it's not wax.

 

I've used Forever Black on those very trim pieces and they came out looking pretty pretty good (had the same bleached out look as you've got going on)

 

Thx. I'll give that a shot. Although it's not really bleached-out; it's more like a corrosion, or something growing. I can scrape lines in it with my fingernail.

 

If it's 'removable' your best bet is to get it off before treating it with anything. Try some APC with a small stiff bristled brush.

I've had good luck with Forever Black also. It's a black type of dye. You could use that after cleaning if it still doesn't look black enough.

 

worked great when i tried it on another car too, really made it look 10xs better then that corroded look