shiny and dull spots on dash

I had a big shiny spot on my new car's dash that looked like somebody had sprayed Armor All on it or something. I tried to clean it off but with no success, so I stopped by the dealer to ask what they would recommend using to clean the dash. They offered to clean it for me, and now half of the shiny spot has been replaced with a palm-sized dull spot.

 

The dull spot is invisible in certain light and fairly obvious in other lighting conditions. I think most people wouldn't even notice unless I pointed it out to them but it's kind of driving me crazy. I am hoping that as the rest of the dash ages is will become less noticeable.

 

Is there anything I can do to fix a dull spot, or at least make it less obvious?

 

What can I use to try to clean this shiny spot off without messing up the dash?

 

Thanks for your help.

It sounds like they scuffed it up. That isn't going to go away by itself. If they scuffed it up then I really don't know anything that is going to get rid of it. The rest of the dash is never going to match it unless you scuff it up as well.

 

The other possibility is that they used some sort of all purpose cleaner and that has stained the dash. My recomendation is to get a dash protectant and treat the whole dash. They may have dried out that one spot. Since the dealership did it, I would also suggest taking it back to them to have this done. They are the ones that either scuffed it or dried it out, so they should be the ones to fix it.

They used what I think was an all-purpose cleaner which discolored the dash, or at least transferred the color from the blue-grey paper towel they were using to the dash. Then they used Auto Armor Vinyl and Leather Enhancer (which is a protectant I guess) on the whole dash which took the discoloration away. They may have used other stuff as well, I don't know. I don't think the dash is discolored, since like I said if the light is right you can't see it at all, I think it's just scuffed (and a large part of the shiny area is still there too, since they ceased and desisted when it became clear that the original cleaner was doing some harm). I agree that the dealership should fix it, but I am also reluctant to take it there and have them mess it up more. The reason I went there in the first place is that the dash had this big shiny spot that they should have cleaned off before I took delivery, and look where it got me. In some sense it's not a big deal, but it also really ticks me off that this is a brand new car.

Never let a new car tick you off. My new car ticked me off to the point that I got rid of it. If my issues could have been fixed then I would still have it I imagine. Something like your problem would probably not force me to get rid of the car, but I would definitely take it to the dealership and ask what they intend to do about this. Do it soon before they start accusing you of causing the damage.

Honestly, I'd just have them replace the dash. It's brand new, might as well have them fix it right from the beginning. I've had them replace the covers for a seat that was brand new on my old Impreza - It was an expensive repair, but they didn't blink at doing it on a brand new car. They'll do nearly anything in the first month of ownership to keep you happy. They actually offered to repaint my trunk on my LGT because it came with a scratch off the lot. Just settled on a touch-up and left it at that.

Dash replacement is an interesting thought. It seems like kind of major surgery, though. Assuming they'd go for it, should I be concerned about the passenger airbag getting screwed up (in a way that wouldn't be obvious until after it didn't work correctly in an accident)?

If the dealership handles the replacement then you shouldn't have anything to worry about with the passenger airbag. It would be a major pain and expense to replace it though, so be prepared for some major push back from the dealership.

I just took some pics but my web server is dead at the moment. I'll try to put them up later. They are not at all spectacular.

 

I talked to the dealer and he said if I brought it in on Monday they would give it another try. I casually mentioned replacing the dash and he said that was a really bad idea because chances are that some rattle will be created in the process. Of course he has a large motivation to tell me it's a bad idea, but I can also believe that there is a reasonable chance of some noise or scratch or scuff resulting from taking apart the dash, instrument cluster, all the vents, etc. I am kind of nervous about letting them touch my car at all at this point.

Here are the pics. In the first one you can see the shiny area, and the dull area is harder to see at the upper/left end of the shiny patch. In certain light the dull patch is more visible than it looks in this picture.

http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~baj/car/nowyouseeit.jpg

 

From a different angle, it looks just fine.

http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~baj/car/nowyoudont.jpg

I put some Meguiars #40 on the dash and it made a huge improvement to the dull spot. Hopefully it will last.

#40 is a good product to use. It is one of the better protectants you can get if you are concerned about UV fading and protection from cracks. It isn't much of a conditioner for damaged vinyl, but if it solved the problem then that is great! Keep us posted on the long term results.

So, do you have any suggestions on what could be used to clean off the shiny area without dulling it? And do you know of something better than #40 for damaged vinyl (in case this turns out to be a short-term fix, which I hope it isn't because it looks almost 100% better now). Thanks!

Well, #39 is probably the best vinyl cleaner I've ever used that wouldn't damage your dash. But that stuff is getting pretty hard to find. My normal supplier doesn't even carry it anymore. 303 Aerospace Cleaner is an awesome product too. That one is easier to find online. It will put you back about $45 bucks for a gallon of it, but it will probably last you the rest of your life. You should read up on it. It will clean just about anything. I've used it on engines, upholstry, glass, and even my kitchen floor. It is a concentrated all purpose product, so if you just dilute it right then it can do anything.