What the heck is this?!

[Pastor_Zatx]

As the title says… “What the heck is this?!”

I got in my truck today and it looks like the plastic on the steering wheel (just the center piece) in my Mav aged 15 years overnight! To be clear, this plastic, like the rest of the interior, looked fantastic yesterday. The truck is a year old and it is (was) pristine. Additionally, before anyone asks or suspects it, I’ve never applied any cleaner, protective treatment, or any other product or chemical to this plastic.

Anyone have any ideas?

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[23grayXLT84]

That looks like a victim of some cleaner.
For all my cars I stay away from any "shine" products on plastics.
Just some mild soap and water does the trick for cleaning.

 

[Pastor_Zatx]

That looks like a victim of some cleaner.
For all my cars I stay away from any "shine" products on plastics.
Just some mild soap and water does the trick for cleaning.

Nope, not a single cleaner of any kind has been used on this. The vehicle has been in my possession and control since it was backed off of the delivery truck at the dealer.

 

[commadorebob]

I'd say take some water in a towel and wipe it down. It looks like it was cleaned but you have said that isn't the case. Did you happen to use hand sanitizer at any point?

Plastic won't turn that fast.

 

[RRaynor2]

No recent service? Nothing left open in the cab? Something condensed on there, or was already on there and then reacted with something else. For that to happen overnight is very strange.

 

[hdave]

looks like dry skin? maybe a drop of oil might help?

 

[LittleTrucker]

Weird! What's the outside temp where you are? That looks like thermal degradation but that doesn't happen overnight.

Did you happen to clean the inside of your windshield with anything?

Sweaty hands?

 

[fossil]

Take some interior cleaner and a soft bristle upholstery brush and scrub it up. Let dry and evaluate.
I use a non gloss vinyl product with UV protection.
Honestly it looks like it was wiped down with a solvent.

 

[Daveo89]

Nope, not a single cleaner of any kind has been used on this. The vehicle has been in my possession and control since it was backed off of the delivery truck at the dealer.

Are you sure someone at the dealer didn't give it a once over? Definitely looks like some kind of improper cleaner application, almost like a solvent was used to get that kind of oxidation.

 

[BlueSpec1]

I had a bit of that aging plastic look on my steering wheel's air bag cover, but it took about 6 months to show up. I hadn't used any cleaners inside till I wiped that oxidized bit of with Interior Detailer.

 

[RZ2O16]

As the title says… “What the heck is this?!”

I got in my truck today and it looks like the plastic on the steering wheel (just the center piece) in my Mav aged 15 years overnight! To be clear, this plastic, like the rest of the interior, looked fantastic yesterday. The truck is a year old and it is (was) pristine. Additionally, before anyone asks or suspects it, I’ve never applied any cleaner, protective treatment, or any other product or chemical to this plastic.

Anyone have any ideas?

The old Soap n' Water trick should help.

 

[Deleted member 14823]

As the title says… “What the heck is this?!”

I got in my truck today and it looks like the plastic on the steering wheel (just the center piece) in my Mav aged 15 years overnight! To be clear, this plastic, like the rest of the interior, looked fantastic yesterday. The truck is a year old and it is (was) pristine. Additionally, before anyone asks or suspects it, I’ve never applied any cleaner, protective treatment, or any other product or chemical to this plastic.

Anyone have any ideas?

I just noticed the exact same thing a couple of days ago. The only thing I can think of that was different is I left a small empty recycling bin in the cab overnight, there was probably moisture in it that maybe caused condensation inside the cab as RRaynor2 suggested.

All I know is I got inside yesterday and when I pulled out of the garage and saw it in daylight I was surprised. I'll just clean it and see if it happens again. I also don't know right now how much I care. I wasn't planning on entering my Mav in any Concours d’Elegance shows.

 

[JennyJoannSuebeeMcNash]

Looks like when you open up an aged candy bar and it has that white sheen on it. Weird.

 

[Maverickman74]

My guess is that it was dirty from the factory and since you took it right off the truck the dealer didnt have a chance to prep it. Try cleaning it with a some light soap on a wet rag then dry it with a dry rag. If it dont work go to the dealer and tell em to go ahead and order you a replacement wheel. Stat!

 

[Red454]

Looks somewhat like mold release from the mfg. process.

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