Instrument Cluster Scratches & Dent Fix

[JCH]

So I washed my car when I first got it 6 months ago and learned the hard way not to mess with the plastic on the instrument cluster. That thing scratches way too easily. Today my friend took my car to wash, and I unfortunately forgot to tell him to not mess with that.

Now there's a scratch that runs from one end to the other on the dash/instrument cluster. I could probably ignore it tbh but it's just gonna end up bothering me everyday. :/

What tools should I use to clear out the scratches? I heard PlastX is good, should I use that?

Also, in addition to that, I noticed recently that the roof of my car has a dent. I'm pretty sure it got that dent from the car wash. How could I get rid of the dent? I've tried pushing from the interior, but soon realized that there's a gap in between the interior and exterior of the car so that doesn't work. I might just have it looked at and fixed by the professionals when I get my maintenance minder B checked out. Any home remedies I could try prior to that, which won't make this worse?

 

[slayerx02]

For the roof, you might be able to remove the head liner and push the sheet metal out, or get a large suction cup and yank it up. For the dash plastic, if its just surface scratch and no material was displaced, you can use plasticX, if its severe, you can use the turtle wax headlight clearing kit that comes with different grit sanding pads, which is going to be a bit more involved unfortunately.

 

[David Harper]

I clean the plastic over the instruments with maguires quick detailing spray. It doesnt scratch it's got some kind of lubricant in it to prevent scratching

 

[MT_FK7]

You could try a suction cup for the roof if it’s not too severe. I doubt it would make it flawless but maybe better.

 

[civicdabest-foo]

Other stuff that scratches easily and may bother you:

1. The plastic around the gear shifter
2. Door cards, even a rubber shoe gashing against it will leave a permanent mark
3. The screen on the infotainment unit
4. The plastic trim around the base of the seats

Looks like you may have used too much pressure or maybe a cloth with some stuff stuck onto it. I use optical cleaner on a lint free rag dedicated just for the infotainment unit and the instrument cluster plastic.

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