I'm waiting on UPS to deliver these parts Any. Second. Now.

I know I should clean the areas where they will be installed (lots of tree pollen), but should I strip any wax by using dish soap for the cleaning?

Car is brand new and I haven't apply any wax on my own, so whatever came from the dealer is what is on there.

 

Use denatured alcohol from Ace Hardware stores. I have used that for side moldings, the rear bumper applique (but a much better one than what you just bought). Stock bumper tape from Honda is a huge ripoff. Anyway, denatured alcohol is a great all-around solvent that won't hurt the paint.

 

baby shampoo or soft hand soap

 

It isn't a ridiculous post! Cleaning appropriately isn't obvious.

You need to get pollen or any grit off, clearly. Baby soap, shampoo, dish soap - all fine. I'm not a surface expert but in general I think waxes etc promise more than they should; even if previously waxed, soapy water would probably get you down to a layer which is unlikely to loosen much for the life of the decal. Just my two cents that one

After that, alcohol is probably not necessary as already indicated. But it also won't hurt; I figure why worry and use it anyway. Rubbing alcohol seems to work well for me. IF you had an older car with flaking bumper paint, this might be too harsh but otherwise no problem. But .. yeah, you can probably skip.

There are youtube tutorials for bumper applique. I found them real helpful. Applying the items is really foolproof. Check em out

 

So... should I not ask about what to use on the headlights/foglights to prep them for Headlight Armor kits? Will Windex be okay?

 

Baby shampoo
Hand soap
Dish soap
heavy duty degreasers
Laudry soap

These are all SURFACTANTS in chemistry lingo. They all interact with grease the same way.

De-Natured Alcohol

is a SOLVENT. And it works in a very different way.

One attracts grease to water (SURFACTANTS). The other disolves grease in water (SOLVENT)

Lets look at 3 different car scenarios:

1- Preping paint for a decal or an aplique or a door sill garnish.

What you are trying to do is to remove the grease (CAR WAX) from the last top layer of clear coat to promote a strong bond with the glue.

Clear coats are very hard. They require abhresives to scratch or damage them. Both SOLVENTs and SURFACTANTS are safe in this aplication in MODERATION and in limited use.

But

Hand soap, shampoos, and even dish soaps generally have additives like oils and others. Counter productive.

So

a safe SOLVENT like de-natured alcohol or alcohol wipes are best.


2- Headlights.

Are made of plastics.

a SURFACTANT like WINDEX will work just fine. Let all the alcohol evaporate. No more smell

Do not use a SOLVENT on plastics.

3- Removing an emblem or badge.

a SURFACTANT is not strong enough to attract the glue from the car and into water.

while a SOLVENT like GOO-GONE works the best because it disolves the glue. USE IN MODERATION.

OK now for some lunch

 

I just used a cloth with dish soap, rinsed and dried it, and the alcohol pad they provide with the parts.

It's been a year or so and it hasn't come up at all.

 

Me, too & mine has stayed for over two years. Sometime it helps to follow the directions included with the parts

 

I wouldn't use Windex. Use dish soap.

Yes, sometimes RTFM is the best.

 

The Headlight Armor people agree:

You can clean the lights with soap and water, no special cleaners needed. Just make sure they are degreased and bug guts free. Humidity is not an installation issue, it just means they take a little longer to cure. Noting to be concerned about. Good luck with your install.

 

or just wait til the door sill trim and bumper thing arrive and use the alcohol pads they put in the kits.

Oh that bumper applique is a piece of crap in my opinion. I pulled mine off as it is cheap looking. If you want bumper protection then fasten some kind of material under the interior trim that can just pull out over bumper when needed.

 

^^^^^
It is called the "Bumper Bib" and comes in large size for SUV's and small for Fits.

But---this is the toughest bumper protector, and it costs under $20.00, mounts with 3M tape.

Over 1/4" thick at the raised ribs.

Whatever you had to pay for the the Honda excuse for "bumper protection", you actually bought just a strip of black tape (as you probably know by now if UPS delivered it to you).

 

baby soap. we install 3m clear bra film to cars at work. clean surface with baby soap, apply with water. use vinegar to make one edge stick so you dont have the film walking all over the place when you try to squeegee

 

hey manxman: claymore says hi

 

Who's manxman? Who's claymore? Oh yeah, the psycho who "runs" the loser, dying, Fit forum (into the ground). Who cares?

 

I take issue with the OEM rear bumper applique digs. It really does depend what your use will be. I have two dogs that love to jump out the back of my car and use the bumper as a launching pad.

The rear bumper applique covers a larger area (left to right) and folds down a bit over the edge of the bumper.

The other pads they sell wouldn't save my bumper from dog paw scratches.

The flip down pad would work great if my dogs weren't spring loaded out the hatch every time. LOL.

For scratch resistance I think the OEM version is best simply based on coverage area.

 

how, in exactly what manner, do you use or apply the vinegar?

thanks

 

I have a new never used one for a 2012 FIT if someone wants to buy it.
$20 shipped sound good?