Dash Treatment (Armour All, etc.)

[kerrton]

Does everyone use Armour All, or another brand of dash and trim protectant/conditioner? From time to time I've heard from detailers that Armour All isn't actually good for the dash over the long term, or perhaps there are other brands that are better at protecting and conditioning? Or would you suggest just using nothing and leaving things as is? Thanks!

[philipa_240sx]

Oh no... the great Armor All debate! This is a widely debated topic. Some swear by it, others hate it.

Personally my biggest issue with Armor All is the use of silicone in thier product. Silicone is a lubricant. It's oily, slippery, attracts dirt, and has a habit of migrating everywhere... the glass, the steering wheel, your hands, etc making a very big mess. You need to be very careful applying it and it needs to be reapplied often to keep it looking good. Some also say the silicone is bad for vinyl and causes cracking... this is debatable. I have not experienced cracking with Armor All in the past.

IMHO if you are looking for a protectant that is not oily, protects against UV damage, doesn't attract dirt, and if you don't mind a matte/non-glossy finish then try 303 Protectant. It does not contain silicone and is very easy to apply. Best of all one application is good for weeks. I just dust in between applications and it looks like new. 303 Protectant is also good for exterior plastics.

[mistergib]

There are now a couple of relatively new products out there offered by Turtle Wax....one is for polishing the exterior of your car and the other isfor applying to the interior of your car. They are both under the name ofTurtle Wax Ice, and both are NOT supposed to leave any residue at all.

I've not tried either as yet, but I do plan on giving them a shot....

[rjuarezjr915]

Well i did alot of research on this topic as I plan to keep the car for quit a while and almost all the research points to Meguiars cleaners as it does not shin up the dash it simply protects it against the sun and will also deep clean it.

[mistergib]

Well i did alot of research on this topic as I plan to keep the car for quit a while and almost all the research points to Meguiars cleaners as it does not shin up the dash it simply protects it against the sun and will also deep clean it.

...that's also the Turtle Wax Ice claim, its not supposed to shine, justprotect.....Proof is in the pudding, I'll find out when I try it. I, too, am abig fan of Meguiars....stuff is hard to beat.

[philipa_240sx]

+1 for Meguiars and thier NXT products... especially the wax.

[mlmcgahee]

I use the Turtle Wax Ice products. They are great. So far that's all i've used on my Rogue. The liquid polish, detail spray, car wash and total interior care.

http://www.icecarcare.net/

[peleke]

I'm currently using Pinnacle Vinyl & Rubber protectant. It's water-based and only leaves a satin finish.

http://www.autogeek.net/pinvinrubpro.html

I've tried the Turtle Wax Ice protectant for the exterior. Makes the paint feel slippery

[MadMontie1]

Armour All now makes a 'natural protectant' type of cleaner. it has a purple label. It's perfect. Leaves no residue at all and cleans our black dash boards completely.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle, and please, for the love of god, dont use regular Armour All on your dash. You'll regret it in the long run.

[mistergib]

I've tried the Turtle Wax Ice protectant for the exterior. Makes the paint feel slippery

..well, that sounds like a plus to me....if I polish my car, I'd sure want thefinish to feel/be slippery....that keeps crap from sticking to it. I gonnahave to check out that Turtle Wax Ice.........

[RiverRogue]

IMHO if you are looking for a protectant that is not oily, protects against UV damage, doesn't attract dirt, and if you don't mind a matte/non-glossy finish then try 303 Protectant. It does not contain silicone and is very easy to apply. Best of all one application is good for weeks. I just dust in between applications and it looks like new. 303 Protectant is also good for exterior plastics.

303 is advertised armorall for your boat.

I used it on kayaks, canoes and the pontoons on pontoon boats. Great stuff.

Thanx for the tip, I'll try it on the Rogue.

[Elton Noway]

IMHO if you are looking for a protectant that is not oily, protects against UV damage, doesn't attract dirt, and if you don't mind a matte/non-glossy finish then try 303 Protectant. It does not contain silicone and is very easy to apply. Best of all one application is good for weeks. I just dust in between applications and it looks like new. 303 Protectant is also good for exterior plastics.

I agree! I did a ton of research, read dozens of forum threads from VW to BMW and everything in between... on dash protectant products, conditioners and cleaners and came to the same conclusion: 303 Aerospace Protectant! Safe for use on rubber, vinyl, plastic ... no cheap shiny look, restores both texture and color, maintains the like-new appearance, repels dust and dirt, soiling and staining, leaves no goofy looking shine and no silicone residue to attract dust. Good stuff... (but Expen$ive!!! )

303 is advertised armorall for your boat.

I used it on kayaks, canoes and the pontoons on pontoon boats. Great stuff. Thanx for the tip, I'll try it on the Rogue.

Well... saying its like Armorall for your anything will instantly turn some people off. Armorall has been having an impossible time living down its reputation for cracking dashes. Armorall was originally developed back in the 1970's and was the first product of its kind for making dashes look great. The problem was, its early formulation was attributed to a lot of cracked dashes However the newer Armorall has been completely reformulated with UV inhibitors, no alcohol etc so anyone still saying it will crack your dash is uninformed. That said... I was one of the early adopters of Armorall and suffered from a cracked dash so I can't bring myself to use it or even give it another chance. (especially on my Rogue)

303 Aerospace was originally developed for aerospace and aviation applications but is typically found and sold in boat and marine accessory stores. Think about it... a boat has as much, if not more plastic and vinyl than a car and on the average spends a lot more time in the sun than the average car.

I prefer to say... 303 is advertised as "SPF 40 for your Stuff"... which is actually their slogan. FYI: SPF of a sunscreen is a laboratory measure of the effectiveness of sunscreen — the higher the SPF, the more protection a sunscreen offers against UV-B, the ultraviolet radiation that causes damage. (Though I truly doubt this was actually tested as a skin sunscreen.)

As mentioned earlier, I think its expensive. Roughly $1.00 per ounce! (or 16ounce bottle for $16 bucks) when other similar products run $5-$6 for the same amount of product.

I use it exclusively on ALL the interior plastic surfaces of my Rogue. It does a great job hiding / covering scuffs and minor scratches on plastic paneling in the cargo bay and door sills. I also use it on the rubber and vinyl in the engine compartment to keep it looking new. The only caution is... Wipe it on, wait a minute or two, then wipe it dry! DO NOT spray it on and walk away or do a half a** job wiping if off. I personally recommend spraying it on a soft cloth and applying it where you want it versus spraying it directly on the surface. (You don't want overspray on your instrument cluster or window glass). While it won't hurt them... it can be a bear to get off if you leave spills, overspray or excess to dry on its own. 303 on a rag can be used to remove dried product but warm water works as well.

FROM THE BOTTLE:Interior/Exterior: Vinyl & leather interiors, plastics bumpers, fender flares, trim and lenses, car bras, tonneau covers, vinyl soft tops & plastic windows. Spray on and WIPE COMPLETELY DRY.

Reviews:http://www.google.com/search?h...i=g10

[ahhbeebee]

+1 to the 303 Aerospace protectant.

[mx6bfast]

My dad mentioned Turtle Wax Ice to me this morning, said he didn't have to rub it off. That's very promising sounding. My wife and I use Mequiar's Gold Class wash and wax. It looked like the wax was pretty much gone from my Rogue a couple of weeks ago and after waxing her Mustang I was too tired to do my car and bought a buffer. I've never had a car with this much surface area so I was kinda caught off guard. I'm tempted to use the Turtle Wax because it made my mom's car look good, but I want to have to use the buffer, haha.

Think I wont go wrong either way?

[cdmuile]

I've used both TW Ice and TW Paste. The Ice is easy, but the paste holds up better, IMHO.

[mlmcgahee]

My dad mentioned Turtle Wax Ice to me this morning, said he didn't have to rub it off. That's very promising sounding. My wife and I use Mequiar's Gold Class wash and wax. It looked like the wax was pretty much gone from my Rogue a couple of weeks ago and after waxing her Mustang I was too tired to do my car and bought a buffer. I've never had a car with this much surface area so I was kinda caught off guard. I'm tempted to use the Turtle Wax because it made my mom's car look good, but I want to have to use the buffer, haha.

Think I wont go wrong either way?

I have been using the Turtle Wax interior and exterior Ice products since my Rogue was brand new (Nov. 07). I have had execlent results with little effort.http://www.turtlewax.com/main.taf?p=2,1,1,6

[RogueGuy45]

I live in Minnesota so I will not try to speak for the southern folks. Armor All really hasn't worked very well on my most recent new vehicles. IMO it is unnecessary. I just keep them clean.

[takeshi]

Another +1 for 303.

[philipa_240sx]

303 is advertised armorall for your boat.

I used it on kayaks, canoes and the pontoons on pontoon boats. Great stuff.

Thanx for the tip, I'll try it on the Rogue.

I use 303 for my canoe as well. It works really well for the gel coated hull!