about 8 miles after the spill. Wonder if the CEL would have been triggered by then or maybe I got lucky and not much went down the vent.

You are welcome kat :)

Don't be that scare if the engine lit comes on,you can still go to moab & have fun (i'm so jealous) when you get back to home sweet home you can take care of it,but only if the engine lit pops up,if not then never mind ;)

[Riff Raff]

VX KAT--- When you finally get some 409 Cleaner, try this method-- take a clean paper towel and thoroughly soak the paper towel with 409 Cleaner and then "stick" the soaked paper towel over the gas stain and let is sit on the stain. The 409 Cleaner will need an extended amount of "time" to work its magic. Try to keep the now plastered paper towel in a continuous wet condition by "misting" more 409 Cleaner onto to stuck paper towel over the stain. It is critical that the gas stain remain soaked by "misting" with 409 Cleaner for about an hour. After about an hour of continuous soaking ("misting"), take another clean paper towel and soak it with 409 Cleaner and gently rub the stain while keeping the stain saturated with 409 Cleaner. Afterwards, clean the area with a mild liquid dish-soap and water. This process should do the trick. Remember, the 409 Cleaner is gonna' need about a hour of "soak-time" on the gas stain in order for it to work properly.

[Anita]

KAT - Try this - it may be far easier to find than Zainos.


Meguiar's Gold Class Endurance Tire Protectant (Natural Finish)
http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+G7410

[VX KAT]

Did 3 hrs w/the 409 soak...no change. then did the 409 rub, and dish soap rub...no change unfortunately....what the heck do they put in that Chevron premium (with Techron)? I decided to go big and get a full tank of Chevron premium w/the Techron as I had a car in the past it made a very noticeable difference on, so I thought, what the heck, give the VX some high octane....see what I got for doin' that?

All I keep thinking of is that NASTY little VX gasmask took a pic of in the boneyard on 4/24 and the severe gas staining it had....makes me feel like such a bad parent now!

The only other thing I can think of is that their "dirty" windshield washing water had something in it that set the gas stain somehow. I rarely even see any bubbles when I use the dirty water for the windshield, so Dave and I discussed it for a minute before we did it and decided it probably didn't have much in it and it couldn't hurt....we may have been very wrong. Thanks Anita, I've packed a bottle of water behind the jack now. I usually have water with me to drink, but my bottle was empty at that moment....figures!

I think my only hope now is that the CarSystem Refinish Restore can kind of cover it up, certainly make it less noticeable.:(

Thanks for all the input, I really appreciate all the help! :thanx:

[Gussie2000]

Did 3 hrs w/the 409 soak...no change. then did the 409 rub, and dish soap rub...no change unfortunately....what the heck do they put in that Chevron premium (with Techron)? I decided to go big and get a full tank of Chevron premium w/the Techron as I had a car in the past it made a very noticeable difference on, so I thought, what the heck, give the VX some high octane....see what I got for doin' that?

All I keep thinking of is that NASTY little VX gasmask took a pic of in the boneyard on 4/24 and the severe gas staining it had....makes me feel like such a bad parent now!

The only other thing I can think of is that their "dirty" windshield washing water had something in it that set the gas stain somehow. I rarely even see any bubbles when I use the dirty water for the windshield, so Dave and I discussed it for a minute before we did it and decided it probably didn't have much in it and it couldn't hurt....we may have been very wrong. Thanks Anita, I've packed a bottle of water behind the jack now. I usually have water with me to drink, but my bottle was empty at that moment....figures!

I think my only hope now is that the CarSystem Refinish Restore can kind of cover it up, certainly make it less noticeable.:(

Thanks for all the input, I really appreciate all the help! :thanx:

Sorry to heard that the stain is not going away kat.

Concerning using high octane gas let me tell you is the best thing you can do for your toy,i use 93 at all times with a bottle of fuel injection cleaner every two weeks, i made a trip few weeks ago,i was completly amazed the mileage on a single tank ( 400+ miles ) driving at average speed of 65 mph.

[VX KAT]

Sorry to heard that the stain is not going away kat.

Concerning using high octane gas let me tell you is the best thing you can do for your toy,i use 93 at all times with a bottle of fuel injection cleaner every two weeks, i made a trip few weeks ago,i was completly amazed the mileage on a single tank ( 400+ miles ) driving at average speed of 65 mph.

That's great to hear about the MPG as I set out for Moab tomorrow morning, about 480 miles.....I've been getting about 17.8 mpg with combo driving but heavier on the highway %, so I'll hope to see even better with full highway.....course I'll be going like 80 I bet!

[Gussie2000]

That's great to hear about the MPG as I set out for Moab tomorrow morning, about 480 miles.....I've been getting about 17.8 mpg with combo driving but heavier on the highway %, so I'll hope to see even better with full highway.....course I'll be going like 80 I bet!

Great kat,don't forget to use your cruise control for even better mileage ;)

[handeeman]

I would highly recomend miracle orrange. It's $14.95 a bottle and it's great. go to miracleorrange.com (2r's)and get ya some. Look at the pictures of my VX,(on my profile ) I've only done it once since Sept., 08.

[VX KAT]

Here's a pic of the stain, even after pressure washing it....looks like a thumbprint in the bottom there.....

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/DSC_0450.JPG

[handeeman]

I am going to show this pic to the Doctor and see if he knows what caused the thumb print. I will see him Tues.

[VX KAT]

This is going to sound nuts, but......the Miracle Orrange didn't even phase the stain! Can you believe it! :_brickwal
It did make the surrounding cladding a nice richer gray, a tad darker than the rest. I've left my cladding totally untreated with anything for over 2 months in preparation for going to Moab since every cladding product I currently have made dust stick like crazy.

Really makes me wonder if there's something in the Chevron Supreme gas that may be a bit different or something that caused this.

Oh well...last resort is CarSystem Refinish Restore.....

[rowhard]

Sorry Sue that we didn't get around to trying the finish restorer at Moab. To many things going on in to short of a time for me. Will find a small bottle and mail you some to try, k :)

[Gussie2000]

This is going to sound nuts, but......the Miracle Orrange didn't even phase the stain! Can you believe it! :_brickwal
It did make the surrounding cladding a nice richer gray, a tad darker than the rest. I've left my cladding totally untreated with anything for over 2 months in preparation for going to Moab since every cladding product I currently have made dust stick like crazy.

Really makes me wonder if there's something in the Chevron Supreme gas that may be a bit different or something that caused this.

Oh well...last resort is CarSystem Refinish Restore.....

Hi sue !

That stain is way weird though,i had fuel spilled few times over the cladding but never got "printed" like that.

That chevron gas may have a quimical additive that caused the dark stain as you certainly thought

[don moore]

time for painting the clading.....

[don moore]

or use alot of gas to make the rest match....just kidding

[Gussie2000]

or use alot of gas to make the rest match....just kidding


Hahaha i was thinking the same think though,considering the way that stain remained there it may look good done all around the cladding :rolleyes:

[BlackVXer99]

i have the same problem, and its been there for about a year.

but, not from gas. I had a can of Arizona sweet tea, and poured the last inch or so out the window on a hot day, not really thinking anything of it. a few days later after a wash :eek: it was still there. and still is after several scrubs/products. its about the size of a baseball but not as dark as the gas stain. but still very noticable. grrr

[don moore]

i have the same problem, and its been there for about a year.

but, not from gas. I had a can of Arizona sweet tea, and poured the last inch or so out the window on a hot day, not really thinking anything of it. a few days later after a wash :eek: it was still there. and still is after several scrubs/products. its about the size of a baseball but not as dark as the gas stain. but still very noticable. grrr
..my mom warned me about to much sweet tea is bad for me ...if she saw this post she would say ..SE i told you .......RIP MOM..luvs

[Gussie2000]

..my mom warned me about to much sweet tea is bad for me ...if she saw this post she would say ..SE i told you .......RIP MOM..luvs


Mom is never wrong :)

[BlackVXer99]

but ive also spilled a few drops of seafoam on it, which i was freaking out about, but it dried and didnt leave a trace :confused:

[handeeman]

Kat, I don't know if you have them where you are, but here in Orlando we have guys that come around to the car dealerships and redye upolstery, touch- up bumpers etc. You might check with one of your local dealers and ask the "used" car manager if they have someone like that. Show him the stain and ask him if he has anyone that would know how to fix it. Here what they would do is use laquer thinner or bleach and lighten the stainned area only, then they would mix a dye to match the rest of the cladding. they would then spray the stainned area and blend into the other areas. Let that dry and blend the whole area with like MiracleOrrange or a similar product. Just a thought. Next question-gonna be in Orlando anytime soon?

[mrtew]

It must have been the cleaner in the water or something that caused the stain. I've spilled gas on my cladding MANY times over the years and just let it dry on because I was afraid to touch it because of the sticker and there's no mark at all.

[circmand]

Kat, I don't know if you have them where you are, but here in Orlando we have guys that come around to the car dealerships and redye upolstery, touch- up bumpers etc. You might check with one of your local dealers and ask the "used" car manager if they have someone like that. Show him the stain and ask him if he has anyone that would know how to fix it. Here what they would do is use laquer thinner or bleach and lighten the stainned area only, then they would mix a dye to match the rest of the cladding. they would then spray the stainned area and blend into the other areas. Let that dry and blend the whole area with like MiracleOrrange or a similar product. Just a thought. Next question-gonna be in Orlando anytime soon?


Dewey AZ. Hey Kat did you try the Orange Glow? Also I assume the wheel worked well for you?

[VX KAT]

I tried the Miracle Orrange, but not Orange Glow. Unfortunately the Miracle Orrange didn't work on the stain & acted like a dust magnet & made the cladding completely covered in dirt. I bit the bullet today and ordered the Refinish Restore stuff.....hope it works.

About the new rim.....funny you should ask Dave, I JUST got back from tire installation place, baby's got her new shoes! Look awesome!!!!!!!!! :bgwp:

New rim worked out great, I feel much better without those sharp edges hitting my tire.

[VX KAT]

It must have been the cleaner in the water or something that caused the stain. I've spilled gas on my cladding MANY times over the years and just let it dry on because I was afraid to touch it because of the sticker and there's no mark at all.

Since your VX rolled off the line immediately before mine, I'd guess our cladding is from same lot and you've had no problems....therefore, I agree, must be something related to us rinsing it with the mucky liquid used for washing the windshield...and/or something in the Chevron Supreme. :rollo2:

[Gussie2000]

Since your VX rolled off the line immediately before mine, I'd guess our cladding is from same lot and you've had no problems....therefore, I agree, must be something related to us rinsing it with the mucky liquid used for washing the windshield...and/or something in the Chevron Supreme. :rollo2:


Hi sue i hope that stain don't let you have any nightmares :p

I guess you best move is to paint the cladding.

The other option as i said before you can buy a gallon of that same fuel at the same gas station & "stain" the whole cladding....well.......at least the color would match :o

PS : ! Don't get mad at me !

[mrtew]

I was told that you can wash cladding with Tide liquid laundry detergent. It sounded like it might work but I haven't tried it.

[VX KAT]

Hi sue i hope that stain don't let you have any nightmares :p

I guess you best move is to paint the cladding.

The other option as i said before you can buy a gallon of that same fuel at the same gas station & "stain" the whole cladding....well.......at least the color would match :o

PS : ! Don't get mad at me !

Gussie- you're a genious! Why the heck did I just spend $40 + shipping on the Refinish/Restore stuff when I could have just spent about $2.35 for a gallon of Chevron supreme! 'Course probably would have gone up in flames next time somebody chucked a cig out the window! :flame: :laugho:

You a verdy funny man, yes!

[Riff Raff]

Got a light???

[Gussie2000]

Gussie- you're a genious!
I could have just spent about $2.35 for a gallon of Chevron supreme! 'Course probably would have gone up in flames next time somebody chucked a cig out the window! :flame: :laugho:

You a verdy funny man, yes![/QUOTE]

Hi sue !
What about adding a "NO SMOKING" sign on the VX !

[VX KAT]

Well, we can finally put an end to this thread......
My last hope was the R/R....it's amazing stuff, but, it didn't cover the stain at all, so I give up! :_brickwal
Anybody got a passenger rear fender cladding they want to dump for cheap?

[mrtew]

Try washing it with Tide liquid or Spray&Wash stain remover. Since you've given up you've got nothing to lose until you get a replacement.

[SomeBeach]

If it were mine I would go to a good body shop. They have things that stores don't carry. I bet somebody that has experience in painting or detailing cars has something that would work. I would give up on store bought cleaners.

[MSHardeman]

This might sound silly, but maybe head over to the Avalanche owners group and see if any of them have some experience with this. They have cladding similar to ours and may have found a solution. I know someone found one of the more "aggresive" cladding re-treaters over there.

http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php/board,111.0.html

One of the guys had this to say:
To take a stain off - like a gasoline stain, I use soft scrub.

To make it shiny, or clean, I use WD 40

If the cladding is faded like mine is, WD 40 makes it look like new again for a couple of weeks to a month.

Another had this to say:
Endeavorc,

I just had this problem the other day. I was able to remove the "stain" by using a soft cotton cloth and some "Bug and Tar" remover. I had to go over it a couple of times but it seemed to remove the discoloration with no damage to the cladding. Hope this helps....

Best Regards,
Burt

I would be VERY careful with WD-40 on the cladding. Test it in an inconspicuous spot first (as they say).

Hopefully one of these works for you.

[nfpgasmask]

After reading through this post and seeing/hearing about the gas stains, I have to inject my plug for Trim Shine again. I have spilled gas on my VX at least 3 or 4 times, and all I ever do is dab it off with a towel from the gas station. The rest evaporates and if there is any mark at all, a good washing and Trim Shining and it's gone. I really think the Trim Shine creates a protective coat on the cladding that repels stains and makes cleaning easier.

It seems like the people with stains on their cladding from gasoline, actually have severely faded cladding to begin with. So maybe that is the problem.

I urge anyone with faded cladding to give Trim Shine a try for a few months and see what happens...

Bart

[VX KAT]

The weird part is my cladding was in great shape and I did have a fairly recent coating of Trim Shine on it when it happened, and lots of Back to Black before that. After all this, I have to believe there's something in the Chevron Supreme that acted differently on the cladding. :confused:
Although wish I'd had chance to use the Bug & Tar and the Soft Scrub before I applied the Restore/Refinish.

[4X4 UFO]

Hi, guys,
This may be of interest when selecting a product for your cladding. I've been using Turtle Wax Ice polymer coating on my cladding for a couple of years. I apply it 3 or 4 times a year, and it does a good job of keeping the cladding looking nice. Recently, the shut off mechanism failed when I was fueling up at a local convenience store. Gas ran down the cladding in a foot
wide stream! I ran into the store, bought a big bottle of water, and rinsed off everything the gas touched. I did not wipe it with anything. After the water evaporated, there was NO DAMAGE AT ALL! I was amazed, and I thought it would be worth passing along to the group. It may save someone some trouble........

Randy

[circmand]

Hi, guys,
This may be of interest when selecting a product for your cladding. I've been using Turtle Wax Ice polymer coating on my cladding for a couple of years. I apply it 3 or 4 times a year, and it does a good job of keeping the cladding looking nice. Recently, the shut off mechanism failed when I was fueling up at a local convenience store. Gas ran down the cladding in a foot
wide stream! I ran into the store, bought a big bottle of water, and rinsed off everything the gas touched. I did not wipe it with anything. After the water evaporated, there was NO DAMAGE AT ALL! I was amazed, and I thought it would be worth passing along to the group. It may save someone some trouble........

Randy

I use the handy squeegie provided to soak it down. I do not dry it havent had a problem