Here

 

Just realized this should probably be in the wash/wax forum. Moderators, feel free to move.

 

not likely the 303...
(btw, you didnt say whether you used the 303 cleaner or protectant- they are similar but not the same)
but, try vinylex and see if the problem persists.

btw, be very careful with non-auto cleaning products- if they contain any solvent based formulas you could damage the dash.

 

I've just had this problem show up on my dash too!

I use a spray bottle with water and a small drop of dishwashing detergent in it to clean the vinyl and haven't had a problem before, but on the weekend I cleaned the car and now I've noticed these dots on the dash too.

As Iceman said you can clean the dash and they'll go away, but then they come back after a day or so. I've only used 303 on the dash once and that was about three months ago.

I've PM'd Iceman to see if he found a solution, but in the meantime if anyone else has experienced this and has found something that works I'd love to hear about it.

 

No one else seen anything like this? I'm mystified.

If I wipe the dash with a dry microfibre cloth it comes up looking like new for a day, but by the next morning the dots are back.

It's almost like something's got on the dash and soaked in and is slowly leaching back out, but I have no idea.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

Is there anyway you can capture the spots with a digi camera? I have seen this before with older vinyl finishes, but not in a long time.

Have you ever used a protectant other than 303 AS? If you rub the spots with your finger, do they spread out or wipe off? How much fogging (polyvinyl haze) are you getting on the insides of your windows?

David

 

I'll try to get some photos over the weekend. I haven't used anything other than 303, and even then I've only applied it once so far.

I haven't noticed unusual amounts of haze so far, though I remember that part of the reason that I was cleaning the dash before the spots showed up was that I was cleaning the inside of the windscreen because it was getting a bit hazy. I also remember that the haze seemed a bit tough to remove.

 

Ok, here are some photos that I've taken. I've deliberately used the flash since the dots seem to show up more in bright light.





They seem to be a bit better than they were a week ago, but that may just be wishful thinking on my part.

I haven't noticed any unusual hazing on the windscreen in the last week. The dots don't seem to smear if rubbed or appear to be actually liquid in any way, but a good rub with a dry microfiber cloth will make them disappear for a day. They'll be back the next morning however.

I'm loath to put any sort of cleaning or other agents on the dash until I know what's causing this problem in the first place. At the moment I'm tempted to just leave them for another week or two and see if they go away of their own accord.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who's experiencing something like this, if nothing else to determine what the original cause may be.

 

It looks like a stain. Perhaps you sprayed a window cleaner that stained it?

Your SRS panel is such a different color from your dash that I have to wonder about UV damage. Have you always kept the dash well moisturized with a UV protectant?

 

I think it may be just leftover product on the dash, have you tried to clean it again...try using a leather cleaner as the surfactants may be different than those in the soap you used, hence it may get this stuff off. We have seen this stuff on leather and the cleaner does seem to work, it may be worth a try.

If it does not come off, you could always put a leather conditioner product on it to even out the sheen, but not make it shiny.