Dash Flaking. Anybody seen this? Pic

[FlossBandit]

My dash seems to be flaking off in places. Let me just jump the gun before this turns into a "Which Sunshade is Best for Me" thread and say my Civic has sat in the garage 95% of its life. I finished up school last semester and don't have a job, so it's probably exposed to the sun less than an hour or two each day.

I used matte Armor All for a few weeks, but once I'd noticed the flaking, used a light duster instead. It seems to have gotten worse since then. I've only owned the car since around October. I'm pretty meticulous about my car, so what you're seeing definitely isn't dust or dirt.

I don't really see there being any benefit from posting this thread other than seeing if other people have had the issue, and if the dealer was willing to do anything about it.

**It started next to the plastic piece by the steering wheel (left side of pic where you see a visible line along it). It has seemed to spread out since.

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[Sgtstaadanko]

My dash seems to be flaking off in places. Let me just jump the gun before this turns into a "Which Sunshade is Best for Me" thread and say my Civic has sat in the garage 95% of its life. I finished up school last semester and don't have a job, so it's probably exposed to the sun less than an hour or two each day.

I used matte Armor All for a few weeks, but once I'd noticed the flaking, used a light duster instead. It seems to have gotten worse since then. I've only owned the car since around October. I'm pretty meticulous about my car, so what you're seeing definitely isn't dust or dirt.

I don't really see there being any benefit from posting this thread other than seeing if other people have had the issue, and if the dealer was willing to do anything about it.

**It started next to the plastic piece by the steering wheel (left side of pic where you see a visible line along it). It has seemed to spread out since.

I'm parked outside 99% of the time and have not seen anything like this at all. Not even a hint of it starting.

 

[FlossBandit]

I'm parked outside 99% of the time and have not seen anything like this at all. Not even a hint of it starting.

Yeah I'd hope most people haven't seen this problem... Especially with how new these cars are. Still, finding one more person who'd had it fixed would be nice.

 

[kalvin126]

Would the Armor All product have something to do with this?

 

[FlossBandit]

Would the Armor All product have something to do with this?

I mentioned it because I guess it's not out of the realm of possibility... but it was probably applied 3 times (once per week) sometime in October. It's hard for me to see it as a mortal sin when I've applied it for over a decade on over 6 cars with no bad results.

Can somebody who uses a lot of Armor All vouch they haven't seen this?

 

[Billy4202]

Would the Armor All product have something to do with this?

This was my initial thought as well. My understanding was to never use Armor All interior products, always heard bad things about them unfortunately.

 

[Kasai808]

If your armorall is water based, then no it will not cause flaking or cracking dash. If it is alcohol or solvent based, then yes it will since the alcohol dries out the surface, causing it to shrink and crack. Never use any Chemical that is solvent based on any part of your interior, tires, or exterior trim. Only use water based and ph balanced neutral chemicals.

 

[TimberWolf]

Yeah, I'm kind of wondering if it's the Armor All. I prefer 303 Protectant myself.

 

[Kasai808]

303 is a great interior product! Good UV protection and is very ph balanced. Personally, I like zero shine and matte black dash look, so I use Einzsett Cockpit Premium (or 1Z). Just as good if not better than 303, leaves absolutely zero sheen, dry to the touch immediately, and smells awesome. I have no fear of using it on any part of the interior except the leather surfaces. Only downside is on the 1Z over the 303, it doesn't have the UV protection that 303 does.

 

[brclark80]

I've cleaned mine with Armor All since I got the car in April. It sits in the sun all day long. No hint of anything like this happening. I use the matte protectant wipes.

 

[FlossBandit]

Guys I appreciate the feedback but part of me doubts I'd get more *accurate* results if I'd used gasoline, vinegar and a wire brush for months on end. We're talking about a product specifically designed for dashes, used by millions of people, for decades... and not only that, but I said I probably used it 3 times... not 3 times a week... 3 times total. Still, I did use it, so I didn't want to leave it out.

Oh, and I didn't dump it on there, I would usually lightly spray it on a microfiber cloth then apply it. It dried in 10 seconds or less.

I've cleaned mine with Armor All since I got the car in April. It sits in the sun all day long. No hint of anything like this happening. I use the matte protectant wipes.

I'd assume most people are right there with you. Thanks for letting me know.

If it ever becomes relevant for someone with a problem like this in the future, the car was manufactured in Canada in 06/'16

 

[choo]

Armor-all is generally regarded as garbage by anyone who has detailed cars lol

I used 303 protectant on my 240sx dashboard and it started to dry out and even flaked off in a couple spots. I immediately went back and hit it with Meguiars low-gloss interior cleaner and that made it nice and soft again.

The 303 works great on the 240sx door panel though....idk.

 

[Draken187]

My dash seems to be flaking off in places. Let me just jump the gun before this turns into a "Which Sunshade is Best for Me" thread and say my Civic has sat in the garage 95% of its life. I finished up school last semester and don't have a job, so it's probably exposed to the sun less than an hour or two each day.

I used matte Armor All for a few weeks, but once I'd noticed the flaking, used a light duster instead. It seems to have gotten worse since then. I've only owned the car since around October. I'm pretty meticulous about my car, so what you're seeing definitely isn't dust or dirt.

I don't really see there being any benefit from posting this thread other than seeing if other people have had the issue, and if the dealer was willing to do anything about it.

**It started next to the plastic piece by the steering wheel (left side of pic where you see a visible line along it). It has seemed to spread out since.

Armor all.. All day... Wont let that stuff anywere near modern interiors.. Plastic ok.. But anything softouch hell no.. That includes the area with the issue..

Im not telling you to lie.. But i would go to the dealer and have them change it.. Just act dumb.. I just dust it.. Lil white lie.. As thats what ur doing now... They dont need to know the past..

With that said.. Expect some creaks/rattles after changed... Or if you already had some.. U might get lucky and have less or none...

 

[FlossBandit]

I took it back to the dealership and and they offered to replace the dash as some sort of "goodwill" program. I did mention that I used Armor All.

I guess you could look at this either of two ways: 1) Honda has outstanding service and was willing to go the extra mile and replace the dash, even though some user error was recorded. 2) Honda's modern cars aren't designed to handle the most popular interior protectants on planet earth. Either way, I'm glad they were willing to do something about it. Now I've just got to wait for the part to come in.

I don't mean to sound too hard-headed, but something in me still finds it hard to believe Armor All was the sole problem, based on how I saw the damage spread from one small line over the past few months. The areas that flaked seemed to stay in consistent places on the dash and I would think that if Armor All caused the problem, the flaking would be spread out across the dash a little more. I guess anything's possible and won't be putting any protectant on in the future just to be safe.​

Just for the record... This is the product that I used on my 2016 Civic:

(Pic - Armor All: Natural Finish Detailer Protectant)

 

[choo]

Another thing, what was the armor all applied with?

If you use paper towels its more likely to damage vinyl surfaces. Microfiber should be used.

*EDIT* whoops I see you used microfiber


Honestly you probably just got a bad dashboard...I bet cleaning it just accelerated the delamination or whatever...

Also, the armor-all that everyone complains about was silicone-based iirc...this newer stuff is water-based. So take that as you will..

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