Avoid Dash Cracks - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Duke2.6 · #1 08-13-2004, 11:28 PM

I use Pledge furniture polish - the traditional unscented type. Pledge is an emulsion of carnuba wax in a petroleum distillate. The wax seals up the surface of the vinyl and prevents it from outgassing - what we know as "new car smell". Over time heat causes the vinyl to outgas, which shrinks it and builds up stress. Eventually the stress will cause a crack. The carnuba wax leaves a satin finish, which is not too shiny or slippery. It can be used on any vinyl surface in the car including the door trim and MB Tex seats. It's probably good for leather, too.

A surface sealant and keeping the dash cool by covering the car when it's parked outside is your best long term protection. UV damages organic materials by breaking down the molecular structure. That's why clear coats break down and paint pigments fade, car covers disintegrate and people get skin cancer from too much sun exposure. Most covers will block about 99 percent of solar UV radiation, just like wearing a shirt keeps you from getting sunburned.

Duke

billabong132 · #2 08-14-2004, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duke2.6

I use Pledge furniture polish - the traditional unscented type. Pledge is an emulsion of carnuba wax in a petroleum distillate. The wax seals up the surface of the vinyl and prevents it from outgassing - what we know as "new car smell". Over time heat causes the vinyl to outgas, which shrinks it and builds up stress. Eventually the stress will cause a crack. The carnuba wax leaves a satin finish, which is not too shiny or slippery. It can be used on any vinyl surface in the car including the door trim and MB Tex seats. It's probably good for leather, too.

A surface sealant and keeping the dash cool by covering the car when it's parked outside is your best long term protection. UV damages organic materials by breaking down the molecular structure. That's why clear coats break down and paint pigments fade, car covers disintegrate and people get skin cancer from too much sun exposure. Most covers will block about 99 percent of solar UV radiation, just like wearing a shirt keeps you from getting sunburned.

Duke

Petroloeum distillates are the worst thing to put on rubber/vinyl/plastic. It eats them.

EricSilver · #3 08-14-2004, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duke2.6

I use Pledge furniture polish -

Duke

I use Pledge Cedar scent and like it a lot.

It does not last very long, unfortunately.

billabong132 · #4 08-14-2004, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricSilver

I was just raving about their Protectant Wipes in another thread and was directed here. Amor All says the wipes formula includes water-based/water soluable silicones.

My dash is pristine and I'd like to keep it that way. I can easily get Mothers or Meguiars, but the Armor All wipes are so easy, convenient and effective. So are they safe or not?

No such thing as water soluble silicon - period.

Jim Anderson · #5 08-03-2004, 11:16 AM

Ultraviolet light does not pass through glass.

bryanm · #6 08-18-2004, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Anderson

Ultraviolet light does not pass through glass.

Inferred light does not pass, ala green houses and hot car interiors. Most frequencies of UV light do pass thus faded interiors.

billabong132 · #7 08-18-2004, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryanm

Inferred light does not pass, ala green houses and hot car interiors. Most frequencies of UV light do pass thus faded interiors.

Correct -

The UV comes into the car - gets absorbed and converted to infrared (heat) - then the glass holds the infrared in making it super hot.

If glass couldn't pass UV plants would die in greenhouses

billabong132 · #8 08-03-2004, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jim Anderson
Ultraviolet light does not pass through glass.

Then why do they put UV coatings on plane windows? - and eye glasses?

Larry, 303 can be found at www.autopia.org,

and autogeeks.net

You won't find a pro that doesn't use it - one you try it you will throw that armor all in the garbage.

It's an Aerospace protectant for plastic, rubber, vinyl, and leather.

fj bertrand · #9 08-13-2004, 11:30 PM

303 is good stuff. used on tires and interior. you can get a sample from the company. $5. google "303 protectant"

RES · #10 08-18-2004, 11:11 PM

Another thing you may want to try if you park your car in the sun, is a sun shade. It is a bit of a nuisance, but it also keeps the car cooler.

tunk · #11 08-19-2004, 03:05 PM

that's odd, I remember vaguely doing an expereiment in a micro lab where we held plastic petri dishes of bacteria under a UV light with and without the plastic covers on the dishes. The take home points of the experiment were that the bugs were sensitive to UV and that UV did not penetrate too deeply, i.e., through the cover of the dish. As for the idea that if glass blocked UV plants would die in greenhouses seems counterintuitive. If UV light is known to cause eventual DNA mutations... why would plants miss it? I believe plants absorb all visible light other than green -which is reflected back for us to see pretty leaves with. Most likely some UV penetrates through glass and plastic and that is why people put additional protection on glasses and windshields.

CDT

JamesStein · #12 08-19-2004, 04:22 PM

Quote:

UVA rays damage does not show up right away. They do not cause painful sunburn, but their effects are very real and long lasting. They account for about 95% of all ultraviolet energy and release energy throughout the daylight hours. UVA's have the power do permanent damage to our DNA, as well as to the elastin and collagen fibers that make our skin firm and healthy. They can pass through all glass including windows, windshields, and sunglasses.

Quote:

UVB rays do burn your skin. Though they don't delve as deep into the skin's layers as UVA's, UVB's can damage the DNA at the heart of skin cells, and are a main cause of skin cancer. UVBs cant pass through glass but they do reflect off light colors such as sand, white decks, snow, etc.

http://vt.essortment.com/waystoprotect_rqgu.htm

Quote:

Increasingly, the medical community and consumer media are paying attention to the dangers of ultraviolet (UV) ray penetration into automobiles. Most people believe they are safe from the sun’s harmful UV rays whenever they are shielded by glass. In cars, however, UV protection is generally far from complete. The windows and windshield somewhat reduce exposure to UVB (short wave radiation between 290 and 320 nanometers) but only the windshield comes partially treated against UVA (long wave radiation between 320 and 400 nanometers) in the form of a plastic laminate. The other windows block little or none. Even factory installed solar tinted glass will only absorb less than ten percent of UV rays. This is important because UVA represents 90 percent of all UV radiation reaching the earth.

http://www.usglassmag.com/backissues/9905/9905uvconcerns.html

There are more sites I could quote. But while a large portion of UVb rays are blocked by glass.. no UVa rays are. And they make up a bulk of the UV rays hitting your car.

billabong132 · #13 08-19-2004, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tunk

that's odd, I remember vaguely doing an expereiment in a micro lab where we held plastic petri dishes of bacteria under a UV light with and without the plastic covers on the dishes. The take home points of the experiment were that the bugs were sensitive to UV and that UV did not penetrate too deeply, i.e., through the cover of the dish. As for the idea that if glass blocked UV plants would die in greenhouses seems counterintuitive. If UV light is known to cause eventual DNA mutations... why would plants miss it? I believe plants absorb all visible light other than green -which is reflected back for us to see pretty leaves with. Most likely some UV penetrates through glass and plastic and that is why people put additional protection on glasses and windshields.

CDT

Plants don't need UV?

You must have missed the lecture on photosynthesis in 5th grade

tunk · #14 08-20-2004, 09:26 AM

billabong,

The following was a little insulting, I didn't miss it there was just a real cute girl in my class that I had my eye on

Actually, because of reasons like that I missed most of the middle school classes too.

"Plants don't need UV?
You must have missed the lecture on photosynthesis in 5th grade"

I posted after I had searched on line to double check what I had intuitively thought. I read that:

Chlorophyll a & b absorb light in the red and blue regions of the visible spectrum...

if your 5th grade class was furhter along than mine, perhaps you'd be willing to share...

CDT

230/8 · #15 08-03-2004, 11:33 AM

Larry:

I found 303 Aerospace Protectant at Ace Hardware, $11.99 for a 16 oz. spray bottle. Seems to work well, sometimes a little streaky on the black rubber bumper trim but that's probably my application technique rather than any fault with the product.

230/8