How to Debadge Your Car (In 3 Easy Steps)
Vehicles usually have some sort of label or nameplate that indicates the make, model, features, and trim level. Some manufacturers use badges for marketing purposes and may add labels like “Hybrid,” “Flex Fuel,” or “All Wheel Drive.”
Vehicle badges can be tastefully designed, but often end up looking like alphabet soup. This is especially true with long brand names and accessories that clutter the back of your vehicle.
Why would you need to remove a badge from your car? Removing the badges from your car gives your car a cleaner look at the rear and accentuates the lines of your vehicle. For this reason, many enthusiasts remove the badges from their cars.
Some owners prefer to remove the badges from their cars to make them less noticeable. Without flashy badges, it’s much harder for non-enthusiasts to tell that you’re driving a BMW M or Mercedes-AMG. If you live in a high-crime area, this can be an attractive reason to remove the badges from your car. Other owners do the exact opposite. Maybe they want a BMW M3 but can only afford a 335i. The lower trims are less premium, so owners tend to forego branding.
Some don’t want to advertise for the manufacturer. They love the look and feel of their car, but don’t want to provide free advertising to the manufacturer. Will removing the badge damage my vehicle? Removing a badge from a car is safe and easy if done correctly.
In these cases, it’s best to learn the best way to remove them to avoid breaking staples or scratching your paint. Some car paints will fade over time when exposed to sunlight.
If you are trying to remove a sticker from an older vehicle, you may notice a strong color contrast underneath the sticker, outlining where the sticker was previously placed. To fix this problem, you will probably need to have the paint mixed at an auto repair shop.
Will removing a sticker affect my car insurance? In most cases, removing a sticker will not affect your car insurance or vehicle registration. Don’t worry if you remove the sticker, as vehicles are identified by color and VIN for insurance and registration purposes. It is not illegal to remove stickers from your car in the US.
Side note: If you wrap your car or paint it a different color, you must notify your state (and possibly your insurance company).
How does removing a sticker affect the value of your car? This is a tricky question, as it depends a lot on the vehicle in question. A car’s value is determined by its desirability. If the stickers on the vehicle in question are removed frequently, removing them is unlikely to affect the value.
If you are driving a rare vehicle or trim level, removing the stickers may have a negative effect on the value of your vehicle. How much the value is affected will depend on how easy it is to put a new badge on the car and how much the car is worth in its original, unaltered condition.
How to remove stickers from a car
1) Investigate, plan the work
Check the back of the body for rivets or fasteners, and possible holes in the body. If there isn’t any, it’s probably traditional glue or double-sided tape.
If in doubt, Google the make, model, and year. Example: “how to remove badge from a 1998 Toyota Corolla.” Your car’s repair manual might tell you how to attach the badge to the hood or trunk.
Allow yourself plenty of time so you don’t have to rush. Typically, you should set aside about an hour to completely remove the adhesive so you can wax your car.
You will probably need the following supplies: A. A heat source B. A heat gun or hair dryer C. Dental floss or fishing line D. Thoroughly wipe down the badge and the area around it with car wash soap and a microfiber cloth. Remove any dirt that may scratch the paint while you work.
2) Heat the adhesive and remove the badge
Apply a little heat to soften the adhesive. Heat each area for 1-5 minutes. Be careful not to hold the heat source too close to the paint or you may damage it.
Watch out for the paint to change color as you heat the badge adhesive, this may indicate damage. Wiggle the badge to see if the adhesive is soft enough.
Use dental floss or fishing line to get between the vehicle and the badge. Do not pry the badge off, just wiggle the floss thread back and forth until the badge comes loose.
Be careful not to let the corners of the badge get into the paint. Do not use a razor blade as it can easily scratch the paint.
3) Wash and wax
Remove any remaining tape or glue. Wash and rinse the area again and treat with cleaning clay if you have it on hand. Typically there is no wax underneath the badge, leaving the newly exposed paint exposed to the elements.