Dash Melting? PLEASE HELP!!!

Detaling and car washing techniques

Dash Melting? PLEASE HELP!!!

Postby Brunsy3.0 » Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:22 pm

Hey All

Over the last few months I have left the liberty sit for a while as we have another car now and have had it underneath shadecloth which keep the sun off of it apart from the rear end in the mornings

I have found the dash to be really sticky to the touch
I gave it a indepth clean a few weeks ago and decided to try to rid of the sticky dash as I had thought maybe the ambi pur had evaporated up and onto the dash, I have tried water, warm water, leather conditioner/cleaner, interior cleaner, am reluctant to use anything much harsher as I don't wish to mark the surface just clean it, I rubbed my finger firmly across it today and it seemed to smudge the texture finish of the dash, am I crazy or has my dash got something on it and seems to be melting?

I tried to attach my suction mount for my camera to it and left a maad mark on it that doesn't seem to want to leave, ive tried being gentle now I need some help as I am stuck and would rather fix the issue than to try to get a 2nd hand dash and strip the car back and refit

any advice or suggestions would be highly appreciated

thanks All

cheers

Brunsy
....THE WHITEWASH....
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Re: Dash Melting? PLEASE HELP!!!

Postby HyRax » Sun Feb 09, 2014 9:21 am

Get a terrytowel cloth and a can of degreaser. Spray and wipe (don't spray on electronics - spread it from nearby with the cloth). You don't need to rinse it - just let it dry on its own. You may have to do a couple of passes, working the cloth into the dash in circular motions. Work in a ventilated area with windows and doors open.

Putting a new dash in is not actually that difficult (it's actually easy, but a little time-consuming). I did it to my own car just yesterday in fact to fix an unrepairable cosmetic issue too. Degreased it a few times and then once installed I gave it a once-over with FW1 spray - came up a treat.
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Re: Dash Melting? PLEASE HELP!!!

Postby Brunsy3.0 » Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:11 pm

Have tried everything to revive my dash but it seems being closed up for a few weeks baking even under shadecloth has made the dash start to lift so basically has melted and is coming away at points
It is super sticky all across the dash and cant see any saving of it. Im in two minds whether to try to source a second hand dash from a wreck or to take the dash out and get it upholstered in some material whether it be leather or other material

Any ideas or advice?
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Re: Dash Melting? PLEASE HELP!!!

Postby HyRax » Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:19 pm

Go to a wrecker and get a replacement dash. It's cheaper and easier than you realise.

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Re: Dash Melting? PLEASE HELP!!!

Postby Brunsy3.0 » Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:07 pm

Obviously have to remove all the trim pieces both top and bottom on the dash

What else is involved? A lot of clips and screws I'd imagine?

Did you just wing it or have a manual handy?

As for wreckers the local one closed a few years back and would only have old shitters and crashed 4x4s Darwin would be my next bet ill look into it but in the meantime I'll keep my eye out for a wreck

Pre and post facelift interchangeable?

Thanks for the info. Cheers
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Re: Dash Melting? PLEASE HELP!!!

Postby HyRax » Thu Apr 24, 2014 12:50 am

Brunsy3.0 wrote:Obviously have to remove all the trim pieces both top and bottom on the dash

Everything in the middle and sides of the middle need to come off. Instrument cluster needs to be removed. A-Pillar covers need to be removed.

Brunsy3.0 wrote:What else is involved? A lot of clips and screws I'd imagine?

Ultimately it's a bunch of snap-on clips and screws. You also have to detach a bunch of cables from holders, and you need to disconnect the passenger airbag.

Brunsy3.0 wrote:Did you just wing it or have a manual handy?

Part wing, part assistance from the Workshop manual. Looking back on it, I could have easily done it all by winging it as well - start in the centre and work out and back, referencing the replacement dash's screw points. Of note, you need to remove the glovebox and some cables latched behind it and the instrument cluster has two screws underneath it on either side of the steering column. Other than a couple of those bastard plastic push-in caps that require a proper tool or two flathead screwdrivers to pry out, the only difficult thing I had was disconnecting the passenger side airbag - the connector is simpler than it looks, and that means you'll spend 30 minutes working out how to disconnect it and then slap yourself afterwards. ;) Remember to disconnect the car battery before you do this.

Also consider that you will want to move the VIN plate that appears through the window on the windscreen, from your dash onto the new dash as well. You'll need to drill it out and rivet it onto the replacement dash.

Brunsy3.0 wrote:As for wreckers the local one closed a few years back and would only have old shitters and crashed 4x4s Darwin would be my next bet ill look into it but in the meantime I'll keep my eye out for a wreck

The dash is not very heavy at all (most of the weight is the passenger airbag, which can be removed first) - you could easily have a wrecker in another City courier you one. But if you go this route, make sure the wrecker checks the dash for slice damage from broken glass going across it before he sends it, or you'll have something else to annoy you cosmetically.

Brunsy3.0 wrote:Pre and post facelift interchangeable?

They're supposed to be, but I discovered in my first replacement attempt of a pre-FL into my post-FL that two screw points in the middle console area were ever so slightly different. You could probably get away without them, but I'm OCD enough that I exchanged it again for a post-FL to fit directly. Also, if you have a centre speaker, you'll need a dash with a centre speaker as well. In my case I now have a new centre speaker hooked up to nothing.

Brunsy3.0 wrote:Thanks for the info. Cheers

No worries.
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