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. 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? 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.....

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? 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.....

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