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

I just use one of those windshield shade thingys. Never had a dash crack on my 123, 124, or even 210 chassis cars. Has the added advantage of keeping the interior cooler. And I never use armor all or similar stuff on the interior - I'm lazy, and can't stand the glare from products that shine up the plastics.

- JimY

Most sunglasses are plastic, UV light passes through plastic. Don't know about airplane windows, I guess they are plastic too.

Larry, 303 is the stuff! They initially developed it for the coast guard and their rubber inflatables. I would be buying stock if they were public, but they are not. They also make stuff for marine fabrics and soft tops. And you can use it on clear plastic and vinyl too (works great in the instrument cluster plastic). My father tells me a sailing publication, Armchair Sailor I think, recently gave it top honors in an extensive test.

They have both free samples and 'pay for shipping' samples.

http://www.303products.com/main.php

Sorry if I gush, but believe me, you will be cleaning your plastics and rubber far less often. Less work and superior results are exciting to me! This stuff protects, returns the plastic to original luster. Tires end up matte and stay black like they came from the factory -- not turn brown like some products do. Dash may take a few days to return to its original semi gloss, but it will. Door handles and steering wheel may take a few days, but will be protected and not slippery -- slippery steering wheels are a huge peeve for my father and he is satisfied with the 303 results. And it does not attract dirt and dust like many products.

__________________
David
1986 300E Anthracite + ECodes + MB Mileage Award

I want to add one little thing to this thread. Avoid using a treatment that makes the dashboard reflect more light. Dash Pads are generally dull for a reason.

The glare on the inside of the windshield caused by light reflecting of the "detailed" dashboard drives me NUTS!

__________________
02 S500
92 500SL
92 400E (Sold)
87 300E (Sold)
83 300D Turbo (Sold)
75 300D (Sold)
74 240D (Sold after 20 years)

UV, although absorbed to a great deal by glass, does pass through automotive glass. The absorbtion rate depends a lot on the glass and any coatings, so additional UV protection on the dash is not a waste. The biggest culprit for cracking is the longitudinal thermal expansion of the dash frame which will crack the surface at weak spots in the surface material.

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?

__________________
2008 E350 4matic / Black/Anthracite

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Gone but not Forgotten:
2001 E430 4matic, 206,xxx miles, Black/Charcoal
1995 E320, 252,xxx miles, Black/Grey
1989 260E, 223,00 miles, Black/Black

In reply to: "UV is not a problem". I am certainly not an expert, but as anyone who owns/wears "Transition Lenses"....the eyglasses that go from clear to very dark....knows, they do not work inside of a car. The reason is that they require UV to activate them, so obviously UV does not go through the windshield. But, I am aware that there is UV 'A' and UV 'B', and which one activates the lenses and which one(s) could harm the vinyl, I do not know.
I am a fan of Meguire's NXT protectant, btw.

__________________
1996 SL320 97K miles
1996 C220 130k miles
1992 500SEL 170k miles <---sold
1986 300E 216k miles <---sold

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

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

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71 220D 169K wrecked
83 240D 118K sweet 4 speed
91 350SDL (one of the 60% good engines) 156K
84 300d (loaner to my sister) 189K
79 300SD (partswagen)
86 420SEL partswagen
70 220d (partswagen)
68 280s GASSER!!! under construction now
85 300sd 310K miles winter beater car retired
93 300d 2.5 turbo 168K wife's car
83 280SL euro 5 speed 155K
69 250S newest project 54K

No such thing as water soluble silicon - period.

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

The petroleum distillates are just a way of keeping the wax in suspension in the can and while it's applied. They evaporate rapidly as you wipe the product onto the surface.

Armor All leaves a shiny, slippery, greasy surface. I only use it (in a 50/50 mix with distilled water) on exterior items such as tires, bumper covers, and mirror housings.

Duke

What about a good old dash mat?

I'm with Duke2.6. I have used Pledge for many years. I use the lemond Pledge because of the smell. It works great. My 126 has 2 cracks in the dash about 1 in long which were in the dash before I got the car. They havn't changed since I have had the car. And the car sits outside all the time.

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84 500 SEL (307,xxx miles)