Plating on headlight actuators
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Plating on headlight actuators
I was cleaning my motor compartment to get ready for a repaint under the hood. I used some purple degreaser from home depot and a pressure washer to rinse. I got some on my new (chinese) headlight actuators and it took off the zinc plating
Not happy!!! any one see this before? Should this have happened? Willcox?
Mike
Not happy!!! any one see this before? Should this have happened? Willcox?Mike
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,200
Likes: 1
From: Belle River Ontario
2015 C3 of Year Finalist
Did the bottle of degreaser say it was safe for plated items?
I have used degreasers in the past that absolutely will take the plating off , besides the headlight actuator "plating" isn't all that great to begin with and i can only assume that an offshore brand is even lower on the scale of plating quality.
Good news is you now have them ready for paint !
I have used degreasers in the past that absolutely will take the plating off , besides the headlight actuator "plating" isn't all that great to begin with and i can only assume that an offshore brand is even lower on the scale of plating quality.
Good news is you now have them ready for paint !
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,200
Likes: 4,287
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi Mike,
The actuators are plated and then given a 'chromate wash' which gives them the 'goldish' rainbow hue.
Perhaps just the wash, and not the plating, was removed and you could dust on a copper colored spray to duplicate it.
Regards,
Alan
The actuators are plated and then given a 'chromate wash' which gives them the 'goldish' rainbow hue.
Perhaps just the wash, and not the plating, was removed and you could dust on a copper colored spray to duplicate it.
Regards,
Alan
