Piston Slap: Magnesium Chloride Vs. Chrome, Ber Pwnage.

Sajeev Mehta
by Sajeev Mehta

GCH writes:

I bought a Ford truck in March 2008. By February 2009, after 10 weeks of winter, the magnesium chloride they put on the roads where I live had eaten through the chrome on all ten pieces of chromed plastic on the truck including the grill and door handles. Ford refused any warranty coverage whatsoever. According to Ford, it is apparently my fault I live in the mountains where mag chloride is used on the roads. The local dealer at least let me buy replacement parts at his cost. I replaced the grill with a painted one but none of the other parts are available in paint grade.

The state DOT guy (who hates the stuff) says it can take as little as three days for mag chloride to damage cheap chrome. Chromed steel can last a couple of years. If anybody drives their high-dollar car with lots of shiny chrome into Colorado to go skiing, they literally have a day or so to wash it before the mag chloride starts eating the chromed plastic trim.

My question is how can I protect the new chromed plastic parts from future damage?

I am trying some paint sealant from Griot’s on the door handles. The only thing I have found that will permanently stick to chrome is smooth textured Rhino-liner for a black-out effect. It doesn’t look too bad on a truck. It would not be great on a car. The Rhino-liner guy also has a ceramic clear coat he can use on wheels as well as powder coat but that only works on metals parts that can be cooked, not cheap plastic trim.

Sajeev replies:

Don’t you just love dealing with multiple bureaucracies? That said, I can’t blame the carmakers entirely, even if the quality of their chrome plating may not be top notch. Making vehicles for unique conditions is more than a little cost prohibitive, not to mention the weight, safety and performance demerits of going back to chrome plated metal parts. So we are probably out of luck, but back to your question …

My advice is to have a clear-bra (i.e., clear vinyl tape) installed on the front end and any other chrome plastic parts on the vehicle. On painted surfaces with a professional installer, you can barely tell its there. On chrome plating . . . well, I guess it’d beat Rhino Liner.

And if the chrome is too far gone, just de-chrome the vehicle. Any body shop can do it, but maybe you can too: remove the trim, scuff it thoroughly with fine grit sandpaper, paint (conservatively) with Self-Etching primer, and then prep and treat like any other surface on your car.

Sajeev Mehta
Sajeev Mehta

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  • Kwik_Shift Hyunkia'sis doing what they do best...subverting expectations of quality.
  • MaintenanceCosts People who don't use the parking brake when they walk away from the car deserve to have the car roll into a river.
  • 3-On-The-Tree I’m sure they are good vehicles but you can’t base that on who is buying them. Land Rovers, Bentley’ are bought by Robin Leaches’s “The Rich and Famous” but they have terrible reliability.
  • SCE to AUX The fix sounds like a bandaid. Kia's not going to address the defective shaft assemblies because it's hard and expensive - not cool.
  • Analoggrotto I am sick and tired of every little Hyundai Kia Genesis flaw being blown out of proportion. Why doesn't TTAC talk about the Tundra iForce Max problems, Toyota V35A engine problems or the Lexus 500H Hybrid problems? Here's why: education. Most of America is illiterate, as are the people who bash Hyundai Kia Genesis. Surveys conducted by credible sources have observed a high concentration of Hyundai Kia Genesis models at elite ivy league universities, you know those places where students earn degrees which earn more than $100K per year? Get with the program TTAC.
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