B-Pillar Protection

Installing your B-pillar covers

This guide covers the Model Y only.

Tip: install PPF in temperate conditions, between 60°F and 80°F (16°C and 27°C).

Before you start

• The kit includes a soap solution bottle, a squeegee, and alcohol wipes. The soap concentrate is already in the bottle — add water to hydrate it. If you want to mix your own, use 5% dish soap and 95% water.
• The white squeegee with the fuzzy edge ships with gloss PPF. Use the soft edge to finish that install.
• The B-pillars are a crooked rectangle shape, so the left and right pieces are different. Hold the piece up to the pillar and check it matches before you peel the backing.

Installing PPF

1. Open the doors so you can reach the full pillar, including the section that dips down behind the door.
2. Wipe the pillar with an alcohol wipe. Your own isopropyl alcohol (70% or 91%) works too. Remove all oil, fingerprints, dirt and marks — the surface needs to be squeaky clean, because PPF shows any dust underneath it.
3. Wipe the rubber surrounding the pillar as well. You will likely drag the film across it during installation and pick up marks otherwise.
4. Go over the pillar with a second wipe if needed to get it perfect.
5. Spray the pillar generously with the slip solution. Do not be shy with it.
6. Grab a corner of the film and peel the backing slowly, starting at the top. Go very slowly around the camera opening so you do not stretch the film.
7. Spray the adhesive side as you peel, then lay the film onto the pillar.
8. Check that the film slides around on the surface. If it grips, lift it slightly and spray more solution underneath.
9. Line up three things: the top edge (the trim sits just above the top of the pillar, so it is easy to read), the camera opening, and the bottom edge. The two side edges are straight and will follow once the corners and camera are aligned.
10. Squeegee out the excess slip solution. The film should still slide, just less easily, so you can fine-tune the position.
11. Once the top and the camera opening look right, squeegee the top section to lock it in place.
12. Check the side edges. The film should not hang over the side of the pillar — an overhanging edge traps dirt.
13. Squeegee out the rest of the film. Look for two kinds of trapped solution: obvious bubbles, and areas that show a faint rippled texture in the light. Push both out to the nearest edge — the camera opening, either side, or the bottom.
14. Dry the pillar with a shop rag and take a last look. If it is not right, you can peel the film off at this stage and start again. Be gentle so you do not stretch it.
15. If you can, leave the car out in sunshine. It does not have to be hot sunshine — it just helps drive off any remaining solution under the film. If you are in a cold or wet climate, do not drive the car for at least 24 hours so the film stays in place.

Installing vinyl

1. Hold the piece against the pillar to confirm you have the correct side.
2. Clean the pillar with an alcohol wipe, as for PPF. Textured vinyls such as carbon fiber and Matrix black hide small dust particles better, so the cleaning does not need to be quite as thorough.
3. Spray the pillar with slip solution.
4. Peel the backing and lay the vinyl onto the pillar. Vinyl does not stretch as much as PPF, so you can handle it a little less gingerly.
5. Check that it slides, then align it the same way as the PPF: top edge, camera opening, bottom edge.
6. Squeegee every single part of the vinyl. The adhesive has air-release channels, and any area you miss can bubble later when the weather gets hot.
7. Go over the whole piece once more with the squeegee, even if it already looks positioned and flat.
8. Dry it off with a shop rag.
9. Park the car in the sun if you can. If not, park it somewhere sheltered from severe weather and avoid driving for a day or so, so the moisture behind the vinyl can evaporate.