I was lubing up some of my door jambs and and got the idea of trying to use the silicone lube to shine plastics in the engine compartment. It works great and it only costs $2 at Autozone. Its called STP Silicone Spray. I heard that the real engine detailer sprays have silicone in them buy why pay almost $10 for a can when you can get this spray for less than $3. I dont think it is harmful to the plastics but I could be wrong?

Silicones are what kills padded dashes faster than sunlight.....Armorall and stuff like it...

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

"".........................................................Proper Vinyl Care

Vinyl is subject to deterioration from thermal heat (baking grime into the surface), UV radiation (causing fading and cracking), abrasion (sliding in and out of seats) and solvents found in some cleaners and dressings.

A microscopic view of automotive vinyl would show raw PVC (polyvinyl chloride) covered by a thin layer of plastic called the "topcoat". The topcoat is the part of the vinyl you see and can touch. To keep vinyl soft and flexible, manufacturers add agents known as plasticizers to the raw PVC. A major function of the topcoat is to hold in these plasticizers, which otherwise would evaporate as the sun heats them. This is why new cars develop a greasy "vinyl haze" on the inside windshield for the first three to six months.

Protecting the topcoat is the top priority in properly maintaining automotive vinyl. All vinyl manufacturers agree on and recommend the following:

General Cleaning: Never use household cleaners, powdered or other abrasives, steel wool, or industrial cleaners, dry cleaning fluids, strong petroleum distillates, bleach or detergents. Use a medium-soft brush, warm soapy water, (such as Ivory soap), wipe or rinse with cool water and then dry. Stubborn stains should be cleaned with an alkaline (soap) based formula, not a solvent (acid) based formula. Eimann Spot Remover is an alkaline based cleaner.

Mildew Stains: To kill the bacteria creating the mildew, use a medium-soft brush and vigorously brush the stained area with a 4 to 1 mixture of water and ammonia; rinse with cool water.

Note: All cleaning methods should be followed by a thorough rinse with water using a sponge or wet cloth.

Obviously abrasives should never be used on vinyl. Strong petroleum distillates are a universal "no no" for both vinyl and rubber and waxes should never be used on vinyl.

Virtually all vinyl manufacturers agree that no type of silicone oil should be used on vinyl. Silicone oil vinyl treatments should not be used for several reasons:

1. Silicone oils typically attack the vinyl topcoat by trapping heat. 2. Silicone oils contain no effective UV screening ingredients.
3. Silicone oil formulas are greasy, build-up products which attract dust, and soil more quickly.

READ THE LABEL! Product directions suggesting more than one coat for better cosmetic enhancements are build-up products and not recommended by vinyl manufacturers.

Recommended Vinyl Care Products:

303 Protectant. 303 is a beautififying liquid sunscreen which will keep vinyl looking like new. 303 contains no petrochemicals, silicone oils or petroleum distillates. 303 is not a build-up product. 303 is not oily or greasy and does not attract dust. In fact, 303 treated vinyl repels dust, dirt and stains, stays cleaner longer and is much easier to clean when finally soiled. 303 is the most powerful UV screening treatment available for vinyl, leather, and rubber. Regular use of 303 can reduce UV caused slow-fade up to 100%.

Lexol Vinylex. Vinylex is a one-step cleaner and protectant. Vinylex is a water-based product with special emulsifiers and wetting agents that deep cleans and brings grime to the surface where it can be easily wiped away. Vinylex contains DH60, a strong sunscreen to protect against the harmful effects of ozone and ultraviolet radiation. Vinylex is not a build-up product but does contain a patented bi-modal silicone for gloss.

Pinnacle Vinyl & Rubber Protectant. Vinyl & Rubber Protectant uses natural oils and conditioners to keep vinyl flexible and supple. Vinyl & Rubber Protectant is a water-based product and contains no petroleum distillates or silicone oils. It has the lowest gloss (a very satin finish) and best fragrance (natural oils) of any product we offer. Pinnacle Vinyl & Rubber Protectant is not a build-up product.

303 Protectant contains the strongest UV sunscreen, Lexol Vinylex the second strongest and Pinnacle Vinyl & Rubber Protectant the weakest sunscreen........................................."


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[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

I should have said Armourall and stuff like it contain silicones and do more damage than good. that was my original intent.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

And when you use it in the engine compartment, it can make it's way into the intake and eventually destory your O2 sensor!

I really hate when car dealers spray that silicone crap all over the engine to make it look "nice". First thing I do is wash it with Simple Green to remove all of it and the massive amounts of dirt it atracks. Then spray selected parts with 303 for that nice clean engine bay look.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

They don't seem to carry 303 on my island for some reason?

I was going to order some online... but I first researched a bit more
and found people raving about a cleaner/protectant called Race Glaze.

It arrived a few minutes ago, so I can't report on it yet.

Race Glaze on eBay

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'87 300SDL

dieselbenz