Stretched & burned windshield moldings
The cosmetic part that lies against the roof of my 2009 Nissan Altima was stretched and burned by a car wash company when they were doing a “hand wax” and used spinning foam applicators to apply the wax. I used a 3M Bondo product called Restore Black which contains dye among other ingredients to cover the burn. I was told by the official 3M Bondo rep that it would do no harm. It did such a good job of covering the burn that I used it on the rest of the windshield molding because I thought it was faded. The part of the molding that was stretched is now even more stretched, sticking up more and the whole cosmetic part of the molding is puckered across the entire length. I have since been told by the chemistry department of 3M automotive products that the Restore Black should never have been used on the molding due to ingredients such as ammonia, solvents, etc. in it.
I have discussed the situation with about six different windshield repair companies and also Nissan dealers. They all say the only way to replace the damaged molding is to remove the windshield since the molding is all one piece with a U shaped part that fits under and over the windshield and the cosmetic part that fits against the roof. However, they all advise to not do anything since taking out the windshield destroys the factory seal and the windshield will most likely break in the process.
I am therefore looking for an alternative fix. I doubt if anything can be done regarding the puckering, but I have been looking for an adhesive that will hold down the part that is stretched but not be so strong that it would damage the paint or cause a problem if the windshield ever had to be replaced I did find a product called VersaChem Flowable Silicone at auto parts stores. I talked to VersaChem Customer Service reps about it and they recommended it as the least aggressive product. However, it is actually a sealer intended to fix leaks not serve as an adhesive. I did try some experiments trying to simulate my car and it would hold plastic against metal somewhat, but it took little force to pull the plastic off the metal since the product is about like rubber cement. I doubt it would hold since I am using a pressure self service car wash since I cannot hand wash my car at my apartment complex. Also I have read that silicones will damage moldings.
Questions: 1. Does anyone have any comments about the Versachem and/or any suggestions about other adhesives that can be safely used? 2. Also, can the stretched part be trimmed without looking unsightly? I have been told the molding is a solid color all the way through, but I am not sure. 3. Will silicone damage the molding?
The cosmetic part that lies against the roof of my 2009 Nissan Altima was stretched and burned by a car wash company when they were doing a “hand wax” and used spinning foam applicators to apply the wax. I used a 3M Bondo product called Restore Black which contains dye among other ingredients to cover the burn. I was told by the official 3M Bondo rep that it would do no harm. It did such a good job of covering the burn that I used it on the rest of the windshield molding because I thought it was faded. The part of the molding that was stretched is now even more stretched, sticking up more and the whole cosmetic part of the molding is puckered across the entire length. I have since been told by the chemistry department of 3M automotive products that the Restore Black should never have been used on the molding due to ingredients such as ammonia, solvents, etc. in it.
I have discussed the situation with about six different windshield repair companies and also Nissan dealers. They all say the only way to replace the damaged molding is to remove the windshield since the molding is all one piece with a U shaped part that fits under and over the windshield and the cosmetic part that fits against the roof. However, they all advise to not do anything since taking out the windshield destroys the factory seal and the windshield will most likely break in the process.
I am therefore looking for an alternative fix. I doubt if anything can be done regarding the puckering, but I have been looking for an adhesive that will hold down the part that is stretched but not be so strong that it would damage the paint or cause a problem if the windshield ever had to be replaced I did find a product called VersaChem Flowable Silicone at auto parts stores. I talked to VersaChem Customer Service reps about it and they recommended it as the least aggressive product. However, it is actually a sealer intended to fix leaks not serve as an adhesive. I did try some experiments trying to simulate my car and it would hold plastic against metal somewhat, but it took little force to pull the plastic off the metal since the product is about like rubber cement. I doubt it would hold since I am using a pressure self service car wash since I cannot hand wash my car at my apartment complex. Also I have read that silicones will damage moldings.
Questions: 1. Does anyone have any comments about the Versachem and/or any suggestions about other adhesives that can be safely used? 2. Also, can the stretched part be trimmed without looking unsightly? I have been told the molding is a solid color all the way through, but I am not sure. 3. Will silicone damage the molding?
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