Hi fellow Fit owners,

I put one of those non-slip phone mats on my dash about a month ago. I pulled it off yesterday and the dash has gone shiny where the mat was placed. I have tried Goo Gone, Oops, and detailer spray, with no results. Is there anything else I can try to get the matte surface back?

I had no idea that those mats could ruin the dash!



Would isopropyl alcohol (strong stuff) work? Or would it possibly do more harm than good?

 

Isopropyl certainly won't hurt the dash, but depending on what the stain is, it may or may not help. What brand non slip mat was it?

 

Ive had one on my dash for at least that long and have no problem so far.

Seems like its something the mat is made from has leached out onto our dash.

Just noticed your in TX. The hot sun may have created the problem. You might want to contact the mat manufacturer to see if they have any ideas.

Just another idea instead of trying to remove the shiny spot. Have you thought about using armor all on the entire dash? Hard to say if that would be a similar look to the mark it left without seeing it. It may blend that spot in a little if the rest of the dash shines.

 

No brand. Just a cheap thing picked up at a convention. It's sticky and shiny on the back.

 

It's got no brand, just a company name (convention favor). I have been using my sun shield and the car was inside the garage for 17 days when we were on holiday. But while I was driving, yeah, that windshield is like a magnifying glass...



I think the Armor All may be my only resort if the alcohol doesn't work. There isn't any residue and if I scratch up the dash trying to get the shiny rectangle back to matte, it'll just be worse.

 

Just as a few others, I'd strongly recommend staying away from Armor All...

I would recommend trying some Aerospace 303 protectant.... first try the alcohol (hopefully that does the trick). The same company who makes the 303 protectant also make a cleaner, try that next(undiluted)... hopefully one or the other work...
As a finishing use the Aerospace 303 protectant... I did a lot of research on this product, and after using it for over 5 years, my dash (and all the plastic, leather, etc, etc) parts of the interior look like brand new... and I had my car parked out in the sun for the 1st 3+ yrs I owned it.

kenchan also recomends a Prima(o) brand I believe, and he says he also gets great results... try either of those brands (or even Meguires or Mothers) before ever using Armor All.

google the 303, and you'll see what I mean...

as a disclaimer I don't work for whatever company 303 is, but after extensive searches, the results/reviews speak for themselves.



It's disappointing this happened to you, and apparently a few others, just as disappointing as those scented oil damage to the plastics around the vents as some have posted. I guess these new plastics are really sensitive?
I hope you get it fixed/cleaned up.

 

Warning! Do not use isopropyl alcohol on your dash! It will take the finish off!

 

You're kidding! I used to work in a plastics plant, and we cleaned plastic parts with isopropyl alcohol all the time! I've never had an issue cleaning any plastics with it...

 

yah, as someone mentioned, dont use armorall for sure. that stuff sucksarse.


i would try motor-spray (RC car hobby), but if that doesnt take it off, then you'll need to get it painted.

 

I've used it myself too several times... especially since I use my car to carry construction supplies, etc, for work. I've even used a towel dabbed with paint thinner/mineral spirits to clean up any oil based paints, etc, or tar.

It definitely should not be used regularly, that I know for sure... using alcohol (or similiar based liquids ie. thinners, mineral spirits, turpentine, etc) the plastics will dry out, that's a guarantee... but they also dry out over time in the sun. Aerospace 303 helps prevent that.

I think if you just clean it with a damp towel (w/alcohol) it should be ok, just don't saturate it?

 

Maybe it's the strength I used, 70%. But I just lightly wiped it across the spot, and the finish came right off. The dash is white underneath. So I would not recommend anyone to use it.

Now I'm looking at $155 to redye the dash. Thank goodness that it can be done, but I sure wish I hadn't stuck that damn pad on my dash in the first place.

 

This is 70% isopropyl alcohol...And our dash is dyed or painted, and it took the paint right off. If I'd really born down on it, I'd have a white spot where it was glossy. Now I get to pay $155 to re-dye it.

 

I've used 70% DILUTED 1/4 cup alcohol, 1/4 cup water to wipe my dash and remove all the crappy ArmorAll shine that I thought would look nice. Nothing happened at all. But then again it was diluted. Plus mine is a GD not a GE (you posted this in the GE section so I don't know if you're talking about your GD?)

Was the dash hot from the sun?

 

Woops, yeah, I have a GD, 2008 Sport. Some of the dash is hard plastic with a matte finish - some is a perforated, softer plastic/rubber material.

My alcohol was not diluted, it was full strength, and yeah, the dash was warm, not hot.

Oh well, I have an appointment to get it fixed on Monday...It's only money.....



Sorry for putting this in the wrong forum, I wasn't paying attention. Story of my life...

 

Have you considered a well-placed sticker? :P I'd sure be doing that before I'd spend $150 to have my plastic dash redyed. Diff'rent strokes I suppose.

 

It would have to be a very LARGE sticker, we're talking 7" x 3" at least. There's nothing I want to look at every time I get into my car...

If I have to cut out fast food for a couple of months, it will remind me not to do dumb stuff to my car without thinking about it...

 

Oh wow, 70% did that? I usually use 90% to clean parts! I've always considered it to be one of the safest cleaners out there... that really sucks! Maybe the mat messed up the dye, and the alcohol did the rest? Because I have used the stuff on tons of painted surfaces with zero problems.

 

I want to guess, and say that the mat was dark colored? That it also retained more heat under it, where the dash could normally cool off via any moving air over its surface.

Heated it up until the "finish" melted and loss its adhesion to the dash. That melting made it gloss over on the surface, similar to how rubber/plastic melts.

In any case, the iso-alc disintegrated what was left and "cleaned" it away.

Just a guess.

 

Probably a good guess. The only thing is that the alcohol even stripped out the color on the other part of the dash that it got onto. I swiped the area where the mat was (yes the mat was black and the backside was sticky and shiny) once, and then just to make sure I messed it up completely, I wiped one more area and that is when I realized it was taking the finish completely off.



I did everything wrong, the whole thing was a FUBAR. Sigh... Sure hope the re-dying/repainting/whatever they do works...

 

Would it be cheaper to replace the dash panel in question?

Edit: nope. Still pricey. Hum... What about stripping the whole thing and plasti-dipping it?