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      05-22-2014, 12:22 AM   #1
boyerstyle
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Vent Discoloration/Fading

So my 1er suffered from common vent discoloration. I don't know if this is from sun fading or some other cause. I just knew I needed to fix it. Starting at it all day cheapened my ride and drove me nuts. Soo... I took a bottle of Mothers Back to Black and a foam Q-tip and went to work. I will attach a before photo below, as well as an after shot. I did 3 applications, let them sit for 5 minutes and then wiped away.








3 weeks later all of my vents still look brand new.

Last edited by boyerstyle; 05-22-2014 at 12:39 AM.. Reason: Photos not working
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      05-22-2014, 01:27 AM   #2
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Thanks, I have that problem as well, I picked up some back to black for the shadowline, but didn't help, used it on my truck instead. Good to know I can use it for the vent issue.
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      05-22-2014, 05:45 AM   #3
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Gtechniq Tyre and Trim, great on vents, rubber trim inside and out and has real staying power on tyres.
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      05-22-2014, 10:24 AM   #4
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It's not a bad product, but as mentioned before, it tends to break down quickly. I've had good results with multiple applications of Adam's Super VRT- basically just kept applying until the plastic was permeated and no longer pulling in more product. It has lasted about 8 months now, but I'm starting to get discoloration again since the Florida heat has the AC running like mad.
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      05-22-2014, 11:17 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cheshirecat79
It's not a bad product, but as mentioned before, it tends to break down quickly. I've had good results with multiple applications of Adam's Super VRT- basically just kept applying until the plastic was permeated and no longer pulling in more product. It has lasted about 8 months now, but I'm starting to get discoloration again since the Florida heat has the AC running like mad.
Interesting. Well if this breaks down I'll have to give that a go. Thanks for the tip!
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      05-22-2014, 01:16 PM   #6
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That looks great. Will probably try this out, I have the same issue.
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      06-16-2014, 02:54 PM   #7
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Wow, I wish I knew about this earlier. I ended up buying new vents when that happened to mine. Do you think it will fix that kind of discoloration on rubber?
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      06-16-2014, 07:55 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Chrisar82
Wow, I wish I knew about this earlier. I ended up buying new vents when that happened to mine. Do you think it will fix that kind of discoloration on rubber?
I would assume so, but haven't tried it yet. It really rehydrates whatever it's applied to so I would bet it could bring the rubber back to life. If you try it on rubber hit me back and let me know how it goes!
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      06-17-2014, 12:26 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boyerstyle View Post
I would assume so, but haven't tried it yet. It really rehydrates whatever it's applied to so I would bet it could bring the rubber back to life. If you try it on rubber hit me back and let me know how it goes!
I will
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      06-20-2014, 10:47 AM   #10
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I tried the back to black on the vents but it seems like I have a thick coat of white stuff on them and it didn't help. I also tried it on the trim on the doors where the water spots show up and it helped a little but it is still noticeable.
I think I am going to use a soft scrub sponge first and then reapply to the vents.
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      06-20-2014, 10:58 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whitebimmer09
I tried the back to black on the vents but it seems like I have a thick coat of white stuff on them and it didn't help. I also tried it on the trim on the doors where the water spots show up and it helped a little but it is still noticeable.
I think I am going to use a soft scrub sponge first and then reapply to the vents.
How many coats did you try? You might be right about a soft cleaning. I never did anything more aggressive than a rag and interior cleaner. I totally get that each situation is different, anxious to hear what ends up working for you.
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      06-21-2014, 01:05 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by boyerstyle View Post
How many coats did you try? You might be right about a soft cleaning. I never did anything more aggressive than a rag and interior cleaner. I totally get that each situation is different, anxious to hear what ends up working for you.
I tried a few. I have no idea where the build up is coming from, but for the blacklines, I may just end up plastidipping them.
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      06-24-2014, 10:01 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whitebimmer09 View Post
I tried a few. I have no idea where the build up is coming from, but for the blacklines, I may just end up plastidipping them.
It may have something to do with the activated charcoal air filter, not sure. You can always clean them, though, with an IPA solution and cotton swabs. This is what I had to do before the plastic conditioner would really permeate the surface. Once that was done, the vents kept their color for the better part of a year.
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      07-31-2014, 05:06 PM   #14
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Would this be a warranty item. Does not seem like "normal" wear to me.
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      08-01-2014, 03:27 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BLU135i View Post
Would this be a warranty item. Does not seem like "normal" wear to me.
Your dealer may treat it you to a goodwill replacement but don't expect it. IMO, most of the vents will start to discolor long after the factory warranty has run out and this most likely will not fall under any type of CPO warranty.

It's easy enough to fix with the right detailing product.
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      12-30-2014, 09:30 AM   #16
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I'm having the same discoloration. Taking my car to BMW next week and going to see if they will cover this under warranty, if not then Back to Black it is...
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      07-12-2018, 08:19 AM   #17
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I am noticing this as well.

Has anyone tried 303 or Meguiars #57, which has cleaners in it?
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      07-13-2018, 08:12 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JHZR2 View Post
I am noticing this as well.

Has anyone tried 303 or Meguiars #57, which has cleaners in it?
I tried pretty much a bunch of different products and found that Meguiar's Hot Shine Tire Coating works good! I spay it all over a micro fiber cloth then wipe the vents down so their saturated and let it dry, vents look way better and nearly new! Didn't even need to bush them or anything just let the tire shine do it's magic. The only down side is smelling tire shine for a week but my AC stinks anyhow...
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      12-30-2018, 09:11 AM   #19
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This is great to know. I just purchased my 2011 135i a few months ago and have been annoyed looking at the faded/discolored vents and wondering why that happened so easily on this car (previous car was a 2001 BMW 530i and had no signs of this at all). Think I'm going to give this a try today!
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      12-11-2019, 11:37 AM   #20
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Resurrecting this and adding My Trick

I've used many over the counter products and have found a 50/50 mix of baby oil and mineral oil does this job well and is extremely inexpensive.

The initial coat may fade faster than normal, but the oils will penetrate after a while and the need to apply future coats will become less and less.

A simple Q-tip can apply it. It's not harsh (heck, mineral oil can be ingested) and makes it look pretty good for a longer time frame than Back to Black or tire dressing. I also use it on the trim around the door locks.
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      03-29-2020, 05:34 PM   #21
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Was just doing some googling after realizing that it wasn’t dirt or dust on my vents that I was trying to wipe off... pretty sad that this is an issue for a BMW.. my old Chevy cobalt had over 200k miles and the plastic vents never had any fading or discoloring. Will give the back to black a try.

Last edited by Dekdo; 03-29-2020 at 08:29 PM..
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      04-09-2020, 07:55 PM   #22
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Tire Shine and a paint brush! Kinda stinks though but works super good.
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