Dash Scratches

[749_dark]

I recently came across the thread that gave directions on how to remove the CD changer. After successfully fixing the CD changer (trays 2 and 3 were broken so now it is a one CD player), I realized why my dash was so scratched up, aside from using weak materials around the dash, the previous owner must have used a sloppy electronics guy to fix the CD changer.

Has anyone replaced the area around the control panel which is just plain bad. If I press hard enough with my finger, it will mark the plastic. Aside from the scratches the plastic has become gummy and sticky. Is it a huge project? At some point I was planning to have the dash covered with leather to match the top section of the dash.

Smooth, at some point I read a thread in which you presented an impressive analysis of the different dash materials. What's going with the plastic around the control panel? Any quick and "easy" remedy (not very probable).

[smooth1]

the best option I have seen so far is to take it to a proffesional custom audio shop and have them wrap it in a black leather. That looked way nice and clean.

The other option is to use some 2000 and sand all the scratches out. Then tape off the surrounding area and use a plasticized spray paint and refinish it. I actually did that on my 03' and it turned out great. You wouldn't have known it was ever scratched. But you have to do the whole trim ring , as just trying to do one small area would show up as just patch work.

[749_dark]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll probably go with the first suggestion at some point. I'm very surprised that Toyota screwed this one up so badly, my 1997 Nissan pickup with 154k miles has held up better than the area around the air vents and the center console.

[4.0 LS TECH]

Chrysler Vehicles scratch easy aswell. The dashes look hard, but you can push on them with your fingernail and leave a mark. So when we replace radios in new vehicles, they tend to magically get scratched. The soulution. A heat Gun. Trick of the trade. Heat it up and the white scratch mark dissapears.

Be carful. Get it to hot and it melts leaving a melted plastic puddle look. The key is to get it warm enough for the plastic to get soft and dry in a way that sort of re coats itself. Alot of new techs heat it to long and have to replace the dash anyway. So if your heating it up, and it looks like its almost done, then stop. because it is. If your heating it up and it looks like you just got it perfect, the im sorry you melted it.

[smooth1]

You've tried that on the Lexus IS300 dash trim around the center control panel and radio? Or just on the Chrysler's.

[4.0 LS TECH]

Ive tried it out on chryslers, fords, hondas, Vw's, and so on. Yet to try it on the lexus. Some of the other techs in the shop have used it on the lexus. I will ask them about the specific area your talking about tomarrow.

[smooth1]

Ok. because the trim on the Lexus is like a rubberized plastic coating over harder abs plastic. So when I tried doing the heat up method on a practice piece of trim, I got it to soften up, but then it wouldn't re-harden right. Even after it cooled back down if you just touched it you would leave your finger print in it. So ask them if there was a trick to that also, or maybe I too over heated it slightly. I don't know.

[flop170]

.....and if smooth doesn't know..... NOBODY does...... NOBODY!!!!!!