Hi- does anyone know what "Perma Plate" is?

In particular do you know how to remove it?

While my 8 was at the dealer for service yesterday they sprayed some slimy coating all over the dash, center console, front doors and part of the front seats. Whatever this stuff is, it smells, comes off on clothes and has made the interior multiple shades and textures of black.

The dealer thinks they were "detailing" (w/o my permission), I think they were performing vandalism. During the yelling that ensued, I was told that it was something called "Perma Plate" - found a web site last night, but it is pretty low on content.

I need to figure out if this chemical can be removed or not. I would appreciate hearing from anyone with experience in how to remove this stuff.

Dave

 

Take it back to the dealer and raise some hell to have them remove it. They put it one w/o your permission, they should remove.

 

Sounds like buy-back time.

 

Oh, I'm raising hell all right. I want this fixed (if that's possible, some chemical bonds can not be reveresed). However, I refuse to let that dealer ever touch the car again! Lettiing the dealer (Menlo Mazda in Redwood City, CA for those curious) near the car again would feel just too much like asking a grafiti spraying gang member to restore a fine painting.... seems unwise.

I have contacted Mazda USA - current state of conversation is to arrange for a different dealer to do the "removal" - at Mazda's expense. If that does not work I have informed Mazda that the only other way I know to be made whole again is to have the dash, center console, front door panels and at last one front seat replaced - MNAO is not fond of that idea.

Dave

 

The Perma-Plate is the same stuff they use in the "Total Protection Package". It is a once-a-year protection to your interior and exterior. It's essentially a stain preventer.

They spray that stuff on the interior AND exterior of the car.. I think it's teflon or other polymer-type based coating.. It's applied to almost every surface of the the car.

Most dealerships have some form of this product and sell it as a HUGE markup on the car (usually between 500 and 800 dollars) or as an option you can purchase once you sign the papers.

Honda has one called "Granitization" process.. same crap. Looks all shiny and smells of strong chemicals. They sell that stuff to you when you buy your car. They tried to sell it to me, but I declined and later they threw in 5 years worth for me as a deal-closer.. It's not as bad as it looks..

The smell will fade away once the stuff completely dries. And once it dries, it makes your car's interior nice and spiffy..

I actually have a bottle of Perma Plate at home that my sister gave me when she returned her Mercedes.. She said that bottle costs 500 bucks.

So the stuff must be good for the car if everyone else is selling it for $500+, right? I'll let you decide that.. Being that I am a stain freak, I wouldn't mind having that stuff applied to my car, especially if it was free (considering the price).

 

perma-plate is put on ever vehicle new from the factory...it helps in sealing the clear coat...i used to work at a nissan dealership....if you were told its part of a protection plan you were lied to. it heps the protect it while the car is outside waiting to be sold

 

Why in the he$$ would they put this stuff on the INSIDE of the car

Did you try contacting Perma-Plate and asking for the removal steps?

 

I found a perma plate web site - only contact info was an email address - I've sent them email asking how/if it can be removed.

Dave

 

Well there's different kinds of permaplate, but essentially its all the same crap.. it's a clear liquid that coats the surface and dries completely clear.. It may take a while to dry though. It's a polymer-based coating.

check out the website posted earlier.

It will probably very hard to take off since it absorbs into the fibers and surfaces of the materials its coating. Thus the "Perma" in the name.

There's really no way of taking it out without using other chemicals to break it down.

Basically you're out of luck. But what's the big deal? This is made to make you car better, not worse.

How bad does it really look? I mean you didn't let it dry completely before you freaked out about how gooey or slick everything was..

If not just get a dry ultrafine microfiber cloth and wipe it down.. it should look fine.

 

Some comments -
1) it looks pretty bad - surfaces are now not a single shade of black - the difference where the stuff was wiped on is very noticable. The application was very poor - there are streak marks that are obviously from a cloth smearing the stuff around - some areas got covered some did not - result multi shades, some shiny some matt finish. The shine is bad enough that it impacts driving - as the dash now causes light reflection in my eyes - this did not occur with the car as it came from the factory.

2) How long should the stuff take to dry? It was still wet this morn - I drove a diff car this morn to avoid getting the stuff on me again. I did try to wipe some areas down last night with a dry towel - not a lot of improvement.

3) Well, I wouldn't say "I freaked" - I did get (and am) rather angry. Angry enough that I'm very carefully researching how to fix the problem and loging what this is costing me in time and $. That will probably become one basis for establishing damage amounts. Let's just say that my professional hourly rate is probably more than what the dealer pays the guy that sprayed the crap on the car - and I'll expect to be compensated for the amount of my time wasted as a direct consequences of thier action.

4) A real issue is that I don't know for a fact that the stuff is perma plate - I only know that the service manager told me it was. I've since talked to perma Plate - they are concerned becuase their customers are only allowed to apply and sell the stuff with a warrenty - it is not supposed to be used in this manner. IF it is perma plate AND is is the leather product, perma plate tells me it can be broken down with oderless mineral spirits, if it's the fabric product (applied to leather) it's bad, as that stuff bonds to the fibers as a sealent and can not be removed - in which case the color stains are permanent.

let's see - Spraying substances on my property that checmically bonds without asking my permission... what is that called? Oh, yeah, "vandalism".

5) Re "what's the big deal..." - Two issues - a) the stuff looks bad, probably due as much to the poor application as the product (whatever it really is), and b) a seriousl principal is invlolved - It was not asked for or authorized. Hence my comment above about vandalism. In my value system, one does not "paint" other people's property w/o permission.


Dave

 

well vandalism is a serious claim, and I don' t think it was their intent to "vandalize" your car.. They're only doing their job..

I agree with you that things shouldn't be done without the consent of the owner, but almost all auto dealers do certain things for the customer without the customer's knowledge, this probably being one of them.

Nonetheless, you are upset and should be compensated for the work it will take you to remove that crap. My only reservation is calling them "vandals". You can certainly feel like they vandalized you car, but they aren't "vandals" in the sense that there was malice involved. They made a bad mistake and they should pay for it.

Anyway, I hope everything works out for you bro, I did't realize it is as bad as you said it was.

Whatever you do, my advise is try to work "with" them, that will give you the best chances at getting anything out of your unfortunate situation.

 

That's actually very good advise - it's one reason I declined the offer of Mazda Corp to have a 3 way conf call this morn; I'm not yet back to a point where I can productively interact with the dealer's service manager.

On a different tack - I have a friend that thinks that all citizens should get the rights to use three bullets for which they can not be prosecuted - as long as they are used against govt employees... claims it would vastly improve government.
Today I'm leaning toward agreeing - as long as we can include Car dealers as blessed targets.... :D

(OK, before anyone flames me, the prior paragraph is only an attempt to find some humor / persective on this situation)

Dave

 

Hum, I thought I used the term correctly, your message caused me to go check - this is for all you out there in Net-land reading along (I'm not trying to start any arguments here, just wanted to make sure that I had used an apporpriate term in a public forum).

Vandalize: To destroy or deface (public or private property) willfully or maliciously.

Destroyed? Totally no, partially yes
Defaced? Yes
Willfully? Yes
Maliciously? No.

Willfully: Being in accord with ones will: Deliberate
Was the stuff deliberately applied? Yes.

Ok, I think I'm through beating the dead horse now.

Actually, thanks for the comments, the intellectual diversion of checking my volcabulary was a nice side trip today

Dave

 

BTW...awile back a forum member quoted the owners manual with "do not use glazing agents on interior plasics of the RX8". Armed with that......they dont have a leg to stand on.

Plunk that highlighted section on the sevive desk....done deal