Chrome layer peeling after cleaning with wipes, anyone have this issue?

[jessedacri]

Hey all. I was cleaning the Jeep yesterday from this weekend's topless/doorless camping trip and ran across some peeling chrome, or rather peeling of some layer above the chrome. I've got 11,000 miles on the Jeep, and was just cleaning trail dust out of the crack:

I was pushing the cleaning wipe into that circular chrome area on the steering wheel and I noticed it was peeling a layer off the chrome ring. The chrome seems intact below it, but it seems that Jeep may have applied some sort of dulling layer to reduce reflections that's now pulling off? Has anyone had this happen or am I peeling off something that maybe should have been peeled off during PDI?

I run my Jeep topless/doorless a lot on the trails so I deep clean the interior of trail dust probably once a week. Sometimes I use a little Dawn in warm water with microfiber towels, but the past few times I've been using this product from Home Depot called Tub O Towels which advertises itself as a general purpose cleaning wipe labeled for many uses, including car interior. Maybe this stuff somehow is dissolving that layer? Am I in for an even worse looking situation a little longer down the line? With only 11k on a 2019 Jeep I feel like peeling chrome is a rough situation.

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[KIVO]

Isn't that just a (plastic?) protection which is supposed to be removed anyway to reveal the chrome?

 

[jessedacri]

Isn't that just a (plastic?) protection which is supposed to be removed anyway to reveal the chrome?

It doesn't act like the typical peel off plastic protection stuff I'm used to, and doesn't have any seams or obvious ways to get it off but this is what I'm trying to figure out. Did you have to remove anything here when you bought your Jeep? This stuff is flaking off like paint or enamel.


It'd definitely be a relief if this is just some pre-delivery plastic stuff that didn't get taken off last year when I bought it.


:edit: I guess a better question would be, is the chrome ring around your Jeep logo on the steering wheel as glossy as the logo itself, or is it dulled like mine was before it peeled?

 

[KIVO]

I can only check from tomorrow on. Maybe someone else can jump in in the mean time.

You make me wonder - I never really paid attention to that...

 

[nerubi]

Mine's dull but not peeling. Hard to tell in the pic with the sun shining.

 

[KIVO]

Well, I just took a look at mine, and I wouldn't be able to tell with certitude whether the thing has an extra layer of whatever... But, like Nerubi's, my ring is more dull than shiny chrome, so maybe yes, it does come with some kind of layer which is not supposed to come loose. Maybe compare yours to a friends, or check some others at a local dealer for comparison?

 

[jakebrake]

It looks like it's meant to be removed. I will check on the boss lady's rubicon's steering wheel when she gets home.

 

[Goosed]

I would recommend for future use just using some spray wax for these cleanings. Been using turtle wax on my vehicle interiors for a long time. Won’t haze and make windshield filmy and has enough lubricant to not scratch any surface. I especially recommend at least using it on the gauge cluster screen and Navi screen. Spray the wax heavily on a towel and wipe dust and dirt away. It is gentle and won’t scuff the screen up at all. Also use a good microfiber. I have found that if all companies, somehow Snap-On has the best microfiber towels.

 

[jessedacri]

I would recommend for future use just using some spray wax for these cleanings. Been using turtle wax on my vehicle interiors for a long time. Won’t haze and make windshield filmy and has enough lubricant to not scratch any surface. I especially recommend at least using it on the gauge cluster screen and Navi screen. Spray the wax heavily on a towel and wipe dust and dirt away. It is gentle and won’t scuff the screen up at all. Also use a good microfiber. I have found that if all companies, somehow Snap-On has the best microfiber towels.

Would that be used for cleaning post-trail or just to keep it in good shape? My issue is I come home from a wheeling trip with the whole interior covered in California trail dust which is brutal stuff, so I feel like I need to give it a good somewhat soapy wipedown to pull it all out. I think I'm going to be tossing these wipes and will give this a shot for the next cleaning, is it a specific turtlewax interior product you're using, and you think it would be up to the task for what's essentially a fully exposed Jeep on trails?

 

[jessedacri]

It looks like it's meant to be removed. I will check on the boss lady's rubicon's steering wheel when she gets home.

It seems that way because of how much shinier it is underneath, but prior to it crumbling off it gives no outward indication that it's removable, there's no tab or peel area or seam. It makes me think FCA added a dulling coat to the ring because it was giving off bright glares in the sun, and the sharp edge can make it worse unlike the other chrome bits. I'm just hoping that now that it is exposed it's not going to peel to bare plastic next.

 

[Goosed]

Would that be used for cleaning post-trail or just to keep it in good shape? My issue is I come home from a wheeling trip with the whole interior covered in California trail dust which is brutal stuff, so I feel like I need to give it a good somewhat soapy wipedown to pull it all out. I think I'm going to be tossing these wipes and will give this a shot for the next cleaning, is it a specific turtlewax interior product you're using, and you think it would be up to the task for what's essentially a fully exposed Jeep on trails?

So please do make fun of me for this...

Most cleaners have a harshness tothe active ingredient of surfactant in it the encapsulates dirt. The issue with this is that though it provides some bit of lubrication, those chemicals over time can affect the surface and eat away at materials.

On the flip side, using water does not provide any lubrication for the dirt to roll across the surface and can cause scratches.

So I have found that using a spray wax is the best bet due to providing lubrication to reduce dust and dirt friction but does not contain large surfactant amounts in the product (mostly silicone based).

I drench a camel hair detailing brush and work it into the voids where my towel cannot get to. Then wipe down with a towel after using the brush.

 

[Spdu4ia]

i do the same with the brush and spray wax

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