Rear Door Plastic Protection

baxlin · August 24, 2015

My Arctic Pearl IS300h doesn't have the Protection pack, but it does have the clear plastic sheet on the rear doors just in front of the wheel arch.

I'm in two minds about it:

Yes, with the shape of the wheel arch, this area is very vulnerable to dirt and road damage, but on the white car, the front edge shows up as a black line, I've not been successful in removing the dirt along the edge.

Several Q's then, has anyone removed this protective sheet? If so do they regret it?

Assuming it shouldn't be removed, how can I clean the dirty edge, which has even been commented on by Mrs Baxlin, so it must be obvious!

Thanks in advance

Malcolm

Rabbers · August 24, 2015

Malcolm: see another brief thread on this subject (Rear Door Protectors, started by Nerdboy on 27 Jan 2015).

I asked the same question as you but got no response, and despite my continuing (but nowadays somewhat half-

hearted) efforts to remove the grime along the edges of the film with a variety of detergent products, the problem

persists and appears to be permanent. The "silhouetting" effect is present on every used 300h I have seen but,

obviously, it is worst on white.

I have seen one 300h, a red one, awaiting service at my dealership, on which the films had been removed because

the owner considered them unsightly, and the surfaces looked perfectly fine. But, then again, this had been done

so recently as to make it impossible to judge the films' usefulness as protection.

My own advice would be to keep the films for a while and see if you can learn to live with them.

Richard1200 · August 24, 2015

On my first IS 300h far too much tyre gloss was put on during pre delivery prep so by the time I got home it was all up the side of the car and I could not clean the black edges. Had them removed at about 1000 miles and when I sold it 2 years later with 8500 miles no marks were noticeable at all on the car. To qualify that I must say that I am retired and very rarely use motorways so town and country miles only.

Had another new IS 300h last month also in white and had the films on the doors and wheel arches removed during the pre delivery so for me they are not needed.

bluenose1940 · August 24, 2015

I am constantly being asked "how did you manage to scratch your car" and, when I first anxiously said where where? they would reply "here on the rear door". It was then that I realised that it was the protectors.

Now if anyone says it. I stll have a look just in case, but with a little less anxiety!

rayaans · August 24, 2015

Totally pointless IMO. its like 30 square cm on each side, the likelihod of a stone hitting that one small area is very little. They may as well have put protection on the front bumper instead!

To remove, use a hairdryer or hot air gun. Keep the hot air gun moving and heat the area up. Then quickly remove it or itll stick if you leave it to cool down.

After that, go over the paint with tar and glue remover and all will be well.

baxlin · August 24, 2015

Just been reading the Lexus IS brochure ( slow business day...........) and it says the rear wheel arches have "hemming treatment", with no explanation of what this might be.

I suppose it's the plastic bits we don't like. Certainly these bits, according to the brochure, are not part of the Protection Pack.

Hey ho

wh05apk · August 24, 2015

My daughters yaris has these, but is 12 years old with 110,000 miles on, and I would say they have been worthwhile as the plastic shows signs of stone chipping, which would otherwise have damaged the paintwork.

My silver IS is the same, showing dirt around the edges, I suggest posting on www.detailingworld.co.uk someone will give suggestions pretty quickly.

C Mclean · August 24, 2015

Just give them a very gentle clean round the edges with an old toothbrush. That should get a lot of the dirt out.

Steve44 · August 24, 2015

Just been reading the Lexus IS brochure ( slow business day...........) and it says the rear wheel arches have "hemming treatment", with no explanation of what this might be.

I suppose it's the plastic bits we don't like. Certainly these bits, according to the brochure, are not part of the Protection Pack.

Hey ho

Hemming treatment is the way they roll and weld the wheel arch to make it without a lip on the inside, where dirt and water would accumulate and rust. Most cars have this now, but it is hard to achieve. More marketing BS than super special Lexus know how imho.