Weird dark smoke-like stain on the side of my new Cybertruck

[HaulingAss]

Thanks, I just read it in the manual not to use detergents

Does it say not to use detergent soaps or does it just recommend non-detergent soaps?

Detergent can be a little harsher on things like rubber window seals and what-not, but it works very good on the bare stainless.

And the reason they recommend removing grease, oils and tars is not because they will damage the metal, but they can interfere with the natural self-passivation of the stainless after it's been polished. It can lead to a less than even appearance, at least until it is polished again.

I've found warm soapy water to be great at keeping the Cybertruck looking naturally good. Between washings I'll use SprayWay or rubbing alcohol diluted to 30% to 50% in a plastic spray bottle and wipe off with a clean microfiber. Works great!

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[JLMart]

From Tesla owner's manual:
Cleaning the Exterior
To prevent damage to the exterior, immediately remove corrosive substances (such as grease, oil, bird droppings, tree resin, dead insects, tar spots, road salt, industrial fallout, etc.). Do not wait until Cybertruck is due for a complete wash. If necessary, use denatured alcohol to remove tar spots and stubborn grease stains, then immediately wash the area with water and a mild, non-detergent soap to remove the alcohol.

My comments: As a chemical engineer that worked in the cleaning industry for 40 years, I can assure all readers that Tesla doesn't know WTF they are talking about. Grease, oil and tar are not corrosive. Remove these substances with charcoal lighter (aliphatic hydrocarbon) because "like dissolves like." Alcohol (ethanol, or isopropanol) is pretty worthless for tar/oil/grease. There is no rush. Bird poop is another story. It is acidic with a pH of 3-4.5. Wipe with water and a rag whenever you see it. Insects have a pH from 6.5-7.5, quite neutral. Use water and car detergent. Industrial fallout. All depends. Road salt. Use water and car detergent. Tree sap. Again, it depends. Isopropanol or charcoal lighter. Do it before it polymerizes from UV light. "Mild non-detergent soap" is a totally ignorant statement. Car shampoos that say they are "soap" don't know the difference between soap and detergent. As a Tesla/TSLA owner I would say Tesla should be embarrassed for this nonsense. As far as that shadowing I don't know unless I see it, feel it. All in all, 300 series stainless steel is better than any clear coat. Hey Tesla, hire me for a consulting gig. I'm retired.

Thanks for your detailed explanation; you are very knowledgeable on the subject. Following the manual, I tried the denatured alcohol/isopropanol, and it did absolutely nothing. I will try the charcoal lighter tomorrow.

 

[declan]

Like you said. You have got a Tesla and i have a truck. Best if you did not get a truck.

I really don't understand your answer. Are you saying if I pay $100,000 for a "truck" it doesn't need to be in good condition?

 

[declan]

That’s normal, I had on the tail gate bigger and darker than yours. Wash, you can use ironX after and clean / polish with Bar Keepers Friend Bar Keepers Friend
Soft Cleanser….

That's normal?

 

[declan]

FYI, Tesla does not deliver vehicles that have been detailed as traditional dealers do. Dependent on the delivery center, they can be relatively good shape to just a simple wash to get the grime off.

This is not a simple "wash off". I love electric vehicles and my Tesla, but why are you just a simp for Elon?

 

[akenis]

I've had to do barkeepers friend soft a couple times just due to oils and marks I wasn't fond of that were not coming off with spray way glass cleaner.

Also did a pass with a metal ceramic coat and it puts a yellow/orange like tarnish back on the metal I didn't super care for but did resist finger prints great. I later ran a pass with bar keepers friend and it still seems to have the finger resistence without the tarnish look.

I'd just be careful with it, doesn't take much of the product or the polishing to get off marks from sprinklers, oils, bugs, humans etc.

What coating did you use? I just did a full passivation with Tesla Citrisurf 77 and blue Scotchbright. Got everything looking new except one panel that I accidentally had let a spot remover drip down from Windows. Will give it a third pass. Might try BKF if that doesn't work (some recommend to NOT use BKF).

I have DIY Metal Coating ready. He got panels super clean prior with multiple passes of Panel Prep prior to applying. I'm hesitant to go through that process now.

 

[mstatkus]

What coating did you use? I just did a full passivation with Tesla Citrisurf 77 and blue Scotchbright. Got everything looking new except one panel that I accidentally had let a spot remover drip down from Windows. Will give it a third pass. Might try BKF if that doesn't work (some recommend to NOT use BKF).

I have DIY Metal Coating ready. He got panels super clean prior with multiple passes of Panel Prep prior to applying. I'm hesitant to go through that process now.

BKF soft is considered even more abrasive than the Tesla recommended CitriSurf® 77 or equivalent.
I did not repeat or go hard on this process. Used it sparingly and to get marks off that I was not happy with. I have not seen any effects of dulling and if anything it brightens up the stainless. The Out of Spec Detail guy covers it a bit on his Youtube Channel.

On the Metal Ceramic I did not super enjoy the yellow/orange tint it caused. I appreciate the resistence to finger prints but I'd recommend since it's very hard to deal with temp/humidity to just go slow. My hood was cake. Fenders easy. Doors just drank it. But that's where I think the 1oz bottle started to get stretched thin as I made it to the rear panels and tailgate. Its like I was getting more residue and became more like honey to get off at 10-12mins.

Serious case of Karate Kid wax on / wax off compared to paint ceramic ?.

 

[Woodrick]

This is not a simple "wash off". I love electric vehicles and my Tesla, but why are you just a simp for Elon?

I'm just simply stating the facts as reported by myself and many other posters.

You may not like it, but it is reality.

 

[akenis]

I've had to do barkeepers friend soft a couple times just due to oils and marks I wasn't fond of that were not coming off with spray way glass cleaner.

Also did a pass with a metal ceramic coat and it puts a yellow/orange like tarnish back on the metal I didn't super care for but did resist finger prints great. I later ran a pass with bar keepers friend and it still seems to have the finger resistence without the tarnish look.

I'd just be careful with it, doesn't take much of the product or the polishing to get off marks from sprinklers, oils, bugs, humans etc.

I think the slight champagne color is the normal color when the new protective lawyer is formed. I did front door panel on Sat night, and it was shinny. The next day I did the back door panel and it was super shiny also. The front panel was then noticably less shinny and slightly champagne color.

I'm confused as to how long the new protective layer takes to develop. And then the question becomes should you wait maybe a day or 2 before applying Metal Coating so that layer has time to develop? If you coat right away, does that inhibit development of protective layer and lock in bright color?

 

[akenis]

BKF soft is considered even more abrasive than the Tesla recommended CitriSurf® 77 or equivalent.
I did not repeat or go hard on this process. Used it sparingly and to get marks off that I was not happy with. I have not seen any effects of dulling and if anything it brightens up the stainless. The Out of Spec Detail guy covers it a bit on his Youtube Channel.

On the Metal Ceramic I did not super enjoy the yellow/orange tint it caused. I appreciate the resistence to finger prints but I'd recommend since it's very hard to deal with temp/humidity to just go slow. My hood was cake. Fenders easy. Doors just drank it. But that's where I think the 1oz bottle started to get stretched thin as I made it to the rear panels and tailgate. Its like I was getting more residue and became more like honey to get off at 10-12mins.

Serious case of Karate Kid wax on / wax off compared to paint ceramic ?.

Watched Colletton many times! But then I watched Yvon from DIY Detail video has me second guessing. He is adamant to NOT use BKF. Of course he used the products they sell: DIY Rinseless, DIY Spot remover, DIY iron remover, DIY panel Prep and DIY metal coating. Not to mention DIY sponge and DIY clay towell.

I think BKF and Citrisurf 77 with an abrasive Scotchbright would be about the same. Both acidic to get passivation going and a little abrasive.

Ironically the DIY Iron remover is billed as PH Neutral, so it wouldn't get that passivation going?

 

[declan]

I'm just simply stating the facts as reported by myself and many other posters.

You may not like it, but it is reality.

I agree with both your points. I don't like it and it is reality.

The question is why is it a reality and why are people paying 100,000 for a car and thinking this is their fault?

 

[mstatkus]

Watched Colletton many times! But then I watched Yvon from DIY Detail video has me second guessing. He is adamant to NOT use BKF. Of course he used the products they sell: DIY Rinseless, DIY Spot remover, DIY iron remover, DIY panel Prep and DIY metal coating. Not to mention DIY sponge and DIY clay towell.

I think BKF and Citrisurf 77 with an abrasive Scotchbright would be about the same. Both acidic to get passivation going and a little abrasive.

Ironically the DIY Iron remover is billed as PH Neutral, so it wouldn't get that passivation going?

yeah I feel like I had to soak in the current state of detailing from as many that have attempted it. I was very against BKF Soft and Windex in the beginning. You do get stuck doing a panel if the tarnish/residue is decent so it’s a physical commitment and so far after 90 days I’ve yet to see any side effects. The doors seemed to be different beasts than the rest of the panels.
I even have these more silver spots on my tailgate from a glove at the factory. It’s cool and at the same time when I see it I have no idea how to remove it. A pass with BKF did nothing. It’s almost like oils got in it and keep it from getting darker. Maybe from a PPE glove or something.

 

[Woodrick]

I agree with both your points. I don't like it and it is reality.

The question is why is it a reality and why are people paying 100,000 for a car and thinking this is their fault?

It's simply a different purchase and delivery model from classic dealers.
There have been a number of people explicitly ask the delivery team not to even touch their vehicles, because they would take them straight to a detailer and have it sealed. They didn't want any swirls in their paint.

Many of the Tesla Delivery Centers don't have the time or space to clean the number of vehicles that they have to delivery on a daily basis, many more than many traditional dealers.

The whole concept is that Tesla is trying to make the whole process better and cheaper. And while many may not think of this particular step as better, it definitely is cheaper. And that cheaper allows Tesla to decrease the price of their vehicles. This is one small part of the overall optimization plan.
My Neice picked up her car after hours with no one there. That was kind of awesome. Not something that a traditional dealer would have been able to do.

It's all part of rethinking the entire automotive production process. While Henry Ford revolutionized it with the assembly line and I believe Toyota did some revolutionary things in the 80's, the entire process is stuck in the mud.

And there's one huge factor when picking up a Tesla, you don't have to put up with any salespeople! No trying to sell you undercoat. No adding on bogus fees and overpriced options.

Like Amazon, order it, get it, and drive away.

 

[declan]

It's simply a different purchase and delivery model from classic dealers.
There have been a number of people explicitly ask the delivery team not to even touch their vehicles, because they would take them straight to a detailer and have it sealed. They didn't want any swirls in their paint.

Many of the Tesla Delivery Centers don't have the time or space to clean the number of vehicles that they have to delivery on a daily basis, many more than many traditional dealers.

The whole concept is that Tesla is trying to make the whole process better and cheaper. And while many may not think of this particular step as better, it definitely is cheaper. And that cheaper allows Tesla to decrease the price of their vehicles. This is one small part of the overall optimization plan.
My Neice picked up her car after hours with no one there. That was kind of awesome. Not something that a traditional dealer would have been able to do.

It's all part of rethinking the entire automotive production process. While Henry Ford revolutionized it with the assembly line and I believe Toyota did some revolutionary things in the 80's, the entire process is stuck in the mud.

And there's one huge factor when picking up a Tesla, you don't have to put up with any salespeople! No trying to sell you undercoat. No adding on bogus fees and overpriced options.

Like Amazon, order it, get it, and drive away.

"It's simply a different purchase and delivery model from classic dealers."

So you simply get a faulty car? And that's a benefit?

 

[CyberSudZ]

Thanks for your detailed explanation; you are very knowledgeable on the subject. Following the manual, I tried the denatured alcohol/isopropanol, and it did absolutely nothing. I will try the charcoal lighter tomorrow.

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https://cybersudz.com/products/car-wash-shine-for-cybertruck

Just message me your address and I'll expedite it to you.

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