I’m currently shopping for a 280 PS 4x4. Superb.

 

Having test driven two sport line pluses and an L&K - all 2023 models with less than 4,000 miles on their clocks I was just wondering how easy it would be to cure the two issues with the L&K…

 

First, the infotainment system was very unstable and basically rebooted itself four times in the first 10 minutes of use – literally just with CarPlay and Spotify displaying and playing on it. Presumably the unit is faulty and needs replacing or could this be something simpler? 

 

Secondly, I noted that the chrome boot strip is badly tarnished – quite surprising given the low mileage the vehicle has done. Do you think it’s possible to restore this back to its former glory or does it need to be replaced? I tried ‘polishing’ it with a soft cloth but it didn’t improve. Thanks in advance. 😊

looks nice.

Was the carplay & spotify Wireless or wired?

https://www.transcityskoda.co.uk/used-cars/17339856-skoda-superb-2.0 tsi 280ps 4x4 laurin & klement dsg 5-dr/?finances[deposit]=1000&finances[productName]=Personal Contract Purchase&finances[term]=48&finances[productType]=Personal Contract Purchase&finances[annualMileage]=10000&finances[percentageDeposit]=&finances[description]=

1 hour ago, 280 said:

Secondly, I noted that the chrome boot strip is badly tarnished – quite surprising given the low mileage the vehicle has done. Do you think it’s possible to restore this back to its former glory or does it need to be replaced? I tried ‘polishing’ it with a soft cloth but it didn’t improve. Thanks in advance. 😊

What I've seen elsewhere is that you have to replace the strip - the Audi A4 has the same problem.

Shame. Wonder if it would be a warranty item as car is only 9 months old. 😞

1 hour ago, Winston_Woof said:

looks nice.

Was the carplay & spotify Wireless or wired?

https://www.transcityskoda.co.uk/used-cars/17339856-skoda-superb-2.0 tsi 280ps 4x4 laurin & klement dsg 5-dr/?finances[deposit]=1000&finances[productName]=Personal Contract Purchase&finances[term]=48&finances[productType]=Personal Contract Purchase&finances[annualMileage]=10000&finances[percentageDeposit]=&finances[description]=

It was wireless - same as I did in the other two I drove but they didnt show any issue whatsoever. Dealer of the L&K suggested itd be fine after a software update possibly... I cant see that being the case though - stopping half way through a song and rebooting. when no other functions were being used... 

 

IGNORE

 

Edited 22 April, 20242 yr by Winston_Woof

Just now, 280 said:

It was wireless - same as I did in the other two I drove but they didnt show any issue whatsoever. Dealer of the L&K suggested itd be fine after a software update possibly... I cant see that being the case though - stopping half way through a song and rebooting. when no other functions were being used... 

 

Is it you that's reserved the L& K ;o)

If those are you're only 2 upfront issues and given theyre a main dealer I'm sure they could resolve both before it goes out of the door

 

26 minutes ago, 280 said:

Shame. Wonder if it would be a warranty item as car is only 9 months old. 😞

When I picked up my new L&K last year, the dealer branch manager mentioned that if I used the snow foam stuff to clean the car, it would tarnish the chrome strips as it is very caustic. Because this would be due to use of aggressive cleaning chemicals, it would not be covered by warranty. No problem for me because I never use that stuff.

 

But even if that is the problem, it’s something that the dealer should sort out before you buy it, regardless of being a warranty issue or not.

Just now, nicknorman said:

When I picked up my new L&K last year, the dealer branch manager mentioned that if I used the snow foam stuff to clean the car, it would tarnish the chrome strips as it is very caustic. Because this would be due to use of aggressive cleaning chemicals, it would not be covered by warranty. No problem for me because I never use that stuff.

 

But even if that is the problem, it’s something that the dealer should sort out before you buy it, regardless of being a warranty issue or not.

especially as it appears to be a  dealers "test drive" car (or is that directors personal transport for a few months??)

25 minutes ago, Winston_Woof said:

Is it you that's reserved the L& K ;o)

If those are you're only 2 upfront issues and given theyre a main dealer I'm sure they could resolve both before it goes out of the door

 

I would you're right. Ive always had good service from Skoda dealers in the past so fingers crossed

...the dealer branch manager mentioned that if I used the snow foam stuff to clean the car, it would tarnish the chrome strips as it is very caustic. Because this would be due to use of aggressive cleaning chemicals...

 

He was fairly honest in his description of the problem, aggressive/cheap chemicals (typical in the coin-operated self-car wash) do ruin the coating, if you look around at most 'modern' cars around, you might notice the same, regardless of the brand. Also, I think this is not "chrome" at all, but some sort of polished alu and then coated somehow. Old "chrome" can get pitted, but not this way (remember the bumpers of an age ago?). Also convinced salt o whatever it is that they spray in the winter months has the same effect on the shiny bodywork. The same pitting you can spot it in the rims.

I suspect a way to avoid this problem for manufacturers is the late proliferation of "matt black" "sport black" "night mode" et similia ...

2 hours ago, nicknorman said:

if I used the snow foam stuff to clean the car, it would tarnish the chrome strips as it is very caustic.

Utter boolocks.

2 hours ago, numskull said:

Utter boolocks.

 

No experience of it myself, but mr Google turns up stuff like this which suggests that it depends on exactly which product…

 

Regular snow foam is slightly alkaline. This helps it break down dirt more effectively, but it can also slightly affect the sealants on your car’s paintwork, too. While some professional-grade cleaning products are quite caustic, most of the ones you’ll find in shops are only very slightly alkaline and won’t affect your paintwork in any noticeable way. However, if you have a valuable or vintage car, you might not want to risk it. That’s why pH neutral snow foam is so popular – it’s chemically neutral, so it’s safe to use on even the most sensitive and valuable car 

@nicknorman It’s the usual cr@p Skoda dealers spout to try and avoid warranty claims, so blame the owner for cleaning a car with this, that and the other for damaged trim, bodywork and wheel discolouration. Alloys get worm because the layer of lacquer is so thin and it fails to get complete coverage; they need at least three coats. Bright trim obviously suffers similar issues. Whilst I’d accept that “hand car wash” sheds might use really poor products, good retail Snow foam is PH neutral and would never cause that type of fogging of the trim and it certainly does not strip LSP or coatings. 

19 hours ago, nicknorman said:

the dealer branch manager mentioned that if I used the snow foam stuff to clean the car, it would tarnish the chrome strips as it is very caustic. Because this would be due to use of aggressive cleaning chemicals, it would not be covered by warranty.

This is real bullsh*t. 

I had the same kind of argue from Skoda France on my former Superb Estate Mk2 whose both chrom trims on back side windows had tarnished too or got "milky spots" after only 6 months since new.

Errrr... Why all other chrom trims not affected then? Do you think I use a different car shampoo only for back side windows chrom trims?

Customer support: I'm sorry this is the only explanation I got from tech support... 🤥

Then no warranty applied... 🙄😬

 

In the present case I would recommend asking the dealer to replace the trim before delivery.

I also have wondered about that, as it seems in different places the "chrome" is actually a different coating, if not a different material altogether.

 

I am part of a project with a MB W126 being restored, and I've noticed the 'chrome' trim on the bumpers and roof contour is actually metal which has been nickel plated, and tremendously resistant to atmospheric and corrosive agents - but if scratched sometimes polish might not save it, and it needs to be re-plated which is, at best, "difficult".

The window trims on the doors instead, I've found out are actually anodized and polished aluminum, which became a popular (and cheaper) alternative since the 80's and 90s, but more prone to pitting and fading of the color (it gets "milky", don't know ho to explain it better). Regular cleaning and polishing keeps it at bay, but with time, the sun and so on it degrades irremediably.

 

Now looking at most cars in the market, this seems to be a common application, with the inevitable results.

When I was more fully engaged with car (vintage and old audis mostly), I've noticed every subsequent generation will have less robust treatment of the brightwork, B3/C3 models and also C4 to an extent were very good (that's be 80 and 100 for the uninitiated 😜), B5/C5 (say A4 and A6 since the late 90s) suffer more, and if you look at A4s from 2001 onwards the aspect of the trim can be horrible.

 

I have not found yet a way to reliably restore the trim, polishing does not restore it fully and have not seen any other option except replacement. Perhaps on a BRAND NEW piece of trim, coating with a proper lacquer could make the trick, but I have never seen a brand new piece of trim to sacrifice for the cause ... 🤭

I know this is done and dusted, but thought I'd wade in on this as have some training.

 

Most car cleaning products are alkali of some nature because alkali chemicals have a slicky, slippy feeling and this aids as a natural lubricant. Its actually harder to really clear off the paint hence why a lot of instructions will talk about buffing off with a clean microfibre cloth. But they are likely mildly so, 8-10; and definitely not caustic per se. Likely they will have different dilution ratios depending on the state of the bodywork. I use a citrus prewash (these are alkali because Limonene comes from the peel of citrus fruit, nothing to do with Citric Acid), which can be diluted from 25:1 down to 5:1 on very dirty cars and still safe to use.

 

Acids and Alkalis are equally adequate at surfactant actions (breaking the bond between two materials, i.e. paint surface and a contaminant); but alkalis have that naturally-lubricating action, whereas acids will end up being quite 'grabby' when they're flashing off (evaporating and need wiping off). It's this point that causes the contact damage to paint as clearcoat is soft and the microfibre cloth will scratch the clearcoat. That's one of the main reasons why wheel cleaners started off being acid and have now moved en-masse to pH neutral/mildly alkali (except where the brake dust is really repeatedly baked on, or things like aluminium brake parts which can be attacked by acids).

 

Acids are generally still used for 3 things:

Iron Fallout Remover (Thioglycolic Acid-based which dissolves the iron particles embedded in the paint)

Waterspot remover (avoid the cheaper products using Hydrofluoric Acid which is a contact poison) as needed to attack the alkali limescale/minerals

Glass Cleaner - because you can't scratch the glass with a draggy cloth and it flashes off better without needing additional buffing.

 

 

So - the chrome strips are laminated plastic. No metal in them. It is true that they react and go cloudy when hit with strong alkali but the key here is not snowfoam, it is your local Scratch N Shine who, in an effort to shorten the time, will use a TFR (Traffic Film Remover) which is...a strong alkali. It is likely that the product is needed to be diluted properly in accordance with the manufacturer and left for a specified amount of time; and the dilution ratio likely won't be taken seriously, and in busy times, the pre-wash stage may be too long and in a strong sunlight it we be allowed to dry on.

 

Only way to sort would be replace or take it to someone who can wrap it perhaps. There could be a possibility of using a ceramic coating product (btw not a hybrid ceramic wax or spray ceramic product - they are entirely different to a ceramic coating!) but this is a preventive measure, not a repair of a tarnished one.

 

Very interesting and illustrative! This week I have tour around where my car detail center is, and will ask about how the ceramic options are for trim, if they have used it or not, and so on ...

9 hours ago, travs said:

I know this is done and dusted, but thought I'd wade in on this as have some training.

 

Most car cleaning products are alkali of some nature because alkali chemicals have a slicky, slippy feeling and this aids as a natural lubricant. Its actually harder to really clear off the paint hence why a lot of instructions will talk about buffing off with a clean microfibre cloth. But they are likely mildly so, 8-10; and definitely not caustic per se. Likely they will have different dilution ratios depending on the state of the bodywork. I use a citrus prewash (these are alkali because Limonene comes from the peel of citrus fruit, nothing to do with Citric Acid), which can be diluted from 25:1 down to 5:1 on very dirty cars and still safe to use.

 

Acids and Alkalis are equally adequate at surfactant actions (breaking the bond between two materials, i.e. paint surface and a contaminant); but alkalis have that naturally-lubricating action, whereas acids will end up being quite 'grabby' when they're flashing off (evaporating and need wiping off). It's this point that causes the contact damage to paint as clearcoat is soft and the microfibre cloth will scratch the clearcoat. That's one of the main reasons why wheel cleaners started off being acid and have now moved en-masse to pH neutral/mildly alkali (except where the brake dust is really repeatedly baked on, or things like aluminium brake parts which can be attacked by acids).

 

Acids are generally still used for 3 things:

Iron Fallout Remover (Thioglycolic Acid-based which dissolves the iron particles embedded in the paint)

Waterspot remover (avoid the cheaper products using Hydrofluoric Acid which is a contact poison) as needed to attack the alkali limescale/minerals

Glass Cleaner - because you can't scratch the glass with a draggy cloth and it flashes off better without needing additional buffing.

 

 

So - the chrome strips are laminated plastic. No metal in them. It is true that they react and go cloudy when hit with strong alkali but the key here is not snowfoam, it is your local Scratch N Shine who, in an effort to shorten the time, will use a TFR (Traffic Film Remover) which is...a strong alkali. It is likely that the product is needed to be diluted properly in accordance with the manufacturer and left for a specified amount of time; and the dilution ratio likely won't be taken seriously, and in busy times, the pre-wash stage may be too long and in a strong sunlight it we be allowed to dry on.

 

Only way to sort would be replace or take it to someone who can wrap it perhaps. There could be a possibility of using a ceramic coating product (btw not a hybrid ceramic wax or spray ceramic product - they are entirely different to a ceramic coating!) but this is a preventive measure, not a repair of a tarnished one.

 

Thanks for sharing. Do you work in the chemical industry and maybe detergents in particular? 

My 2022 Superb had only done 3k and never been near a car wash let alone a third world ‘scratch & shine’ franchise - only ever been washed with cold water and a hint of Autoglym shampoo - yet the trim, especially around the doors, has gone off - pretty poor quality really, pretty poor.

Edited 14 September, 20241 yr by Berisford

17 hours ago, Bap33 said:

Thanks for sharing. Do you work in the chemical industry and maybe detergents in particular? 

I started my own detailing venture last year so went and got trained properly including a qualification with the International Detailing Association. Did a lot of study on the basic chemistry, and it is basic chemistry, to understand what products we use, why, what not to use and how products seemingly similar in name/type can work in different ways.

 

I found it really interesting…and scary how many people either don’t know what they’re talking about but also those that offer a correct solution to someone but clearly don’t know why, just going with what they know. 

4 hours ago, Berisford said:

My 2022 Superb had only done 3k and never been near a car wash let alone a third world ‘scratch & shine’ franchise - only ever been washed with cold water and a hint of Autoglym shampoo - yet the trim, especially around the doors, has gone off - pretty poor quality really, pretty poor.

That does sound a bit rubbish; maybe a poor batch? Our 21 L&K ‘chrome’ is ok and I’ve used plenty of citrus prewashes and snowfoams.