removing dealer's sticker
 

has anybody had any experience doing this?

It's right below the badge on the back hatch and seems like it should be a fairly straightforward diy thing but I want to make sure I don't damage the paint.

Ask the dealer to do it so that it is on them if it damages the paint. That's just rude of them to put a sticker on the car to promote their dealership.

we just use hot water to soften them up and patience, and nothing sharp

Yeah this is my first time buying a car, so I made the mistake of not telling them that I do not want their dealer stickers on my car. I'm thinking about trying to take them off myself, hopefully they don't leave residue :P

agreed, it's a pretty common (annoying) practice up here.

good idea re: the dealer. I pretty much like to avoid the dealer as much as possible but, you're right, it should be on them.

the first thing i did was to remove the dealer sticker and the pinstripes. both of them came off with nothing other than my fingernail picking up a leading edge of the decal then peeling it away. i guess they hadn't had time to "bake" on yet?

If it is a sticker or badge that is glued on, use a hair dryer and a dental floss. Then whatever the residue, just use soap water or even your finger nails.

Mine was a sticker, basically pinstriping style tape. I used a hair dryer and my finger and warmed it up enough and kept rubbing it and it eventually peeled right off.

turns out it's just a basic adhesive backed sticker, no glue, so because I'm impatient I went out tried the fingernail method (very gently) that KineticTLS and thirdeyebrian mentioned. Sticker came off, no problem. I think it helped that it had warmed up in the sun, too.

So, fingernail method worked for me, though your results may vary.

Thanks, all.

+1, I have heard a hair dryer is the best.

I removed mine right in the parking lot when I picked it up and promptly left it on the ground for them to clean up. HATE when dealers do that.

Rod2Rice, Nice touch!

The badge from my Honda dealer was just vinyl press-on lettering, which peeled easily with a fingernail.

I bought a WRX once, which had a hard plastic badge affixed with foam tape. I bought a heat gun to help remove it, since we don't have hair dryers here in Arizona. ;)

My dealer also put vinyl lettering and they were easily removed. I also removed front license plate (dummy plate) w/ dealer's whole biz card displayed.

My Fit also comes w/ pin stripes - I didn't ask for it and not charged for it either. I am not sure if I like it or not - probably prefer the clean look w/o it but I don't have a strong emotional against it either - I simply don't know what to make of it - is it good to have pin stripes or does it make the car look "conventional"?

Post up a pic and let us see. I have personally never been a big fan of them, but its not the end of the world.

I hate dealer stickers. Luckily my Fit did not have them. I did have to remove them once from another car. Goo-Gone works wonders - especially if you are having a hard time getting the adhesive residue off.

Why wouldn't you have hair dryers?

Hairdryers
 

Goodguy said:

Why wouldn't you have hair dryers?
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I live in NM, just next to AZ, but I spend a few weeks each year in the Phoenix area. I think Goodguy is from MN? Well....if you step out into temps of 108 deg F, with humidity of 5%, you certainly do not need a hairdryer....or any kind of dryer.

You are already dry.....and very hot. But at 5% humidity, you don't even sweat. Go there sometime, but be prepared.

:rotfl:

The dealer decal on my FIT was screenprinted so it left no glue at all.

Best way is to take a hair dryer or heat gun and heat it up then wear gloves and pick it off.

If there is any glue left, take some goo gone or 3M adhesive remover and it will take it right off. :D

I told the salesman to remove the sticker when I went in to look at the car prior to doing all the paperwork (paying/insurance etc) and he removed it. I had one of the service guys put my plates on and when I got home I noticed the service guy put another sticker back on ugh. Took a hair dryer and set it to warm and put it over the sticker for a minute. I used my fingernail and SLOWLY peeled at one corner while keeping the hair dryer on the sticker. It came off without any marks. I ended up removing the dealership license plate frames in the process. I hate advertising for dealerships.