PlastX didn't quite work. Now what?

[numbness4sound]

So like a few of you, I scratched up my plastic. I had cleaned the speedometer, the plastic covering the gauges, and the radio plastic with a sponge and soapy water and made a bunch of swirls. I applied PlastX with a microfiber cloth, first gently, and then with pressure when it didn't seem to be working. Maybe I should have applied it with something else? Anyway, it improved the radio and speedo, but created a bit of fogging on the plastic over the gauges, and did nothing for the scratches.
Did I put it on wrong?
Is there something else I should try?
Has anyone ever heard of a part like this being replaced under warranty?

[jonniedee]

Additional applications
more elbow grease
and use a clean towel between applications


otherwise you may need Plexus in a couple of grit flavors to go further -

BUT I find it's usually not enough effort on the part of the buffing cloth (ie harder longer faster)

Good luck with that dealer warranty claim...

[numbness4sound]

Originally Posted by jonniedee

Additional applications
more elbow grease
and use a clean towel between applications


otherwise you may need Plexus in a couple of grit flavors to go further -

BUT I find it's usually not enough effort on the part of the buffing cloth (ie harder longer faster)

Good luck with that dealer warranty claim...

Would you continue to use the microfiber cloth? Or something else?

[jrlnc]

I've got the same thing.

I've tried:

• Pure water with a microfiber cloth
• Armorall on a cotton cloth
• Armorall on a pre-moistened wipe
• 303 Protectant with a clean cotton cloth

Last night i wanted to get to the bottom of this situation so I got out a strong work light. The last thing I tried was the 303.

Under strong lighting I could see that it left a greasy smeared film over the speedo lens, gauge cluster, a/c screen and NAVI screen.

So I got out a brand new ultra-fine microfiber cloth (for use in cleaning eyeglass lenses). I first washed all the displays off with water and then dried with the new cloth. I kept wiping until all the smears and residue was gone.

The NAVI and a/c screen came perfectly clean with no smears, film or scratches.

The instrument cluster glass is wiped perfectly clear now too, although I can see a few very fine scratches in it. It does look a lot better and now doesn't bother me.

The speedo lens still looks horrible. The scratches and mottling are embedded in the plastic and will not come out. They are visible day or night. They look much worse when the light hits them from a certain direction. I can't believe Honda cheaped out so much on this damn thing!

I had 2 Fits before this and both of them had the same situation, but wasn't as bad as this. When I owned Hondas from the '80s and '90s they never had this problem.

I'll bet it has to do with it being more "bio-friendly" materials or cost-cutting or other BS. This is ridiculous on a 2 month old car for it to look like this.

I'm thinking of bitching to the dealer to replace it under warranty. Anyone else?

[wstander]

Originally Posted by jrlnc

I'm thinking of bitching to the dealer to replace it under warranty.

Worth a shot at least....

[Brian1]

I have a few scratches and have decided to not touch it anymore. Using canned air to clear of the dust and that is it.

[adric22]

Originally Posted by Brian1

I have a few scratches and have decided to not touch it anymore. Using canned air to clear of the dust and that is it.

I'm waiting to hear what happens with somebody else before I decide what to do with mine. I'm also very disappointed with the design of the speedo lens. I think there should at least be some kind of warning about not cleaning it or some advice on how to clean it correctly. Either in the users manual or something.

At some point I'd also like to experiment with cutting out an LCD screen protector to fit the semi-circle shaped speedometer and applying it in there. That way I'd be able to clean it whenever I wanted without worrying about it getting scratched.

[jonniedee]

You know I thought my 2007 Fit speedo / radio plastic was scratch prone, but the Insight's "scratch off ticket quality" gauge plastic is yet a step lower

[skilletaudio@gmail.com]

This guy has an idea for DIY screen protectors for PDA's:

Cheap Screen Protector - Choosing a PDA on a Budget - Epinions.com


If we can get it by the sheet as he describes for as cheap as he says, it could be feasible to cut screen protectors for the instrument cluster, though it may be a challenge for it not to look terrible. I'm going to keep an eye out for the material and give it a try.

[jrlnc]

I could try using one of the protector sheets for my iPod Touch. I'd just need to cut it to the right size and shape.

You can make a template easily by putting a small piece of tissue paper in the speedo area and tacing around the outside with a soft pencil. Then trim that down and use as a template to outline and cut on the material and voila!

I'm gonna see how it works.