Help with New Car Dash Blemish

[Opie]

I have a new Toyota and it has a blemish on the dash (a circle the size of a half dollar or two) that I want to be rid of. In some light you can't see it, but in other light it stands out as a white circle. It has a light glossy feel to it. What should I treat it with to remove it and make it match the rest of the dash on my new car? Help!

[StadiumDetail]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

This is going to require a picture. There are so many different types of materials and things that could cause this type of saint that a picture will at least get the ball rolling, otherwise we are just guessing.

[Andy M.]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

First seeing as this is your first post on MOL, welcome aboard.

Pictures would definately help. How old is the car? Was it like that when you purchased the vehicle? If it was best to take it to the dealer and ask what it is. Maybe it is something that was there already and you didn't notice it at time of purchase? Were here to help as much as we can.

Andy

[CieraSL]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

Is the car brand new? Could be a spot from where adhesive remover might have dripped, possibly used when removing residue from a sticker. Where is the spot at? Do you have any pictures? Usually you can just apply some dressing over the area and it will be fine, but if the spot has been there for a while it may be harder to take care of now. Have you tried applying a dressing to the affected area?

[Opie]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

Thanks for your responses! Yes, brand new Toyota Sienna. I will try to take a photo but I have a bad feeling I won't be able to capture it - will try tonight. I noticed it upon delivery and the salesperson says that he could arrange for their "top interior detailer" to look at it. He didn't know what it was, and tried with a wet rag to eliminate it but no luck. I used a wet eyeglass rag and, when it's wet, you can't see it.

I have not applied any dressing, for fear of making it worse somehow. What dressing should I try? Can rubbing on vinyl repeatedly damage it? If it is from adhesive remover, will that go away on it's own?

[StadiumDetail]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

1) I have not applied any dressing, for fear of making it worse somehow. What dressing should I try? Can rubbing on vinyl repeatedly damage it?

2) If it is from adhesive remover, will that go away on it's own?

1) Dressings will simply cover up the issue, not fix it, but if it does work then at least it will be easier to live with. Meguiar's has some over the counter interior detailer you can pick up in your local super-mart or auto parts store. And no, you can rub till your arm is sore and the chances of hurting the vinyl on a new car is extreemly slim.

2) More than likely not. Most adhesive removers are very strong products designed to disolve the adhesives quickly and should not be left sitting on a panel for prolonged periods of time. If it were Goo Gone or something similar then it is possible the product would evaporate over time, but I doubt that is what was used.


I hate to say this, but as I was typing the answer above I thought about my own products. I personally use an alcohol based brake wash for adhesive removal on the exterior. It is a very harsh product but perfectly safe for use on clear coated paints, however it very quickly remove the dye out of vinyl if used on the interior leaving behind a white spot where it was applied. The dye being removed is permanent damage, but there is hope. Vinyl can always be re-dyed by an experienced person in that field, and you would never be able to tell the difference. It won't be as durable as the origional, but with a little extra care it should last the life of the vehicle.

[Murr1525]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

You could try something gentle like Quick Interior Detailer before dressing.

You also could consider trying something like Goo Gone, though I would apply it to an out of the way spot first, and make sure the Goo Gone wont hurt anything.

Meguiars All Purpose Cleaner is also good for cleaning interiors, and is a stronger cleaner.

[Opie]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

Thanks again for the responses. I should clarify - the vinyl is grey, so the spot looks like dark grey from one angle, but looks more shiney from other angle (not white). To the touch, it feels somewhat smoother the the rest of the dash. So whatever it is, it seems like some kind of clear something-or-other was left on there and in make a very thin clear covering that reflect light in one direction, but makes it look darker from another. Sorry I'm probably not explaining this well.

Can using water to wipe it cause the vinyl to crack? Should I try rubbing alcohol?

[Murr1525]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

Water wont hurt, esp if you dress it anyway. The dressing will have some moisturizing ability.

The alcohol is more likely to stain as mentioned above.

[tguil]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

You actually can make vinyl flaws/scratches worse even by rubbing then with just your thumb or a terry cloth. Unfortunately I know. Since you pointed it out to the sales person when you bought the vehicle, I'd do nothing more before having a very good tech from the dealership check it out.

I had a flaw in the vinyl door panel on my Hemi. I noticed it right after I got the truck home. The flaw sounds similar to yours. It was the result of something "stressing" the vinyl when it was installed. My dealer replaced the panel. No other fix would work.

Redying, etc. will make it much worse.

As I've said before, vinyl scratches (and flaws too) are forever.

Good luck.

Tom

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

Is it a perfect circle, as if something was at one time stuck to it and left something behind? If so, and since this is a brand spanking new car, let the dealer take care of it. If you do anything with any potential to give the dealer cause to suspect you've done something wrong, no matter how silly, you could have a tough time getting true satisfaction. Let the dealer check it out, and warranty replace the dash cover if need be. They're usually a super easy swap but can be pricey if you have to shell out the $$ yourself.

Oh, and if you let the dealer correct it, when you get home wipe the dash with a towel soaked in warm water, but fully wrung out. If they just covered it with a dressing then they didn't "fix" it. At that point take it back and make them replace the dash pad.

When you buy a brand new car, whether the sticker reads $14,000 or $400,000, it had better not have serious blemishes on it. Anywhere.

[tguil]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

Amen.

Tom

[Opie]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

Lots of great info. Thanks everyone. It's not a perfect circle - perhaps it was caused by stress during install, or by fluid of some kind, or by whatever they used to get off what was there before. I feel a little dumb complaining since it is minor, but I have a feeling it won't go away.

One more question - could replacing the dash cover introduce rattles or invite new scratches during replacement? I don't want to end up causing something more substantially wrong.

[Blueline]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

Anything can happen during a dealer installation, but I would get them to fix it. It is a new vehicle.
If they do install a new dash, look for new scratches in it, doors, everywhere..and sound for rattles...BEFORE you drive off the lot.
Do not take no for an answer.

[tguil]

Re: Help with New Car Dash Blemish

I've been in your position many times. When I started buying new cars in the mid 1960's I came to expect numerous flaws in both the interior and exterior. I never liked them but I learned to live with them ...sort of.

OK. The chance of them having problems with a new dash installation are quite possible. The dash is installed at the factory before a lot of other stuff is. I checked out a dash change on my Hemi, because I put a scratch in it about two weeks after I got it. It is not a real simple job. Very pricey too if it is not under warranty.

I too am very self-conscious about complaining about little flaws. Even with today's relatively high quality vehicles there will be flaws and blemishes either from the factory or from delivery damage. (Twice I refused delivery of trucks that I had ordered because of body flaws. Folks at that dealership still remember me...and not very positively. I don't shop there any more.)

It's your call. However, after a period of time you will probably not notice the blemish, especially after your first trip to the body shop.

About the door panel on my Hemi -- another stress mark showed up. I hardly think about the scratch I made in my dash. The scratch that mysteriously appeared on the console gives my now three -year-old truck "character". The body panels that were not in perfect alignment at delivery seem to have disappeared over the years. And so on........

Good luck with whatever.

Tom