boltjames

There is a God, and his name is 303 Aerospace Protectant.

Now, before you Zaino People tell me I too have fallen for salad dressing, let me tell you that 303 is the only way to go in the TL's interior- especially with all that rubberized paint and dust-collecting honeycomb plastic on the dash.

Not only does it clean well, but it restores any faded spots without leaving a shiny Armor All type finish. It's as close as you can get to the factory look you had when you drove her out of the showroom. I did an A/B spot test and you simply can't see any shine whatsoever. Can't wait to try this stuff on other vehicles / outdoor products. If you're nervous about touching your TL's rubbery dash and avoided doing so (as I did for over 6000 miles) then run to the nearest store and grab this stuff. (Thanks again to the guys who recommended it in here last week.)




Thank you God for the TL. Thank you God for the miracle that is 303 Aerospace Protectant.

Amen.

BJ

jjsC5

What stores carry it?

Thanks to you and the posts a couple of weeks ago for the good advice!

EZZ

It works good on dark surfaces but leaves a residue on lighter surfaces (especially silver tint). Also, be careful on clear plastics...I have seen it leave a white residue that other people had trouble removing. Use it wisely and its really good stuff.

boltjames

Simply put your zip code in the box and you're all set:

http://www.303products.com/main.php?...retailersearch

BJ

Xpditor

BJ: I have recommended it here several times. I have been using it since I got my TL in April.

I agree completely. I just did my whole (plastic/rubber) interior and the door seals together with the rubber trim around the windows.

Doing so gives you an appreciation how well the TL is built and how tightly it seals. I also used it on the steering wheel hub part (not the leather, although it won't hurt it). I did the stalks, too - to prevent their turning white after about 8-10 years like they did in my Maxima.

It's good stuff. They will also send you a free sample on their website.

XP

boltjames

How often do you have to re-apply 303 to the dash after the first application? Is this something I'll be doing monthly, quarterly?

Also, I'm reading that some people put 303 on leather? How can that be good for the seats?

BJ

EnJ

I've been using Armor All wipes on my interior because I couldn't find 303 anywhere. Personally, I like the shiney look on the door vinyl but not on the rubber dash. I used it because while I was dusting the dash off one day I noticed white scratch marks when I was finished and I figured I'd rather have a shiney dash than a scratched one. Now that the Armor All is on it looks flawless (but shiney), can I use the 303 and take the shine off my dash and restore it to the original rubber look? Also I read on here that Armor All will ruin your interior in the long run. Is that true and if so why? I also use the Armor All leather wipes on the leather as a cleaner and I use Meguires brand to condition it. Please tell me thats not bad.

Erik

Xpditor

I just did mine for the first time. I would go read the bottle or the insert but you already have that yourself.

I also heard some people put it on leather. It says you can do that on the bottle. I wouldn't unless the leather is exposed to a lot of direct sun (it's a UV blocker).

It doesn't do anything, as far as I can see, to condition the leather and replace those essential oils. I would condition first if I was going to do it - but I'm not because my car is garaged.

XP

Aegir

Thanks for the review. I think I'll wait a few weeks to ensure this isn't followed up with a "303 Aerospace Protectant is the Devil! >;] " thread.

boltjames

I'm no expert, but if there's one thing I know it's that Armor All is the Devil and that his son, Armor All Wipes, is Hell on Earth.

Slimy, greasy, glossy.....your dash may be clean but it's looking too out of place for the non-bling-bling TL.

Others can tell you how to do it, but scrub that Armor All off and get yourself into some 303 asap and get back to that factory matte look.

BJ

Road Rage

I have been a 303 fan for many years, so thumbs up on that. I hate the the greasy kid stuff look.

The FTC has had several investigations of good ol' Armor All, Dave Solomon reported in Nutz and Boltz that they found that products using silicone oils like AAS could actually increase the deterioration of tire sidewalls - 303 on their site merely mentions that silicones can degrade vinyls, by=ut the FTC looked at it froma sfaety perspective. Anyway, Dave's inside info (he is a Master mechanic and also did auto crash investigation for Pinkertons) was that thr FTC was gonna act, but that the whole thing got squashed. AA is pretty big, so this could have been a tyoical Washington two-step deal.

Whatever the truth is, I stick with 303 - it makes the sidewalls look natural, and the door and dash panels do not look slimy.

One thing to remember - it is important to clean first. Altbough they all say cleaner/protectant, it is like cleaner/wax. You get better results doing the cleaning first, then the wax, right? A simple bowl of water, a few drops of mild detergent, and a terry cloth or sponge are all that is needed to wipe down the dash, and other vinyl - you do not want to use string cleaners, which remove the plasticizers.

I would recommend usijg 303 once every quarter - do not over use any product for the interior, including leather treatments. With leather, cleaning fiurst is even more important.

Jim123

I have been using 303 Aerospace Protectant on my cars for about 2 years. I applied it to the dash of my TL six weeks ago and I say it's about time to do it again. I've never used it on seats but I did put it on the door panels of my TL including the inserts and it did a good job. It's great stuff.

boltjames

Thanks RR. Look at what Armor All did to this poor NSX....





....and this poor Legend....





Don't let this happen to your TL.

BJ

indoMFP

if you have a black interior then you may not need to apply 303 all the damn time.... I apply every other week and I dust the vehicle almost every week...

rets

That Legend is ugly... man... mine looks much better than that...

BJ, got some pics comparison between Armor All and 303? Thanks...

boltjames

You own a Legend? Which year/model? I'm a huge Legend fan (I still think the TL is more the Legend replacement than the RL) and would love to see pics if you've got 'em.

I don't have an A/B comparison of Armor All vs. 303, but that Legend pic is definitely what Armor All does to a car. No question. Slimes it up.....greasy and shiny like a popsicle.

I'd post a pic of 303 on the TL, but there's no need. Drive to an Acura dealer, look at the dash on a brand new TL on the lot, and that's what 303 looks like

BJ

JetJock

I used to have a Legend and I also loved that car....I'd probably still have it except for the fact that it got into an accident, and I didn't want to wait 30 days for it to be repaired, so I purchased my first TL in 2001. Sold that car 6months later for a TL-S, and kept that car for 2 years when I got the best one yet....the 04 TL 6MT navi. I LOVE THIS CAR!!...even more than the Legend.

grktl

Where do you guys buy this stuff at? I've looked at stores and can't find it anywhere. I did find it online but i want it now.

boltjames

Simply put your zip code in the box and you're all set:

http://www.303products.com/main.php...=retailersearch

BJ

kefler

I know. Look what armor all did to my TL!!!

Before it was nice:



And then I used armor all:



I don't even know who that guy is! he just showed up when I started applying the armor all!!!

EnJ

hahahaha...you better whipe it off bro.

boltjames

LOL. Good to see that everyone has the left side glove compartment 'droop' like I do. Looks more pronounced when coated in pimp.

BJ

kefler

Well, I'm not sure its officially a 'droop'.. cause look at the bottom of it. Its perfectly flat with the right part of the center console as it flows into the glovebox.

if I push the glovebox up so it closes the gap then it looks uneven on the left side towards the bottom..


<rotate topic>
I just washed my car. I wish I could get it as clean as it was when I bought it. I'm going to have to face the facts and realize I suck at car washing. I'm too scared to try anything like the wax or claybar stuff. I just use meguiars soap and a water blade.. atleast the car is totally scratch free but no matter what I do there are spots. I think some of the spots are burned into the paint or something because I swear its the same spots every time across multiple car washes.

<edit> oh yeah its NBP with parchment interior. My dash is ass with all kinds of white splotchys too so i'm getting that 303 stuff tomrrow.

boltjames

You'll love the 303 as it makes that white splotch go away. Nice and even, back to factory fresh. I didn't bother doing the doors (no fade) as the 303'd dash matches the doors perfectly again.

Be careful around the clock and XM display area.....put the 303 on the rubbery upper dash only; avoid the plastic bezels, climate control air vents, aluminum trim, center speaker grill, etc. While the 303 absorbs into the rubber areas tastefully, it does throw a little Armor All curveball when it touches 'regular' plastic.

God bless 303 Aerospace Protectant.

BJ

JoganJani

Guys also put 303 on the rubber lining in and around the doors. It will be full of moisture and will not crack to let air and hissing in the car for pretty long time.

BJ, I put it on all plastic parts in the dash including indicator and wiper levers, all buttons, gauge surroundings. Works great for me without any shine. The way I apply is spray on towel and and wipe till all the cloudyness is gone.

boltjames

I found that while there was no 'slime' on my fingers after rubbing the 303'd rubber painted upper dash surface, there was slime on my fingers after rubbing some plastic dash parts where the 303 had migrated accidentally.

Also, my beloved California Dash Duster picked up some 303 and spread it onto some plastic where I didn't want it....

Question: Do you buff off the 303 after you've applied it? Or just let it dry over a few days? Maybe I slopped too much on by accident?

BJ

EZZ

You have to buff it off with a dry towel. It leaves a residue if you don't.

Xpditor

The instructions say to leave it on for 5 minutes and then buff it off with a towel.

That's what I did on the dash and it looks good.

I also did all the levers and louvers. :P

XP

JoganJani

I spray it on one end of the towel and then apply and then use the other end to buff off evenly. Have worked for me for years. Try it on some inconspicuous area and you'll see what I'm saying.

Aegir

Your car has been infected by an armor all troll!

SBTL

Praise the Lord and pass the 303...
I got my samples this weekend and tried it on the dash. Perfect result. I'm sold on 303. Thanks.

Legend75

Funny thread and informative one as well. Good info guys... So one is not to put 303 on the plastic interior stuff only the rubberized/dashboard and weather stripping on doors?

SBTL

Yes for the most part.
The directions, however, indicate that 303 can also be used on leather and plastic. I didn't try that with my samples. Maybe Boltjames has experience with that...

Road Rage

For plastic and trim, I recommend a pure carnauba like Zymol.

303 is great, works perfecty on my convertibles PVC top, put it can be nasty on things like the TL's exterior B-pillar. I would nt to get it all over the brake pads, either. I have some large plastic cutouts 17" in diameter so I o not overspray onto the wheels/brakes when doing the tires. And always clean BEFORE using 303 - dirt sealed into rubber is not good, although 303 is much safer in this regard than AA, which can actually damage the rubber sidewalls ina chemical dry-rot reaction of sorts. Nutz and Boltz (www.motorminute.com) claims the FTC has considered acting against AA, but it i so pervasively used they have not; I think they are chicken.

Detailing sprays are often alcohol-based, and can remove paint appliques like on the console trim. They work great on gauge cluster lenses (although spray on towel, then apply - you do not want liquids running down in the electronics).

fox_boogie

I got mine at true value hardware store. The stuff is amazing. My old legend had that burgandy leather interior and the backs of the seats and headrests literally baked and cracked. I swore the next car I had with leather I wouldn't let it happen again. I put 303 on my dash and doors, I also put in on the subwoofer cover in my back window and the tops of my headrests and seats.