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Thread: New theory on why our dashes crack.. I watched it happen. pic

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Posts: 1-10 of 10
2014-03-05 00:44:14
#1
New theory on why our dashes crack.. I watched it happen. pic
I actually watched it happen! This was in my friend's B13, his dash is perfect, until the other day. We were driving and he hit a NASTY pothole on the front passenger wheel. You know that little plastic piece that comes out, oval shaped, up by the window? There are 2 of them.. well the instant we hit the pothole it flew up and hit the roof and within about 30 seconds a slight "bubble" began to form on the dash near it. I put the little plastic piece back in and pressed down lightly on the new bubble and instantly a tiny crack formed almost as if it had to let out air.

Pic:



excuse the little illustration, hah.
So bizarre. I thought the dashes cracked from sun exposure overtime, and of course they'd crack in a variety type of accidents, but a pothole? We were both like there goes the perfect dash board thanks to NJDOT..

p.s. i'm sure there are many other reasons, but did not expect this one
Last edited by Storm88000 on 2014-03-05 at 00-48-30.
2014-03-05 01:53:03
#2
Although I've never had a single crack in any of my B13 dashes, it most definitely from sun exposure. Some also say Armor All, but I used a shit-ton of that stuff on all my cars over the years and never had an issue with it.

I'm guessing what you witnessed was an already stressed dash giving up the ghost from the shock of the pothole transmitting up through the car. Too bad no video.
2014-03-05 02:28:52
#3
That's pretty much always been my theory...240 dashes as well. Kinda like how dissimilar metals have different coefficients of negative and postive thermal expansion...I've often felt that the different materials used in the dash (ie. the outer shell vs. the inner foam and the 'glue' used to bond them) expand and contract at different rates...that, in combination with some sort of out-gasing from the inner foam material or the bonding agent used.

There was always a distinct smell in my 240 after an afternoon in the Texas heat...the car would be an easy 150*F inside the cabin (and I *always* used a sun visor/dash protector). The sun visor just delays the inevitable for a while.
2014-03-05 02:47:53
#4
Originally Posted by 1fastser
...(and I *always* used a sun visor/dash protector). The sun visor just delays the inevitable for a while.


Reminds me of the cheap-ass cardboard windshield shade I had years ago. Used it in my '89 Ford Probe and then my first SE-R. I don't remember what was on the front, I only ever used the side that said "NEED HELP. CALL POLICE". But damned if no one ever did...

2014-03-05 06:08:52
#5
If they used more plasticizers our dashes might have not cracked until 1-2 years later. That may be part of the trick with armor alling your dash, I'm pretty sure armor all is just plasticizer in a bottle. The sun and time are definitely our enemies here, I think the pothole is just helping them along. The more plasticizer you use in plastic the more flexible it becomes, the less, the more rigid and brittle it is. That's why there's a lot of complaints about BPAs and the like leeching from soft plastic food containers into people's foods, it's because you need more plasticizers to make the containers soft so that they won't crack or fracture in use. I'm positive the sun is just breaking down the plasticizers in our dash (and all other cars), it's the reason why you have that new car smell, the reason some people with new cars have that haze issue on their windows, and why you can still get a smell from older cars on really hot days - the remaining compounds are being broken down and gassed out, making the plastic structure brittle enough to fracture. I think 1fastser is on to something as well, it may be that as time passes, as the plastic covering of our dashes loses its flexibility, it's unable to expand and contract the way it used to, and the underlying ABS plastic structure is able to expand just enough to crack the now brittle surface material. Or that out-gassing is building up, and exerting a constant pressure on certain points, and the points fracture due to finally losing their ability to expand and move with the forces being exerted on it.
2014-03-05 06:16:14
#6
Feel like I'm at work reading 1fast's post lol. Also I agree with him
2014-03-05 13:20:36
#7
Originally Posted by wildmane
that haze issue on their windows..


Good point. I forgot about that....I saw this as well in my 240 and never really new what caused it...makes sense though.
2014-03-05 18:19:08
#8
I get the haze too. It's odd because some people notice it it right away and some don't. It almost looks like 10 years of almost microscopic chips.. the only way to fix it is get a new windshield, I know this because one time I had to..

And yeah If I got it on video that woulda been crazy. I watched a bubble appear before my eyes, almost as if air was forming underneath it. I tapped on it and it cracked with a tiny bit of pressure.
2014-04-02 16:50:37
#9
I use pledge on all my interiors due to the tale of armor-all doing more harm than good. I rather prefer the clean smooth appearance using pledge over that greasy wet look anyway.
2014-04-02 20:50:03
#10
I have read that 303 is the best and leaves no greasy residue or shine. It's also supposed to protect from sun damage:

303® Products are the leading line of premium protectants and cleaners on the market today
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