Armor All is EVIL

[Antonio DiMarco]

(boom08) I'm about to loose my mind.

My 3 went into get it's 15000 mile service and they used Armor All on my interior. Armor All'ed the hell out of it to the point where I was sliding on teh leather seating surfaces. Well a week later the Armor All is wearing off and I'm noticing that all the surfaces (especially the top of the dash with the golf-ball texture) have gotten harder and stiffer. The worst side-effect is that all the interior plastics are starting to squeak- especially the center console. This is frustrating because I loved the 3's solidity and lack of squeaks or rattles. It was so tight before now I'm wincing at every squeak.

I can't be angry at the service department; they actually cleaned the interior without my asking. Overall I was very pleased with my service (and have been). Does anyone have any fixes they know of to restore the plastics' elasticity?

 

[JCell]

ummm

my quess qould be just wait it out, maybe continue using whatever product u were using prior to this

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

ummm

my quess qould be just wait it out, maybe continue using whatever product u were using prior to this

I was only using a Swifter and Amor All wipes (which do a good job cleaning without residue) I never used any tye of protectant. I'm thinking of maybe washing it down with a soap and water solution.

 

[MidnightSpeeder]

Yeah, I usually use just water and a nice terry cloth.. and the Swiffer. Sorry to hear about your situation. I used to use Meguiars on my door panels and some of the dash, but I stopped. It was too hard to maintain properly, without it getting all streaky.

 

[BC3I]

i use this stuff caled 303 aerospace protectant........it doesn't have alchohol like armor-all so it wont mess up the intereior

 

[the_saint]

Yup, armor all is garbage. I've heard/read/seen for years the havoc it wreaks on dashboards. All those cracked dashboards you see in the junkyard...odds are armor all is to thank.
I've heard alot of praise for this "aerospace protectant", which you can buy at [of all places] marine/boat shops. Aerospace stuff at a boat shop (uhm)

I'll never use that crap (armor all). I'd be upset with the dealer. Sure they cleaned it without asking you. But on the same token, they cleaned it without your authorization, and in the process, did more harm than good.

 

[ChopstickHero]

armor all made my P5 dash fade after only a few uses. it was still kinda new and i didn't know much about armor all. but now, i would never use that stuff.

 

[solid_snake]

i use it almost everytime i clean my interior, will never do that again after reading tis thread

 

[the_saint]

i use it almost everytime i clean my interior, will never do that again after reading tis thread

Now that you mention it...I've heard that too, people who use nothing but armor all (and use it regularly.
I wonder it armor all is like a drug addiction for your dash (or other plastic parts)...it's ok as long as it keeps getting it, but when you cut it off it goes through "withdrawls" and self destructs.

 

[BC3I]

yea check out 303 it works wonders!!

 

[solid_snake]

Now that you mention it...I've heard that too, people who use nothing but armor all (and use it regularly.
I wonder it armor all is like a drug addiction for your dash (or other plastic parts)...it's ok as long as it keeps getting it, but when you cut it off it goes through "withdrawls" and self destructs.

(lol) but true

 

[RHAGEL]

I've used armor-all on my dash for years and never had any issues. Everyone has heard about the cracked dashboards and all that crap but its just a rumor. If armor all actually did do damage, they wouldn't sell it.

 

[solid_snake]

I've used armor-all on my dash for years and never had any issues. Everyone has heard about the cracked dashboards and all that crap but its just a rumor. If armor all actually did do damage, they wouldn't sell it.

good point

 

[anarchistchiken]

I use the cleaning wipes in the purple container. Those are the only armor all product I'll use. The interior spray s*** makes everything feel nasty and gets everything WAY too shiny, plus it kills dash's (seen it firsthand)

Their wheels cleaner kinda sucks too. Doesn't last long at all.

 

[trees]

i use the armor all cleaning wipes with no prob. but i dont use the protectant the 3 has a matte finish it makes it look like crap (stoned)

 

[ChopstickHero]

no chemicals on my dash. just a bit of water and a microfiber cloth to get all the dust.

 

[Getting2knowMaz]

Windex and a nice white wash cloth

 

[the_saint]

I've used armor-all on my dash for years and never had any issues. Everyone has heard about the cracked dashboards and all that crap but its just a rumor. If armor all actually did do damage, they wouldn't sell it.

Kinda like....shall we say....cigarettes, fast food, etc.?

I don't know...I've known some 15 or so people who have used armor all on an inconsistant basis and had their dashes crack.
And then we have the case right here in this thread. Somebody takes their vehicle (which is in great shape...presumably no sqeaks) to the dealer, who uses armor all. A short period later this person is having issues with the parts treated with armor all.
Seems like a fair assumtion that armor all = hardening plastic and vinyl which leads to cracking (and sqeaking)

Just my $0.02

 

[RHAGEL]

Kinda like....shall we say....cigarettes, fast food, etc.?

I don't know...I've known some 15 or so people who have used armor all on an inconsistant basis and had their dashes crack.
And then we have the case right here in this thread. Somebody takes their vehicle (which is in great shape...presumably no sqeaks) to the dealer, who uses armor all. A short period later this person is having issues with the parts treated with armor all.
Seems like a fair assumtion that armor all = hardening plastic and vinyl which leads to cracking (and sqeaking)

Just my $0.02

Just think about it from a business perspective. Why would they sell something that ruins your car? It gives them no advantage to do that. Maybe they had some formulation issues during a certain time and maybe caused some damage, but I guarantee you it is not the case today. Or maybe for certain materials its not the best thing to use. If a certain car has some issues (like the one on this thread) it may be because of the specific material that was used. That is why they say on the back to try in an inconspicuous area first. Trust me... It's a rumor, and I doubt that you personally know 15 people who use armor all and have had cracked dashes.

 

[RHAGEL]

Not trying to jump on you about this, but this has been posted so many times and it is just rediculous.