Dashboard Disintegrated

[JStankus]

I got the truck washed at a car wash and unfortunately got their Wednesday special. I was going on a long trip and figured out what the heck get it cleaned up a bit. Whatever they put on the dash (I assume an armor-all type material) caused the dash to crack in several places less than a week later. It keeps cracking further now. What parts are availble for the 3rd gen dash. It seems there are quite a bit for 2nd gens.

The panel up against the window is cracked clean through in several places (vibrates pretty bad too).

The cover over the instrument panel has about four cracks in it.

Dash was perfect before the detail job. #@$%!



I am a bit annoyed.



John



2003 2500 RWD with the multipart dash

146K miles

 

[RJAnderson]

Seems like I read a news article within the last couple of days where Dodge is facing a class action lawsuit for cracking dashes. I should Google it.

 

[Crunch]

Armor All is evil stuff. It sucks the natural oils out of plastic and you have to keep using it once you start. I remember reading here that there is a shell you can buy that fits over the dash to cover the broken areas, but I don't remember the name of the product. It a lot like the veneers people get for teeth.

 

[seafish]

Genos Garage carries both soft dash pads and hard dash covers that fit extreemely well.

Some people use epoxy to fill the cracks in the old dash and then use the hard dash shell cover it all up. Looks pretty much like new.

 

[Wingate]

I got the truck washed at a car wash and unfortunately got their Wednesday special. I was going on a long trip and figured out what the heck get it cleaned up a bit. Whatever they put on the dash (I assume an armor-all type material) caused the dash to crack in several places less than a week later. It keeps cracking further now. What parts are availble for the 3rd gen dash. It seems there are quite a bit for 2nd gens.

The panel up against the window is cracked clean through in several places (vibrates pretty bad too).

The cover over the instrument panel has about four cracks in it.

Dash was perfect before the detail job. #@$%!



I am a bit annoyed.



John



2003 2500 RWD with the multipart dash

146K miles

I am curious, does your truck sit outdoors? I know the sun does damage to them and so does Armorall type products. .

The only thing that I've ever put on any of the vehicles I own is some stuff that Genos used to sell... I think it was called Lexol... They also have a protectant for leather...

 

[JStankus]

The truck does sit outdoors. Usually under some trees. It was fine until the Wednesday special at the car wash. (I only assume it was an armorall type product (the dash was pretty shiny afterwords)). My hypothesis as to what happens is that the Armorall type material is a plasticizer. The application will change the glass transition point of the plastic on the top surface. This would allow the top surface to yield under normal expansion and contraction leading to a crack. I plan on testing the plastic after I remove the broken dash.



John

 

[Regcabguy]

Rug them up. I got Genos molded Dashmat in black on mine. I wish I'd gone grey now as I stuck my hand under there and it was still hot. I had one on the '98. 5 and never had a crack.



Our Honda Pilot's going on eight years now without a rug or cracks. It's another lack of quality issue.

 

[JStankus]

Just spoke to the folks at Geno's and they are coming out with a replacement dash for the 2003 in the next couple of weeks. They just need to finalize pricing. Lifetime guarentee and all. Same folks that make the replacement 2nd gen dash.



That sounds like a good option.



John

 

[Cosmo]

I've got an 03 in the shop right now that the dash is in about 50 pieces. I don't know why Chrysler refuses to use decent plastics, but they've got a pretty good history of cracking. Good to know that Geno's is getting a replacement in.

 

[EricBu12]

put a grey rug on my 09 the first week I got it. . should be good

 

[DavidC]

I put a dash rug on mine the day I bought it new still covered with shipping plastic. The dash lasted approx. 11 years and 70k miles. When not putting on those miles the truck is garaged.



Dave

 

[Wingate]

The truck does sit outdoors. Usually under some trees. It was fine until the Wednesday special at the car wash. (I only assume it was an armorall type product (the dash was pretty shiny afterwords)). My hypothesis as to what happens is that the Armorall type material is a plasticizer. The application will change the glass transition point of the plastic on the top surface. This would allow the top surface to yield under normal expansion and contraction leading to a crack. I plan on testing the plastic after I remove the broken dash.



John

no doubt... . I dont use any of the armoral type products. How many times before has something like that used on your dash? or is this the first time??

Guess I should start figuring on fixing yet ANOTHER 3rd gen short coming. .

Ya know, if it wasn't for the engine, this truck would have been drop kicked YEARS ago...

 

[RDeFayette]

What color was your dash/interior?

Tan/clay or black?

Myself and my dad have had 5 3rd gens (all 03-05's) with black dashes and have never had one with this problem that keeps showing up. (yes they are always outside)

Had two with the tan interior and the dashes' in both looked like the bottom of bag of potatoe chips!

I'm just curious as the only ones I've seen around here with cracking dash issue are tan.

I'm thinking that there is a difference in the chemical composition of the tan and black dashes (colorant).

Anyone ever paid attention to the color variant with this problem?

 

[JStankus]

Bob,

Did you ever use Armor-all or one of the other treatments on the dash. My dash (Taupe I think--light greyish Brown) was perfect until a few days after I got the Wednesday special at the car wash where they did the treatment on the dash. (I should have paid more attention)



John

 

[RDeFayette]

Yes,

I do but not all the time.

Maybe once or twice a year.

Taupe is the color I'm talking about when I say tan that I've seen break up.

Actually looks like clay to me.

I've never seen a connection on my trucks with using Armor All or the like, just the color made a difference.

Taupe crumbles, Black hasn't.

Anyone else seen this?