Clear plastic over gauge cluster scratches

[Rod2Rice]

OK this has been driving me nuts for weeks. While back I wiped the clear plastic with a soft tissue to wipe off some dust, and it left fine scratches all over it. Really only noticeable when the sun is shining directly on it, but its very annoying. For those of you that have removed the cluster, is the clear plastic easily replaced? I'd have to check too to see if just that piece can be bought, sure as hell am not buying a whole new cluster.

[martymcfly]

Have you tried Plexus Plastic Cleaner and Polish?

[pwnstar]

yea i did the same dam thing lol im gonna have to fix that cuz yes its driving me crazy too

[Rod2Rice]

I have not tried anything on it yet. But it looks bad enough that I dont think anything is going to get it looking new again. I dont even have 5k on the clock and that piece looks like it has 100k on it! Never seen something scratch so easily.

[GD3_Wagoon]

you'd be surprised what meguiar's plastix can do.

i bought a used pair of fake jdm smoked tail lights with file and sandpaper damage on the passenger side tail light - the last owner ground it down because of the fitment issue. needless to say, the plastic damage looked un-salvageable but for the price i bought it at i believe i still got a steal! i used about four separate treatments and it's shining like new. now, i swear by that stuff. i was even able to polish the shine back into my gf's WRX sick-nasty headlights (buy eyes)

it only costs $4.00, give it a shot. i bet it'll work. just make sure you don't drip any on the dash

Originally Posted by Rod2Rice

I have not tried anything on it yet. But it looks bad enough that I dont think anything is going to get it looking new again. I dont even have 5k on the clock and that piece looks like it has 100k on it! Never seen something scratch so easily.

[ProMed]

The plastic lens cover on the gauge clusters of the Toyota 4Runner has the same issues of being very easy to scratch. The plastic cleaners didn't work on my guage cluster. The guys on the T4R board are ordering the replacement then putting a clear tint film on it before reinstalling. I have the new guage cluster, just need to find the time now to "tint" and reinstall.

[Juliane]

Originally Posted by Rod2Rice

OK this has been driving me nuts for weeks. While back I wiped the clear plastic with a soft tissue to wipe off some dust, and it left fine scratches all over it. Really only noticeable when the sun is shining directly on it, but its very annoying. For those of you that have removed the cluster, is the clear plastic easily replaced? I'd have to check too to see if just that piece can be bought, sure as hell am not buying a whole new cluster.

I know you realize this now, but NEVER use a tissue or paper towel on plastic! Always use a soft cloth or an eyeglass cloth. The plastic in these cars gets softer and cheaper every year. I hope you can find a fix.

[Rod2Rice]

Originally Posted by Juliane

I know you realize this now, but NEVER use a tissue or paper towel on plastic! Always use a soft cloth or an eyeglass cloth. The plastic in these cars gets softer and cheaper every year. I hope you can find a fix.

its funny I usually keep a microfiber rag in the car, but for some reason the day I wiped off the lens it wasnt there, thats why I used a tissue. The tissue was soft enough, and I've used them before in other cars, but none ever scratched like this, amazing how cheap that plastic must be.

If I were going to use some sort of cleaner on it, I'd want to take it off just for the reason of not getting the cleaner on anything else, cause I know my luck it would get on the surrounding areas and just ruin that also! So if its off, I may as well just replace it. I need to see if I can buy just the clear piece.

[Tofuman]

the lense retails for about $22. but you can buy it online for around $15 on the parts websites (majestic honda, etc.)

i did the same thing. i even used an eye glasses cleaner!

i usually use a very soft make-up brush to dust things like this or the stereo display, but i decided to try my eye glasses cleaner once.

P.S. - i only have a make-up brush because my mom's dog chewed her brand new one up, and she was about to throw it out, but i immediately thought of how well it could dust my interior. but after seeing how well it works, i'd be willing to go through the embarrassment of buying one in a store in order to have another one to dust my interior.

[Rod2Rice]

I just ordered one locally, 26 bux with tax, will be here next week. Hopefully getting everything off to get to it is easy enough, I have the service manual so I would imagine should be a halfway easy job. From now on I am just going to use my air compressor to blow off any dust, period! Still cant believe how easily the damn thing scratched!

[Wuze]

I always use a rag but spray it with Windex or something and I don't have any scratches... :X

[Sibyl]

Originally Posted by chaaree

you'd be surprised what meguiar's plastix can do.

i bought a used pair of fake jdm smoked tail lights with file and sandpaper damage on the passenger side tail light - the last owner ground it down because of the fitment issue. needless to say, the plastic damage looked un-salvageable but for the price i bought it at i believe i still got a steal! i used about four separate treatments and it's shining like new. now, i swear by that stuff. i was even able to polish the shine back into my gf's WRX sick-nasty headlights (buy eyes)

it only costs $4.00, give it a shot. i bet it'll work. just make sure you don't drip any on the dash

Thanks for the tip! My brand new 2007 Fit Sport was delivered with swirly scratch damage on the plastic over all the gauges. I guess some flunky cleaned out the car prior to delivery and decided to use Windex and a paper towel on the clear plastic.

I can only see it when the sun strikes it, but grr...

[Rod2Rice]

Update

Swapped in the new plastic cover today, very easy to do. Took all of about 15 minutes to do. Few clips, few screws, and done. Whole cluster has to come out to get the lens off, but it is very easy to do. I've had clusters out of a few cars and none were as easy to remove as this one.

[feddup]

Originally Posted by Rod2Rice

Update

Swapped in the new plastic cover today, very easy to do. Took all of about 15 minutes to do. Few clips, few screws, and done. Whole cluster has to come out to get the lens off, but it is very easy to do. I've had clusters out of a few cars and none were as easy to remove as this one.

Care to show us how it's done? When I read your post last week I said to myself "What a clumsy Oaf" and then this last weekend, in just the right light, I saw scratches on mine as well. Sucks! By the way I've worn glasses my whole life and understand glass care (no kleenex or any other paper products!). I use a microfiber cloth specifically for glass with "invisible glass" formula. Still got scratches! that plastic must be soft!

[Rod2Rice]

Off top of my head, the first layer around the gauge cluster is simply clipped on. Put the steering wheel in the lowest position, then start to pull gently at the bottom to unclip, then work around the sides and up to the top. The bottom and sides unclip fairly easily, the top feels like its going to break, but it did not and eventually popped right off. It uses some of the same clips that the radio is installed with, so if you have swapped radios you know how tight those clips are. Once that is out, you can see the screws that hold the lower part of the hood over the gauges, take those out, I believe there were 4, then take that lower part of the hood off. Once that is out, you will see the 5 screws that hold the upper part of the hood on. Remove those and then the upper part of the hood. Then you will see the cluster and the screws that hold it on. I think there were 2. Then unplug the 3 harnesses on top of the cluster, once those are out, manuever the cluster to one side, then lift it up and out from the other side. That last part you will see what I mean that needs to be done when you get to this step. Once its out the plastic cover is just held on with a few tabs. Hardest part was removing the part in the first step, the top clips are a pain in the rear!

[feddup]

Thanks for going first! It's nice to know that the part isn't too much $ either. I can't remember exactly but a can of plexus, which is THE plastic care product, is like $13. I seem to remember some GM cars taking the better part of a day for this same task. Thanks again for the tips/hints!

[Juliane]

Originally Posted by Rod2Rice

Off top of my head, the first layer around the gauge cluster is simply clipped on. Put the steering wheel in the lowest position, then start to pull gently at the bottom to unclip, then work around the sides and up to the top. The bottom and sides unclip fairly easily, the top feels like its going to break, but it did not and eventually popped right off. It uses some of the same clips that the radio is installed with, so if you have swapped radios you know how tight those clips are. Once that is out, you can see the screws that hold the lower part of the hood over the gauges, take those out, I believe there were 4, then take that lower part of the hood off. Once that is out, you will see the 5 screws that hold the upper part of the hood on. Remove those and then the upper part of the hood. Then you will see the cluster and the screws that hold it on. I think there were 2. Then unplug the 3 harnesses on top of the cluster, once those are out, manuever the cluster to one side, then lift it up and out from the other side. That last part you will see what I mean that needs to be done when you get to this step. Once its out the plastic cover is just held on with a few tabs. Hardest part was removing the part in the first step, the top clips are a pain in the rear!

If this plastic scratches even with microfiber cloths, what do you plan to use now to keep it clean?

[feddup]

Originally Posted by Juliane

If this plastic scratches even with microfiber cloths, what do you plan to use now to keep it clean?

Canon provided a lens cloth that they wanted me to use on their lenses. I'll try that but at some point my love for the Fit (my analness) has to have limits. If the material is too soft it may well have to get scratched. It's a shame because the Fit's instrument cluster is exceptionally beautiful as well as conveying important data for an informed driver.

[Rod2Rice]

Originally Posted by Juliane

If this plastic scratches even with microfiber cloths, what do you plan to use now to keep it clean?

I didn't use a microfiber, I usually have one handy but this time I did not so I used a tissue. From now on I will use compressed air to blow off anything first, and that should be enough.

[SlavetotheHonda]

Forget the name but the product is used to remove blemishes in plastic crystals of expensive watches such as the earlier Rolex Submariners. Try PANERISTI.COM and do a search.