Sunroof Rubber Gasket Always Leaves Black Residue

[Damon129]

Hello,

I have an '02 Accord with a sunroof. The black rubber seal that goes along the outside of the sunroof always, no matter how much I clean and scrub, always gives a black residue no matter what touches it (if it's wet.) This includes my wash mitt, drying towel, wax and polish applicator and wet hands.

This wouldn't be a big deal but the car is white, so when waxing, it's inevitable that I get a little wax on it, and I get a giant black smear as a result.

I've tried regular car wash soap and a wash mitt, all purpose cleaner with a toothbrush and nothing can seem to get this clean.

I was going to try Griot's Rubber Prep as maybe it's just really dirty. (I have been lax with my detailing until recently, so it's possible.)

Any other ideas what could be going on and how to rectify?

Thanks,

[jamesboyy]

Welcome to autogeek, as for your situation that is just the dirt and contamination that build up over time, and either the rubber breaking down or if you applied a solvent based dressing to the rubber you will get the greasy effect every time you touch it therefore I suggest is that you clean the rubber at least three times with all purpose cleaner of choice then apply a water based dressing like chemical guys slik shine to the rubber(water based dressings are dry to touch, does not eat the rubber and give vitamins in a sense back into the material applied too) though if you to take it up one more notch try carpro Dlux its semi permanent, dry to touch , and less maintenance

[Setec Astronomy]

Is this smooth rubber or the fuzzy stuff? If it's the fuzzy stuff I'm not sure you can do anything, but I've had good success on smooth rubbers doing a good APC cleaning like jamesboyy suggests, followed by Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant (WETS). I'm sure Ultima Tire and Trim Guard (UTTG) or the new Blackfire trim sealant would be similar in effect.

Of course your mileage may vary (YMMV) because every piece of black trim on a car is different, let alone different cars.

[cardaddy]

Yep... as James said.... it's going to take a good few cleanings to get it right. Then you'll want to use a good trim sealant and that should fix it.

The Griot's rubber cleaner is one to look at, as well as their trim/rubber sealant. However... their stuff seems to do a better job cleaning than it does for the sealant. I'd suggest either Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus or Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant. One (UTTGP) is solvent based, the other is water based. For that seal, if the rubber is old and/or neglected you might really want to try first really cleaning it, keep doing it till your rag wipes clean. Then it's 50/50 which one you'll want to keep in the long run. Ultima will likely lubricate and LAST a lot longer on the roof, fwiw. :dunno:

[Damon129]

Awesome guys, thanks a lot. I will hit it with an APC a few more times then put some Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant afterwards.

I will also report back with results in a few weeks.

Thanks again!