I goofed! - Don't let this happen to you!!!!!!

[Wayne M.]

I don't know if this thread belongs in this section, but here goes. My problem deals with the plastic lens over our instrument clusters, and the finish plate on the OEM radio. I used armor all wipes- the cleaner- not the protectant (the blue one in the 3 pack) in particular to clean off my dashboard and I got carried away. I thought it was mild stuff and would be safe for all plastics (isn't that what most interior stuff is made of?) so I wiped the cluster lens and radio faceplate.

I figured it is wet and won't scratch the lens. Well, I may as well have used carb cleaner! I got bad white streaks on the lens and the faceplate (display). I've resigned myself to the fact that I wil have to get a new lens (I'm positive it's available seperately), and faceplate for the radio (not too sure).



Please don't let this happen to you! If anyone has a polishing method to repair this, I'm all ears!

 

[DarrellB]

Ouch

That sucks.



I myself have never been a big fan of armorall products.



You might try a little furniture wax. The kind I'm talking about is call tree wax. You can get it a most hardware stores. Try buffing the plastic with the wax and a cotton cloth. It's done srewed up so it wont hurt to try.



Sorry about your luck.



Darrell

 

[Wayno]

Wayne, if you did that to your 92 truck, I got some real bad news for you. My speedo went out around the first of the year. I found out thur the forms that there was a place in Houston that could fix my speedo so I took it to this place and they fix it while I waited. I got home after dark and took every piece of the dash inside the house to clean every piece, piece by piece, but I left the speedo lens cover on the seat. Now I have disconnected the dome light switch on the door so the light does not come on when you open the door. Well guess what happen. I went back out to the truck a few hours later and flop my big @_$ in the seat and broke it. Needless to say I was not very happy,----- stand by its gets better----- So I go down to my local Dodge dealer and order a new one for a mear 85 dollors and they tell me it would be here in two to three days. Ya right, after about a month of waiteing they did a search to find out what happen to it. Come to find out me and and fourteen other people in the US wanted one and there was none to be had in the whole U. S of A. The factory was looking for a company to mold them. I tried all the wrecking yards in Houston and surrounding areas and they just laugh. It took four months to get it. Nothing like driveing around four months with you dash apart!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Wayno]

I was also told to go to a place that works on watches. They have some stuff they polish the lens on watches with that will work. They call it jewlers rule are something like that. Cant say it cant speal it?

 

[illflem]

Wayne before you buy a new faceplate try some #17 Meguires Clear Plastic Cleaner. This stuff is aircraft grade,made especially for clear plastic, works great at removing scratches. They also have a polish that goes along with it. Many auto parts carry it, if you can't find it locally do a web search, I'm sure it's available mail order. If fact here you go http://www.chiefaircraft.com/cgi-bi...=/Aircraft/Chemical/AcrylicCleanerPolish.html for $6. 95

 

[Un-Hemi]

Meguiar's Car Cleaner-Wax in the dark red bottle also will also polish up clear plastic. I've used it several times for this purpose. It's a slow process, but leaves a nice finish.



Tom

 

[DieselDoghouse]

What Illflem said... I use it on my racing helmet visors for the tire chunks and track debris that lands there. Get the stuff that specifically says for console (boats) and motorcycle helmet visors and you should be fine. Good Luck!!! (Note to self: spend more time in the 'clean air'- polish visor less!!)

 

[Champane Flight]

Plastic polish

The stuff I use is a three step process, Novus plastic polish. It can be found in the Dennis Kirk catalogs.

 

[Blakers]

Wayne, did it just scratch the plastic or actually melt it like plastic model glue or PVC cement would? I used some kind of solvent to clean a Mercedes taillight lense years ago and it melted it.



If it melted into the plastic, I think you'll have to polish it out with some kind of rubbing compound or something similar. You'll probably have to take it out physically rather than chemically. I doubt if cleaner or wax will do you any good.



Good luck,

Blake

 

[Wayne M.]

I guess I didn't mention which vehicle it was. I hope nobody minds- It's my Durango, which has the same cluster as CTD's. I'm glad It's not my '92, Wayno! I went to Pep-Boys and they didn't have it which was no surprise. I'm gonna try Illflem's source.

The plastic is just hazed up, and has a slight bit of texture. It's worth a $10. 00 gamble. There's a phone number on the armor-all container. I'm gonna give them a call and see what they say since there was no caution on the package pertaining to plastic use.

 

[nickleinonen]

are you sure it didn't have a warning label? all the armorall stuff i have seen has said not to use on clear plastics and instrument panels. the cleaning stuff also says to not let it dry on plastic. funny though, i have those armorall wipes in my truck, but i haven't even open the costco 3-pack; and they have been there for like 2 months now. . my truck needs some tlc cleaning. .

 

[illflem]

Wayne, make sure to follow the instructions on the Meguires to a T especially the one that says to shake well before using. Won't tell you how I found that out.

 

[Charley]

Wayne:



The Meguires Clear Plastic Cleaner and polish should do the trick. That's all I ever used on the windshield of my J3 Cub and the canopy of my Messerschmidt. They shined like new money and it would remove minor scratches.



As for the Armorall, I won't use anything they make on anything. I had some rubber floor mats that I used it on. They really looked good for about two weeks and then got dull. Used it again and they got dull in about a week. Third time they were dull the next day and not only dull but is much worse shape than before I started using the stuff. I mentioned it to one of the guys at the fixed base operator where I kept the Cub and he showed me an article in a flying magazine where and investigation of an aviation accident led to armorall used on the de-icing boots caused the boots to fail when they were inflated and caused the plane to crash. Not afraid my truck would crash if the floor mats failed but also didn't want to buy new floor mates every few weeks.



Charley

 

[Deezul1]

I bought a truck that had the instrument glass so fogged you couldnt read the speedo and when I found out a new lens was $100 I started experimenting and found out that polishing compound like you use on paint made it look like new. NOT rubbing compound, polishing compound. I believe it was DuPont, it was white and kinda runny.

 

[Wayne M.]

A real big thanks!

I did follow Illflem's advice and called Chief aircraft and ordered Meguiars #17 and #10, I couldn't find it locally. Today I went and tried #17, which is first- and then followed by #10. Following the instructions and using a foam wax applicator, I got good results with little time. The radio display looks almost perfect, and the cluster is real good if you look straight on, but has some slight streaks on an angle. I have to remove it to really finish it, but is acceptable now.



Thanks to all who helped me out this time!

 

[juicedcummins]

Try PLEDGE with a soft cloth depending on the damage it will help.