Would recommend not to use 303 on the dash. Even though it is matte/lowshine and degrees better than armorl-all, it will still shine it up.
Once it gets shiny you will find it near impossible to unshiny it.

There are some super specialty dash/cockpit product that will for sure have no shine, but are very boutique. That being said, what is easily available is meguiar's interior wipes and are pretty no-shine; but by the same token not sure if that product actually provides any significant level of protection either...

Just don't use anything other than water and cloth/mf is my recommendation. If you must clean, just use some soap (for the obsessive can use ph-balanced soap, or leather cleaner. If it's good enough for the human face it's good enough for your car).

 

How are the dashes on older Fits holding up to the heat in sunny states? Being in Arizona we suffer from some insane summer temps, I've been considering the Dash Mat to prevent any damage. A mat covering the dash looks far better than a huge crack in the plastic caused by the heat!

 

I was personally looking to get a carpet one, not because of glare or anything like that, but mostly for sound quality. The dash and windscreen create a lot of resonance and amplify the higher tones generated by the tweeter, a carpet or felt /velvet mat would eliminate a bunch of this. Just want to make sure I dont spend 40 bucks on a junk one because ebay has generic photos

 

how about window shade instead? im not a fan of carpet dash mats.

 

thinking the same thing.

I live in Colorado and our summers are hot and sunny--if possible, I try to park in the shade -- otherwise I use a sunshield. I have no problem with glare and use good UV sunglasses.

 

yah, it's when people put crap like Armorall when their dash starts to glare really bad.

 

Dash mats do reduce the "echo chamber" effect of high frequency sound from the dash speakers. High temperatures do not cause cracks in plastic dash boards, ultraviolet light does that.

There are no bad reasons to install a dash mat to protect your car. If you think that the appearance of a digital-fit computer cut dash mat is bad, fine. Don't buy one. Just wait a few years and see how your ocean of plastic looks after soaking up UV light over the years. Guaranteed- my protected dash will look better than yours after years of sunlight that never hits my dash.

The old, original, formula of Armorall was pretty good. It has changed quite a bit over the years of marketing. Other products work much better to protect plastic and to keep tires black and shiny. Today's Armorall is completely different than it was 20 years ago.

 

I'm guessing the UV impact in some states isn't as bad as here in AZ - where we see 340+ days of sunshine each year. But here in AZ I'm definitely leaning towards a dash mat for the protection. So more than the argument over them looking good or bad, I'd kinda like to see which Brands people who are using them have got installed and how the fit is!

I've dealt with Coverking before for some seat covers and they make an excellent product, I'll likely be purchasing a dash mat from those guys shortly and will post up once it arrives and is installed.

 

Buy Coverking through Costco. Best price, great fit, several materials. Another great source is Zeta Products. Great quality and great service.

Your UV "impact" in AZ is probably next to Australia in "bad". Worse if you lived in Yuma.

Worst case: you buy a dash mat and the whiners on fitfreak make you so embarrassed that you just have to remove it. So, remove it, and hold your head up with the other fools on fitfreak and watch your dash deteriorate. Big deal.

Again, it's like arguing "style" with the movie character "Borat". It's YOUR car. The haters on fitfreak don't have to make your payments.

 

Just ordered the Coverking from Costco for $29.99 plus tax - Charcoal Velour. Small price to pay for the protection - replacing a cracked dash is near impossible and looks like crap, believe me - it's happened on 2 of our previous vehicles

Thanks for the advice - saved about $15 over the Coverking direct price.

 

You are very welcome. It is nice to see that there are some intelligent members on the boards. An exaggerated sense of "style" can really get in the way of practicality. I will be trading my black carpet dash mat from Coverking for a lighter grey one soon. The fit is perfect-- you made a good choice. (If anyone is considering a dash mat, I will have one available at a great price soon).

 

Window tint. The whole thing

 

I'm not sure where you are getting this UV light issue causing damage to the dash. Unless you have light coming in through the side windows on the FIT and hitting your dash (Unlikely with the fit's windshield/dash configuration), UV light does not touch the dashboard as the windshield blocks almost all UV Rays that enter the car. Most people won't go out and buy an ugly car and in turn, they also won't put an ugly dash mat on the dashboard of the vehicle. Some will and that is their choice. It comes down to what you want/like and what is more important. I've never had a Cracked/damaged dashboard due to sunlight and a little bit of protection goes a long way to making the dash look and stay like new.

Seems to me there is an implication that those of us who choose not to use shag carpeting on the dashboard are not intelligent. From the photos (and mats I've seen in person) it doesn't look like it fits well at all. Of all of the places you really want to like the car, the cabin should be the primary focus as it is what you see the majority of the time. Anything that detracts from the appearance (in that great of a manner) is not something I'd want to have in my car. It's not a sense of "Style", but a desire to not have what looks like a dead animal on my dash.

~SB

 

You even get sun in Vermont? I don't think you realize quite how powerful the sun is when it's 116 degrees in the shade - which it has been here in AZ the last week. If it looks like crap - I will consider other options, but cracked dashboards here in Arizona are a very common thing if you don't protect the dash.

 

i know EXACTLY how hot it is there. I was in Phx/tempe last week for "Perimiter Fence Detection system training" the last day was the "Practical" where we were installing the system on the fence itself. Last Wednesday, 2pm 118F and 30% humidity. DAYUMMM.

only been here in VT for 8 years and yes... we get sun (technically we get about 40 minutes more sunlight than you do on a typical day however... it is not anywhere near as direct.)


~SB

 

Ouch - that's just plain abusive of your employer to make you work outdoors in that! I remember last Weds well - normally the humidity is much closer to 10% - but monsoon has actually brought some humidity with it this year. I work in Tempe right by the airport and my truck sits in that hell all day - easily 150+ degrees inside when it's time to leave at 4:30pm.

We've had cracked dashboards in my wifes 2004 Hyundai and in an older 80's 4Runner previously.

 

If you use a shag carpet on your dashboard you are not intelligent. Furthermore, you have extremely bad taste. Shag carpet is for morons. Please don't offend us with photos of shag carpet on your dash.

 

Tinted windshield = illegal. The real thing.

 

And the cheap plastic dash looks sooooooo cool that we'd all want to look at it all the time! Errrrrr. You realize of course that you can have custom embroidered i-SOHC stitched onto it and maybe light it up with a bunch of dumb colored LEDs if you wanted too!!!! Would that not make it more appealing to you youngsters? Lol

 

lol I-SOHC....you mean I-VTEC SOHC