External plastic protection tips

[bennywebb]

Hi, when I bought my 2016 X3 3 years ago, it came with what I believe were aftermarket gloss black plastic wing mirror caps. Over the years the surface has faded away to the bare plastic underneath. I decided to replace them with a fresh set but wanted to ask if anyone had any tips to stop the same thing happening with this new set? I’ve had a search around and can’t find a definitive answer for this type of issue (I’m finding mostly products for interior plastics).
Do I need a special sealer to protect it from UV and road contaminants or do I just keep them topped up with a decent car wax, e.g. I have Bilt Hamber Speed Wax. Should I actually avoid putting wax on finished plastics?

I’ve added a pic of how the old ones look compared to the new one. The old one is on top, obviously…

[bennywebb]

Make that on the left, I guess the forum attachments don't rotate pics

[malvern_man]

Originally Posted by bennywebb

Hi, when I bought my 2016 X3 3 years ago, it came with what I believe were aftermarket gloss black plastic wing mirror caps. Over the years the surface has faded away to the bare plastic underneath. I decided to replace them with a fresh set but wanted to ask if anyone had any tips to stop the same thing happening with this new set? I’ve had a search around and can’t find a definitive answer for this type of issue (I’m finding mostly products for interior plastics).
Do I need a special sealer to protect it from UV and road contaminants or do I just keep them topped up with a decent car wax, e.g. I have Bilt Hamber Speed Wax. Should I actually avoid putting wax on finished plastics?

I’ve added a pic of how the old ones look compared to the new one. The old one is on top, obviously…

I've had my mirror caps PPF'd along with all the gloss black exterior trim on my X5.