Each car comes out of the dealership warehouse with emblems. Most of them consist of the make, model, trim and possibly the dealership logo. Older cars have the emblems directly inserted into the sheet metal with holes, but today, for the most part, they are attached with a strong adhesive that does not damage the paint. To safely remove badges from cars, you need to do more than just pull them off. This article tells you how to remove them for a clean and smooth look. Keep reading.
Steps
Step 1. Heat the emblem with a hairdryer or a heat gun
Direct the heat onto the emblem by holding it several inches from the car. Spread the heat over the entire area and concentrate on the different areas of the emblem, so that the jet is not aimed at one point only for more than a few seconds at a time.
Step 2. Lift the emblem off the surface of the car with a plastic spatula
Slide the spatula around a corner of the emblem and start pulling it towards you. Continue to slide it under the emblem until it completely detaches. You can do this while you're heating it, or right after. If you see that it doesn't move, warm the area more and try again.
Step 3. Remove the emblem and let the adhesive left on the paint cool
Check it together with the surface of the car until it is no longer hot and you can touch it. With your fingers, pull off as much of the large lumps of adhesive as possible.
Step 4. Rub your hand and fingers over the remaining adhesive to loosen it
Run your fingers through the adhesive and apply firm pressure to try to remove it. In this way not all the glue is removed, but most of it will still be eliminated.
Step 5. Apply a specific product to remove the adhesive and use a cotton towel to remove any residue
Before using it, however, test it in a hidden corner of the body to make sure it is safe to use on painted surfaces. If it does not damage the car paint, pour the product onto a towel and rub vigorously on the glue until it disappears completely.
Step 6. Finished
Advice
- Hair dryers are safer to use than heat guns because heat guns heat up very quickly.
- Place a towel between the putty knife and the surface of the car to avoid scratching the paint.
- A piece of fishing line works better than the spatula. Slide it back and forth under the emblem after heating it to loosen the adhesive.
Warnings
- Make sure you constantly move the blow dryer or heat gun. Too much heat aimed directly at a single area can damage the car's paint.
- Do not pull the emblem before the sticker has heated up. You could damage the paint.
