1chiroTL

this is what i tried

1. honda vinyl/leather cleaner
lightly washed dash with water/dish soap
let it dry
sprayed the dash with the honda stuff from dealer
let it sit for 5 min
then used an old cotton t shirt to remove/buff

result its more ashy then before!!!!!!!!!!

what can you guys recco/ in terms of application method, it seems as though other members have had good results from the honda product. it maybe my tecknik.....

thanks

Will Y.

Clean off your dash again. Get 303 Aerospace Protectant from a boat/marine store like West's Marine and try that. I have yet to hear that 303 was unsuccessful, and it worked to darken my dash to showroom condition; I've only done a single application, and that was 4 months ago.

csmeance

also you need to use a protecant to darken the surface and also to protect it from fading. The cleaner is made so it can clean up any oilss on the dash so the protecant can adhere.

Jesstzn

Wipe it down with the Woolite solution to clean it ( see my web page ) then 303 protectant , not the cleaner. Or Meguiars #20 Rubber & Vinyl protectant.

Do not spray on the dash .. spray on a cloth to apply.

mr_clean

i used meguiars Gold Class Vinyl/Rubber Protectant and it looks a lot better.. even that dumb outer edge of the airbag on the dash went away... i pretty much used it on every piece of rubber/plastic in my car and it looks really good..

pohljm

Aerospace 303 is the best stuff on the planet if you want a nice low gloss sheen. The other product used specifically for this problem is something called ......granitize or something like that. Do a search for that

west403

Acura has come out with a two step process that has been working
first use the "spray cleaner and polish then use the Vinyl protectant, if you are still not satisfied then have them replace the dash.

Jesstzn

You refer to 2 products here ... what are they?

tonester

iTrader: (1)

i use 303 on my dash. it works!!

kosh2258

I'm not sure where you got the suggestion of cleaning with dish soap, but that's probably why your dash looks like it does.

The instructions Honda originally posted stated to use the Acura/Honda Spray Cleaner & Polish PN 08C25-P011M.
Using a soft cloth, spray the cleaner polish on the cloth and then rub vigorously in one direction. The apply a second time and rub vigorously at a 90 degree angle to the first application. Then buff off the surface and apply a vinyl and leather protectant. I used Aerospace 303 following the instructions on the bottle.

Those are the instructions I followed and my dash is still looking good after 9 months. No more botchiness.

The instructions did warn that a second treatment may be needed depending on how new the cover is and how much of the "compatiblizer" had migrated out of the dash cover.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Dont' know if you know, but this site has all the TSB's and Tech news for Acura dealers in a sticky -- one of them from '05 is the "ashy dash" problem -- they (Acura) recommends Meguire's as well --

honda nut

iTrader: (1)

I use vinylex made by lexol.You may need to use it every fewdays untill it completely evens out.

SteveP66

Is this ashy dash problem with all TL's? I haven't noticed it on mine yet (2006).......using Pinnicle protection on it and it looks great............no outline of an airbag either :-/

Andrew McCarthy

You will- mine came at around 10 months out of nowhere.

csmeance

it will come in a bit because of some material mitgration or some other reason.

GreggRob

I have an 06' TL and complained about it. Service Manager told me that it took Acura a year to devlop a product to address the problem. Before that, they replaced dash boards. He sent me to the parts department to ask for the dash board treatment. Comes in a spray can. They give it to you for free. Hence the reason why they don't tell anybody about it. Just go to your Acura Dealership and get it for free. They will give you a can for free for the life of car. Works great. Only apply a little every few months. The chemical raises the nap on the dash. If you wipe your dash with a cloth, it smears the nap and makes it appear to be scratched and worn. Don't put anything else on your dash, you could really mess it up. The reason for the nap is it cuts down on the reflection of the dash when you drive into the sun. Good luck.

pohljm

can you post a photo of this can, or a part number or the actual name as it appears on the label? is this an acura branded product? by spray can do you mean aerosol ?

GreggRob

Don't have a photo of it. But will call the dealership when they open and get the name and part number for you. It comes in a tin can and is a pump spray. Spray it on a sponge and wipe on. A little goes a long way. Get back to you shortly.

GreggRob

Ok, just called my dealership and talked to Service. He didn't have a part number for the can. But the name on the can is "Vynle/Leather Protectant by Honda." He told me it's about 5 bucks a can. Was free when I asked for it becuase my car was only 2 months old when I noticed it. The stuff works great, little goes a long way. Good luck.

GreggRob

Forgot to mention. When you apply the protectant, apply it with a soft sponge. That's it, don't wipe it off with a soft cloth. Read a posting above where a guy mentioned he applied it and wiped it off. The chemical raises the nap so it stand straight up. The second you wipe it with a cloth, you push over all the nap and it appears chalky again. If you want to remove dust from your dash, lightly drag a soft towel across it to remove the dust, don't wipe our you'll have to apply the chemical again.
Anyway, that's what worked for me, before the car you see me standing by, got totaled two weeks ago. Got rear ended at 50 mph by an unlicensed, uninsured driver with only a Mexican ID card. Oh the Humanity!!
Buying an 07' TL next week and will post a new photo. :-) Merry Christmas to me! Thanks AAA!!

redchief

spray the honda protectant on and let it soak in overnight
don't wipe it off!

csmeance

pohljm

csmeance, did you receive your can from Acura dealer for free as well?

1995hoo

Not all Acura/Honda dealers carry this; I was unable to find it anywhere in Northern Virginia. As others have noted, you should do OK using a vinyl cleaner from some other company. I used Griot's Vinyl & Rubber Dressing and it worked like a charm.

csmeance

yes, they asked when i bought it and whst model it was, also i told the guy about acurazine and he was blown away because no one had ever asked him for a bottle of this stuff.

crzygosu87

iTrader: (4)

can someone post a pic of this ashy/chalky dash that everyone's talking about? i'm not really sure what to be expecting ...

Danoli

"Armorall detailers advantage" protectant spray. It smells horid but nothing gives a deeper richer shine. It can be hard to find but my local target usually has it.

Jmark

You mention in your post about pushing over the nap? What year vehicle has cloth on the dash? My '05 TL is rubber(ish) with checkered metal over the instrument cluster. Is there a nap to the rubberish dash ?
What am I missing here?

Thanks

gmfreed

Acura tried the 2 step process with my dash, and in about a month it was "ashy" again. So they ended up replacing the dash. It was a bitch of a job and took a week. I did not complain too much though, I got an RDX with less than 100 miles on it as a loaner.

lembowski

iTrader: (1)

For you guys that want to try the Honda Vinyl/Leather Protectant click here.

I had a friend get a bottle from there, but he liked the Granitize product I use better. The Honda spray wasn't bad, the color of the dash didn't match the doors and the seats like the vpc-16 does.

erick3

hm...i've had that problem before too. i just use armor-all SHINE

redchief

spray it on, DO NOT wipe it off
let it soak in

I sprayed mine on before when i got home for the evening, & let it sit and soak in overnight

looked great in the morning

repeated about a month later just to get a good deep soak.

just clean up the overspray on the windshield, or block with cardboard when you spray. I did the doors also.

worked fine for me

johnny--2k

I tried 303...looks OK, but may need a few more coats before it evens out.

lembowski

iTrader: (1)

303 is good at keeping a good looking dash looking good, but once you get the ashy look you need something more to bring it back. Try the Granitize product, or the Honda/acura protectant

JetJock

I've always used the 303 stuff. My '04 TL has only needed treatment twice since I purchased it. One thing though...it's always garaged...it NEVER sits outside in the sun so that may be the problem for some of you guys who use your car daily for work.

6spMike

After reading similar posts, I used the following process on my '96 miata, which looked really bad, ashy and little white spots all over it:
I used simple green and a soft brush to clean all the ashy residue and dirt off. I then used a damp cloth a few times to get all the cleaner off. After this, it looked 'flat' and not glossy at all, but clean.
Then I wiped on 303 with a soft cloth.
That was 6 months ago, and it still looks new.
I haven't had the problem on the TL yet, but I'll do the same thing when it shows up.
Mike

davejsbx

Went to Acura dealer, they no longer have the ability to order the dash treatment, they even call next door to their Honda dealer, NOTHING! They don't know why. So I went and bought 303! HATE IT!! I have applied two coats, even let the second coat sit. I worked as a auto detailer for many years, I know how to clean dash boards, this one is the worst I have ever seen! I am going to give it a third coat today, if it does not get better, I am going back to Mothers products. Anyone else have uneven problems with 303?

Aznpersuasion

sorry to change thread but how do i get rid of like lil bumps on my dash, I have like lumps on it from some reason and cant seem to get them out
~Jason

lembowski

iTrader: (1)

I'm assuming since you were a detailer you cleaned the dash prior to conditioning .........right? I've found 303 to be best for the seats and not the dash. I use Granitize Autogloss on my dash and its beautiful. Makes the dash match the color/sheen of the seats and door panels.

csmeance

did you clean up the dash first using a small cleaning mixture? 303 is a protectant and not a cleaner/prtectant all in one. It will restore the finish of a CLEANED surface. Try cleaning it using a small 10:1 ratio of water to woolite to clean it then use some 303.