Interior dashboard scratches

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Tony C

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I looked around the forum for this topic and couldn't find anything. So...

I have a dashboard that has some scratches on it from feet on dashboard, etc. Are there any ways to remove the scratches, or at least reduce them without further damaging the dash? I know this seems basic, but do you just have to live with vinyl scratches?

Thanks for any experienced feedback
 
It's not clear to me as far as feet scratching the dash.you can apply some sort of dressing to camouflage it or live with it.If it really bothers you buy a dash mat,I personally would live with the scratch before putting one of those covers on .
 
Or maybe Google a guy in your area that specializes in interior repairs,maybe worth a shot.
 
I've often wondered this as well, but more for door trims / door sills etc which get scratched by feet.

You can probably improve the appearance using something like PlastX, but I don't think you can get rid of them. Perhaps someone else will chime in.

As a side note: If anyone ever tries to put their feet up on one of my cars' dashboards, they will be told to get out and walk! :nomore: That's a pet peeve of mine! I've even said something to people in other cars about it. As well as the obvious damage it can cause, it just makes you look like a lazy slob IMO (the person with their feet up). :rant:
 
davey g-force said:
I've often wondered this as well, but more for door trims / door sills etc which get scratched by feet.

You can probably improve the appearance using something like PlastX, but I don't think you can get rid of them. Perhaps someone else will chime in.

As a side note: If anyone ever tries to put their feet up on one of my cars' dashboards, they will be told to get out and walk! :nomore: That's a pet peeve of mine! I've even said something to people in other cars about it. As well as the obvious damage it can cause, it just makes you look like a lazy slob IMO (the person with their feet up). :rant:
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There is an even bigger issue of feet on the dashboard than scratches and marring. If there is an accident and the passenger airbag inflates, the passenger will be in a world of hurt as his/her feet/legs are forced backward at odd angles.
 
I see feet all over the windshield driving on Florida turnpike ,I ask my self why.
 
jsgntulok said:
There is an even bigger issue of feet on the dashboard than scratches and marring. If there is an accident and the passenger airbag inflates, the passenger will be in a world of hurt as his/her feet/legs are forced backward at odd angles.
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Yes, good point. :xyxthumbs:
 
People seem to heat it up and press with something hard. I've never tried it. Actually, I would love to see a video of it done.
 
Yep heat. You have to be VERY careful and start from about 9-12 inches away and go SLOW. The heat sort of melts the scratched area kind of like polishing or wet sanding making it appear less visible.

Ive had about 70% luck with this method. Just like with polishing if the scratch is too big then it wont go away
 
I've never done this....................... but will be trying soon since our minivan has a huge scratch right on the dashboard that is very annoying.

There is something called an "Interior Grain Pad" which is essentially a stamp that will match the texture of your plastic. Usually you can buy them in a kit that has multiple different grains to match your specific material. All you do is heat up the plastic (carefully) and apply the grain pad to emboss the correct texture back onto the plastic. If the scratch is very deep this technique might not work; however, if it is more like a scuff then this should fully repair the damage.

Lookup part # SEM 70022 Interior Grain Pad. Not sure if Autogeek sells them.
 
The heating method Is to bring back a natural sheen to certain mouldings and running boards ,and that's with a heat gun.I would use with caution on the interior or if not even trying it at all.
 
GSKR said:
The heating method Is to bring back a natural sheen to certain mouldings and running boards ,and that's with a heat gun.I would use with caution on the interior or if not even trying it at all.
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Maybe you missed the part where I said I've used it for interior plastics? It's not just for one thing. I will qualify my answer a little more then. I used to work at a shop that installed car audio and electronics, along with accessories like running boards and tonaeu covers and sunroofs. Needless to say every Installer in there at one point or another would scratch/scuff an interior panel. I got pretty darn good at hiding them from customers. Not the most honest thing I've ever done in my life but it happened. I worked at multiple shops over the 12 years and had like I said about 70% luck using a heat gun on interior panels.
 
Nicholas@Autowerx said:
I've never done this....................... but will be trying soon since our minivan has a huge scratch right on the dashboard that is very annoying.

There is something called an "Interior Grain Pad" which is essentially a stamp that will match the texture of your plastic. Usually you can buy them in a kit that has multiple different grains to match your specific material. All you do is heat up the plastic (carefully) and apply the grain pad to emboss the correct texture back onto the plastic. If the scratch is very deep this technique might not work; however, if it is more like a scuff then this should fully repair the damage.

Lookup part # SEM 70022 Interior Grain Pad. Not sure if Autogeek sells them.
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Nick

This is what I was originally thinking when I wrote the post, but it clearly does not sound like an easy process to master. Now to find someone willing to let me try this in a concealed area :dunno:

One of my other thoughts was whether someone had tried something with the Magic Eraser to reduce the depth of a scratch. Of course, the challenge is then the subsequent process to return the surface to its original texture and finish.

I'm a little surprised that more detailers haven't focused on this. I can't imagine that many customers haven't inquired about this. More ideas and thoughts are welcomed. It is appreciated.
 
Tony C said:
One of my other thoughts was whether someone had tried something with the Magic Eraser to reduce the depth of a scratch. Of course, the challenge is then the subsequent process to return the surface to its original texture and finish.
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If there are deep scratches or if the plastic is cracked there are other methods to repair the surface. Most of the time this involves sanding the defect, repairing the crack or scratch by filling it with a special plastic bonding agent, re-texturing the surface, and then painting the panel to match the OEM color. Again, I'm not an interior repair guy... I've just done a bunch of research because I'm planning to begin offering interior repair services hopefully starting next year.

larry33 said:
Nicholas...have u actually done ur method?
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As indicated in my previous post:
Nicholas@Autowerx said:
I've never done this.......................
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Sorry, I thought u were referring to the first thing mentioned (the heating and pressing with a hard object). Then it seemed u went on to another technique with the stamps.
 
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