How to Install Bumper Protector Applique?
 

What could be easier than the DIY at https://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=25120.
Just clean the bumper with alcohol and stick on the protector, right?

Well, I got my bumper protector applique from Scion Warehouse and it came with one of those Toyota instruction sheets. It said to clean the bumper with Prep-Sol, which I suppose is like alcohol. But then it says to fill a spray bottle with water and a few drops of dish detergent, spray the bumper, lay the applique onto the wet bumper and then squeegee out the soapy water that is under it.

My protector applique has a sticky, peel-off back. It does not seem right to apply a self-adhesive applique to a soapy wet surface. Before I screw up this $35 sticker, any ideas on whether it should go on dry or wet?

do it with the soapy water. thats exactly how they do vinyl decals too. it lets you place it exactly where you want it before it sticks there. just lay it on and squeegee the water out and give a little time to dry fully before you move it around.

definately use the wet application instructions. As said above, thats how vinyl, tint, and other sticker like things are professionally applied to cars. Thats the way I install all of my vinyl for sure and it makes life a lot easier. You will have some time to move the sticker around a bit before it sets. Once you have it where you want it use a small hard squegee to remove the excess water from underneath. When I say "hard squegee" dont take that literally. You can buy a vinyl application squegee from any graphics shop and maybe even pep boys for like $5. Actually, you can get an application kit for tint (which is the same thing you need) from Walmart for I think $7.99. Check it out, good luck, and keep modding!

I just recently got one also and am debating on whether to put it on. After all I do have a BSP xB. Anywho, there is a small notch at the top of the applique. Is that for centering? Another thought I was having was painting the applique, maybe white. Anyone know how I could paint it?

Mine has three tiny notches - one in center. The instructions say to locate the outer two notches next to two screws in the car.

The purpose of the applique is protection of the painted bumper, not to be a stand-out decoration. The applique is made of urethane - surely whilte paint will not stick to it very well, or be as durable as the urethane itself.

Thanks for the advice yo! Let me know how your install goes. I'm still debating whether or not to put mine on.

But do those decals and vinyls have their own sticky adhesive? The protection applique is a sheet of urethane plastic with its own adhesive on the back.

But do those decals and vinyls have their own sticky adhesive? The protection applique is a sheet of urethane plastic with its own adhesive on the back.
Yes. Do as instructed, this allows you to line up the protector before the adhesive sticks because if you just stick it you are likely to ruin it trying to lift it back up because you didn't line it up properly. You use a little dish detergent so it won't water spot when it drys.

The DIY instructions in the Tech Section do it dry, but I did it wet, like the OEM instructions and the advice given here. Some tips:

1. I used alcohol per the DIY, instead of Prep-Sol per OEM. Prep-Sol is probably alcohol-based, as the purpose is probably just to remove wax.
2. I used an old spray bottle, filled it with warm water, and added a few drops of detergent per OEM. The detergent acts as a surfactant, to kill the surface tension of the water so it will spread and not bead.
3. For the 4" squeegee per OEM, I used a Bondo spreader. Had to buy a set of 3 yellow spreaders for $3. It worked perfectly, firm but flexible.
4. I squeegeed and wiped with a towel for quite awhile until no further traces of water escaped from anywhere under the applique. I think all those holes are primarily to give water a short path out, and only secondarily for appearance.

I do think the black pattern of the applique on top of the bumper looks good with the black hatch window.

Help!! Ok, I don't have enough posts to post my own but can anyone tell me if there is any significant differences in the body style of an 04 vs an 06? I just bought a car cover off of ebay and I didn't realize that it was for an 04. Will it still fit? Oh and let me know how that protector sticker works, I was gonna get one from ebay as well.
Thanks amanda

No difference in body style.
The protector is not a sticker - I think it could disastrous to just stick in on. It works. You can step on it or drag something across it, without scratching the bumper. But it does not protect the very edge.

I got my protector in 2004, and it was applied like a decal, and had the three notches as stated above. My co-worker purchased his protector about 3 months ago. It was not like mine. It did not have three notches, and was very, very sticky and had a little different texture and color to it. We decided that it was not meant to install like mine, and we cut the removeable paper in the middle, centered it on the bumper and touched it down, and them pulled out to each end. Once it touches the bumper, it is there. I just don't remember mine being that sticky. IMHO, it seemed like a different type of protector. I think that mine applied with the soapy water as per the directions you speak of, will fall off long before his will. That thing is sticky, and can not be moved.

Funny story. I had mine installed when I bought it, and first time I waxed the car, I saw the mechanic must have gotten it stuck to his HEAD when he was applying it. Probably looking across the bumper to make sure it was smooth and straight as he was laying it down. I found about a dozen red hairs stuck under it, showing through the holes LOL.

Bill

What if it doesn't center right and you gotta take it off a smidge would it rip off your paint? Do they fade or discolor?
just a few nervous questions before I do something irreversable...but I am tired of the chip marks in my bumper...grrr
Oh and is it for the lowest part of the bumper or the whole thing?

Itonly covers the top part of the bumper. I had mine on for almost over a year and i loved it. i took mine off and there was no damage or paint chipping or removal. I replaced mine with a carbon fiber cover that actualy extends down a little bit over the edge of the bumper.

If it is meant for the soapy water, it can be slid around a little bit (keep it very wet) until you get it exactly where you want it and then squeege! Since it is from a dealer, I would follow their instructions, and if it does not apply correctly as per the instructions, you would have grounds to return it for a refund, another one, and the correct instructions.
It is just for the lower flat part of the bumper.
Does yours have the notches it mentions in the instructions? If not, you may want to contact dealer before installing and make sure the instructions are for the protector that you purchased.

I just put mine on a few days ago. It was so sticky I hated to touch it, but the instruction said spray the bumper with water having a few drops of detergent in it. I was afraid of doing it either way. Afraid of it sticking wrong and having bumps and bubbles. and afraid it would not stick with water.

I used the water per the directions. It worked perfectly. The water allowed repositioning, and after all the water was squeegeed out with a bondo applicator, the protector was stuck for good.

It is not soapy water. It is a spray bottle of water with a few drops of detergent. In that concentration, the detergent is a surfactant, not a lubricant.

The sticky protector applies with water. The water prevents the sticky backing from grabbing before positioning is perfect. After the water is sqeegeed out, the sticky backing locks up with the paint for a tight bond.

Thanks for clearing that up. I don't remember mine being that sticky. Great to know the water with a little soap is the way to go, still. Were the notches there? That is what made me think it was a different protector. We got it positioned without the soap solution, but it was a bear. Thanks

Hey CamoTrav, Where did you get the carbon fiber protector? Could we see a pic?