[Kerbe]

Installed frame plugs.
Equalized tire pressure.
Applied RainX.
Installed WeatherTech floor and cargo liners.
Installed rubber OEM liner to the under-shifter bin area.
Used Magic Eraser then alcohol then window cleaner on interior windows.

Still ahead - using a clay-bar and then polishing the exterior.

 

[2002]

Installed frame plugs.
Equalized tire pressure.
Applied RainX.
Installed WeatherTech floor and cargo liners.
Installed rubber OEM liner to the under-shifter bin area.
Used Magic Eraser then alcohol then window cleaner on interior windows.

Still ahead - using a clay-bar and then polishing the exterior.

Before you clay-bar and all of that it's a good time to decide if you want to remove the plug-in hybrid badges. Easy to remove with dental floss and a hair dryer to keep things warm (don't overdo the heat). The dental floss breaks pretty often, I went though one of those little floss dispensers. Some people use fishing line, but I felt dental floss would be a little safer on the paint. After removing the badge the adhesive mostly rubs off, what little was left I used Goo-Gone, then finished with alcohol, polish and wax, absolutely no trace they were ever there and my car is black which will show everything. Put the badges away for safe keeping and will reapply them when I sell/trade.

Probably most people keep them on but I knew even before I bought the car that I wanted to remove at least the one on the charge door. When I realized they come off pretty easy I did the one on the passenger side also. Was undecided on the rear but decided to remove that one too. I have touring and so it looks more balanced without the plug-in badge above the touring badge.

 

[Kerbe]

Before you clay-bar and all of that it's a good time to decide if you want to remove the plug-in hybrid badges. \

I was actually thinking about it - especially since the "Clarity" and PHEV badges on the trunk are angled to match the body-line and the dealer applied his 3D logo with a level below the PHEV badge - which makes them BOTH look wrong!

Do you heat the badge as a whole or just try to heat the adhesive?

After sitting in the hot Louisiana sun and acid rain for 8 months - and never having all the adhesive from the travel-wrap removed - there are a lot of baked-on lump and stains that I'm hoping the clay will remove.

BTW - I think the Clarity looks best in black but I could not conceive of driving a black car with a black interior in the deep south. Now, if I lived up north... :smile:

 

[2002]

I was actually thinking about it - especially since the "Clarity" and PHEV badges on the trunk are angled to match the body-line and the dealer applied his 3D logo with a level below the PHEV badge - which makes them BOTH look wrong!

Do you heat the badge as a whole or just try to heat the adhesive?

After sitting in the hot Louisiana sun and acid rain for 8 months - and never having all the adhesive from the travel-wrap removed - there are a lot of baked-on lump and stains that I'm hoping the clay will remove.

BTW - I think the Clarity looks best in black but I could not conceive of driving a black car with a black interior in the deep south. Now, if I lived up north... :smile:

I had to have a black interior, which is only available in silver, gray and black. I never owned a black car before, not as bad as I thought for Atlanta (although not quite as hot as Florida) and black seems to hide all of the odd styling, in fact the car actually looks normal

I assume you plan to remove the dealer logo also. I am surprised I even made it all the way home without removing my dealer logo as that is always the first thing to go. It peeled right off, no adhesive residue.

Heat just the side of the badge you are starting on, then as you go along apply heat to the area you are working on. It would work without heat but will go faster with some heat. Takes about ten minutes per badge. Pull the floss towards you as you "saw" to keep the pressure on the back of the badge instead of the paint. I found that if I keep changing which part of the floss is doing the sawing it won't break as quickly.

Don't be tempted to pull the badge off when it gets halfway, it might come off but it might also break. That wouldn't hurt the car but you would have to buy a new badge at resale time. Best to just saw all the way through, when you get right near the end it will usually pull of with a light tug.

 

[Kerbe]

It peeled right off, no adhesive residue.

Went at it today using 90% isopropyl alcohol and 6 lb. test fishing line - used a little sawing motion and kept lubricating it with alcohol. The charge-door badge popped off without much effort. I then put a piece of paper toweling over the remaining gray tape adhesive and kept it wet with alcohol for about 15 minutes. Using a rubbing/lifting motion I was able to peel off the rest of the adhesive. I then used a claybar and, finally, waxed the door. I'm very pleased with the result.

The dealer's plastic chrome letters on the trunk lid peeled off with just a fingernail - but the clear adhesive required much wetting and scrubbing to remove. I also tried Goo Gone and WD40 - but only isopropyl made it release. Again, some claybar and wax and it's as if it was never there.

Next I want to tackle the passenger-side badge - but I ran out of alcohol! I'm going to leave the badge on the trunk lid.

Thanks for the advice! :smile:

 

[2002]

I then put a piece of paper toweling over the remaining gray tape adhesive and kept it wet with alcohol for about 15 minutes.

That's known as a poultice and works pretty good for that type of thing. I have used a poultice with baby oil on adhesives when I didn't want to use Goo-Gone, although you have to leave it on overnight. I had not thought of using alcohol for the debadging, because it wasn't strong enough for some of the other adhesives that I have removed from things. Probably better for the paint than Goo-Gone although I only used a little and it didn't seem to hurt anything.

Just remember when you eventually reapply the badges to use some high quality adhesive tape not the cheap double-sided tape.

 

[obermd]

I was actually thinking about it - especially since the "Clarity" and PHEV badges on the trunk are angled to match the body-line and the dealer applied his 3D logo with a level below the PHEV badge - which makes them BOTH look wrong!

Do you heat the badge as a whole or just try to heat the adhesive?

After sitting in the hot Louisiana sun and acid rain for 8 months - and never having all the adhesive from the travel-wrap removed - there are a lot of baked-on lump and stains that I'm hoping the clay will remove.

BTW - I think the Clarity looks best in black but I could not conceive of driving a black car with a black interior in the deep south. Now, if I lived up north... :smile:

I'd be wanting to pull the dealership tag/sticker off the car.

 

[Kerbe]

I'd be wanting to pull the dealership tag/sticker off the car.

It was the first to go!

 

[Kerbe]

Finally remembered to take pix!