Maintaining and protecting carbon parts.

Carbon fiber is strong, but the clear coat on top of it isn't automatically. Most complaints about carbon aren't about the material itself, but about a surface that's turned yellow or dull. That's almost always preventable. Below is what happens and what you can do about it.

UV is the real problem

The resin holding the carbon weave together is sensitive to ultraviolet light. Under UV exposure that resin slowly breaks down, and you see that as yellowing: the weave no longer looks black but takes on a brownish or yellowish haze. In advanced cases the surface also turns dull and sometimes chalky.

Good carbon parts therefore have a UV-resistant coating or a clear coat with a UV filter. That layer is your protection, not the carbon itself. Once that layer is damaged or worn through, the resin is exposed.

What you can do

• Park the car in the shade when you can. Sounds trivial, but months in direct sun does more damage than a hundred washes.
• Wash with the two-bucket method and a clean wash mitt. Carbon scratches just as easily as paint. Most scratches on carbon happen during washing, not driving.
• Don't use aggressive degreasers on coated carbon. They attack the clear coat. Degreaser belongs at installation, not at maintenance.
• Consider a coating. A ceramic coating or a good sealant adds a sacrificial layer over the clear coat and extends its lifespan considerably.
• Keep the pressure washer lance at a distance. Don't aim it close to a bonded seam on an aero part.

What you shouldn't do

Polishing carbon is possible, but with care. The clear coat on an aero part is often thinner than the paint on a body panel. Machine-polishing through it means you cut through the protective layer, and then the part can't be saved without a repaint.

Abrasive wax, brush car washes and household cleaning products are all bad ideas. And don't let bird droppings or insects sit for days: the acids in them eat into the clear coat.

If it's already yellowed

Light yellowing can sometimes still be polished out and coated afterward. If the resin itself is affected, repainting with a new UV clear coat is the only lasting solution. That's skilled work, since the weave has to stay visible. Not sure what's going on? Send us a photo.

Right after installation

It's best to leave a freshly installed part alone for a few days before washing it, so the adhesive can fully cure. After that is the smartest time to coat it: the surface is still flawless and the coating bonds best.

We sell the care products we use in our own workshop. Want to know why some parts hold up better over time than others? Read what dry carbon actually is.