Avoid Dash Cracks
 

Hi All,

Is there a way to avoid dash cracks? I have a 1988 300E . I just replaced my cracked dash with new one from the junk yard ( It took me 5 hours). The new one looks excellent and it does not have any cracks. I would like to avoid cracks. Any suggestions? Also can I used lexol conditioner for leather in this dash?

By the way, the color of the dash is black.

Thanks and have a good day,

The best prevention is keeping it out of the sun and heat. That is not always possible of course.

If you will keep it rubbed down with Armor All it will help a LOT.

Good luck,

I think the earlier 1980-series dashes had cracking problems...this was corrected in later model years.

No sign of cracking at all on my 93...and it's a Texas car that sits in sunlight most of the day.

Also consider getting a sunshade and using it religiously when you park outdoors...;)

Since I park outside at work, I park the car facing north. The low angle of the sun here in Michigan can't hit the dashboard that way.

303 Protectant. I've used a zillion different ones. This one works, and looks the best -- to me anyway.

Having taken two W201 dashboards apart (similar to the W124 design) it's my conclusion that the way they were built made them prone to cracking, from the windshield towards the seats. The dash is formed/stamped from thin aluminum stock, to which a thin coating of foam is applied just under the vinyl skin which again is heat vacu-formed over the aluminum shell. Expansion and contraction of the aluminum shell causes the cracks at weak spots in the covering, typically at openings, like the speaker and vent holes, or in gaps in the foam underlayment.

Avoiding sudden and extreme temperature changes will reduce cracking as much as preventing UV exposure. Use a vinyl dressing, as opposed to a product designed for leather, that will provide UV block, since it's nearly impossible to replace oils or "re-hydrate" vinyl.

Silicone
 

i am not correcting or criticizing anything already said i would just like to add caution to keep silicone off plastic just as you do leather. never use a silcone base product on leather. and that is what i've been informed as to vinyl too. what i have gathered is that the silicone remove the plasticisers [can't spell it] from vinyls. as with rubbers certain compounds only work with certain chemicals so any time you have fluorcarbons in the water or? you can only use buna. i understand vinyl is much the same. UV and heat are also big problems for vinyl. use something that might help keep UV's under control.

the best way is to keep it clean, keep it covered, use a window shade and go look at perf. products, mothers or mequire's vinyl treatments.

again this is just what i've picked up as i have been doing research on painting and detailing.

tks
craig

Thank you all for your kind reply. I do really appreciate your feedback. You guys are awesome, and I love this form. Very helpful and knowledgable people around here.

I am going to try 303 Aerospace Protectant, and use the sun
shade.

Thanks a lot, and have a great day

Another vote for 303


It has no silicone so it won't damage it and leave it greasy.

Also, it has very strong UV blockers.

I never heard of 303. Who makes it and where do you buy it?

Have a great day,

I read somewhere in these forums that the blue vinyl dash (the one i own) was particularly susceptible to cracking due to the dies used. Can anyone confirm this?

Larry Bible,
I wondered the same . . .

www.superiorcarcare.net was one I found on my search.
Steve

303 makes an excellent product as does Meguiars and Mothers. I'd trust any one of them on my dash. Final decision comes down to appearance. 303 provides a matte finish, Meguiars offers several choices from a satin look to a gloss look as does Mothers. Most important as everyone has already stated is to keep the dash clean, protected and covered if possible.

303 is available at RV and Boat stores and online. Meguiars and Mothers are available at nearly every auto store and online.

BTW Armor All has also changed its formula, it no longer contains the harmful silicones. I say this because it's available nearly everywhere and it's cheap so if you're in a pinch it can be used safely.

UV is not a problem
 

Ultraviolet light does not pass through glass.

Re: UV is not a problem
 

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.

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.

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!

:rolleyes:

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?

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.

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"

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.

I use Pledge Cedar scent and like it a lot. :) It does not last very long, unfortunately.

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

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.

uv
 

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

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

Plants don't need UV? :rolleyes:

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

uv
 

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