Just a little bitchin

F

Falls

Super Moderator
I got my 06 in feb.06 and I know there was a recent post about it but damn my dash plastic covering the speedo,tach ect... is really scratched to crap.

I'm working on a solution and am a detailer on the side and yes use ultra soft microfiber towel's , but that clear plastic is sure sensative. Just kind of pisses me off.
 
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Tell me about it... an the problem is that in bright sunlight those scratches really do affect visibility.

There must be a treatment like a rubbing compound that will "resurface" the perspex and diminish those scratches... anyone have any ideas?
 
Did you buy the car like that or did you scratch it while cleaning it? If its the latter, what did you use and what would you recommend using?
 
actually there is a product out that will fix the scratches...


I too have the same problem...pain in the ass..


Found Meguries makes a Clear Plastic Polish!

use a micro fiber towel and go around the clear plastic till it hazes up...then wipe clean with another microfiber towel!

look it up on google or go to Meguires website
 
I feel your pain. I couldn't believe how easy it was for mine to scratch. Luckily, I only screwed up one lense (tach) when I discovered the problem.

Any help would be welcomed for a remedy.......
 
replace it. i had mine done under warranty. the mechanic said it is very easy to do and that the plastic cover cost less that $10. i figured that you would need to replace the whole instrument cluster but, not so.
 
I will tell you that there is really not anything that will get the scratches out. I have tried the meguairs product and it did not work for me. Anyhow, I replaced the IP clear plastic myself and it was very easy. The piece costs around $20. The trick to cleaning it is to only go up and down when you are wiping. Also, use a cloth from a eye glass cleaning kit. I always blow it off with a duster can before I wipe it and so far it has worked for me. What I was thinking about was buying the lightest window film available and tinting the panel slightly. I think the film would be a lot tougher and would be hard to scratch.....anyone think this would work?
 
I found a product that seems to work really well on plastics. It's called Plexus.

http://www.plexusplasticcleaner.com/

Sorry about the links not working. I've gotta learn how to do that!

I use this stuff on headlight covers, tail light covers, instrument clusters, anything plastic. It works great. I don't know about it's restoration properties to already scratched plastic but it might be worth a try. After applying this stuff my headlight covers are SLICK. The bugs bust their ass when they hit em. :)
 
T4RMatt said:
I will tell you that there is really not anything that will get the scratches out. I have tried the meguairs product and it did not work for me. Anyhow, I replaced the IP clear plastic myself and it was very easy. The piece costs around $20. The trick to cleaning it is to only go up and down when you are wiping. Also, use a cloth from a eye glass cleaning kit. I always blow it off with a duster can before I wipe it and so far it has worked for me. What I was thinking about was buying the lightest window film available and tinting the panel slightly. I think the film would be a lot tougher and would be hard to scratch.....anyone think this would work?
Click to expand...

So, what's involved in replacing these plastic pieces? I see this fix in my very near future.
 
TN4RUNNER said:
I found a product that seems to work really well on plastics. It's called Plexus.

http://www.plexusplasticcleaner.com/

Sorry about the links not working. I've gotta learn how to do that!

I use this stuff on headlight covers, tail light covers, instrument clusters, anything plastic. It works great. I don't know about it's restoration properties to already scratched plastic but it might be worth a try. After applying this stuff my headlight covers are SLICK. The bugs bust their ass when they hit em. :)
Click to expand...


Plexus also works great on chrome.
 
To replace the clear cover, all you do is remove the two 10mm bolts at the bottom of the plastic piece that goes below the steering wheel. Then pull the top of the piece straight out and it will come free. Then simply pull the piece around the instruments straight out. There are two wires you will need to unplug and then it will come free. Then, remove two small screws at the top of the IP glass cover and pull it out. The reversal installs the new piece. If you take your time this should not take more than 10 mins.
 
buff it out with a good plastic polish, then get a sheet of clear vinyl decal and put it over it and trim it to fit. It will protect it from now on.
 
gonzo said:
replace it. i had mine done under warranty. the mechanic said it is very easy to do and that the plastic cover cost less that $10. i figured that you would need to replace the whole instrument cluster but, not so.
Click to expand...

Seriously - they replaced it under warranty?
 
T4RMatt said:
I replaced the IP clear plastic myself and it was very easy. The piece costs around $20.
Click to expand...

Where did you get the part? I was looking for it on partznet and unfortunately their illustration for the instrument cluster was not available so I could not tell if it is the "cluster cover" or the "cluster lens" that I need.
 
I wrote about my experience with this on the detailing board. i used a plastic scratch remover called novus 3, and it worked very very well, but not perfectly.

Will Toyota really replace this at no charge under warranty??

Where can i buy a new lens cover?
 
I had the same problem with my lens being scratched up shortly after I bought it. I paid $35 at a local dealer to get a new one and tried to be more careful with this one. However, I can still see scratches when the sun hits it just right.

I took it out over the weekend and used Mequiar's clear plastic cleaner (#17) and then the clear plastic polish (#10). It made a big difference, but when the sun hits it just right, I can still see the scratches.

I have thought about covering the lenses with a clear film, such as contact paper or laminate or somethig similar. I bought 3 different rolls at 3 different places. Two of the rolls were supposed to be clear laminate, but were not clear enough to see through. It looked like I was looking through a fogged up window. The third had this adhesive that is probably stronger than the welds on my 4Runner. Once it was placed, there was no way to cleanly remove it and trying to get all the air bubbles out was a total pain. I cut my losses and removed it and then had to goo-gone the adhesive. So,in the end, I spent over $20 to protect a $35 lens and it's still unprotected.

If there are any suggestions on which film would be sufficient, please pass it on. A guy that has tried 3 different products would certainly try a forth....

Tom
 
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