Anyone have a solution to a scratched up plastic cover over the instrument panel on a 2000 I30?
Any products that will shine it up clear and transparent??
(don't want to buy a new one!)
Any products that will shine it up clear and transparent??
(don't want to buy a new one!)
Meguiars makes a polish/cleaner for about $6.00 plus shipping. Worked great on my I30. Website is www.meguiars.com They make great stuff!
I ended up using Mother's plastic polish/cleaner with so-so results. (parts still have a haze over the plastic) It may just be time to replace the cover. Anyone do it and do they sell just the cover? Cost?
Senior Member
I purchased a new one fromt he dealer a few years ago because of the same issue and if I remember correctly, it was only about $10 for the plastic lense over the guage cluster. That is just for the clear plastic piece. May be worth it and save you time. 

Quote:
I used some of my Mother's **** called "back to black" on the rear window seal... it only lasted 2 days before fading again.Originally Posted by sascuderi
I ended up using Mother's plastic polish/cleaner with so-so results. (parts still have a haze over the plastic) It may just be time to replace the cover. Anyone do it and do they sell just the cover? Cost?
Well this is what I did and it worked great. Instead of getting a new one, I used the mothers plastic polish as noted above. Still had lots of scratches and areas that were cloudy.
Then I noticed that as I cleaned off the plastic cover with a damp cloth, the plastic was clear when wet. So I thought, what can I use to keep the cover wet?
So, I sprayed the cover with CRC 2-26 Plastic Safe Lubricant. (From Home Depot. The stuff seals electrical connections) The stuff dries crystal clear and hides all the scratches!!!! When I should it to my wife she said "what did you do, take the plastic cover off?" Thats how transparent the cover looks now!
So if you want a quick fix to cover all the scratches on your plastic instrument cover, just spray it with CRC 2-26!
Then I noticed that as I cleaned off the plastic cover with a damp cloth, the plastic was clear when wet. So I thought, what can I use to keep the cover wet?
So, I sprayed the cover with CRC 2-26 Plastic Safe Lubricant. (From Home Depot. The stuff seals electrical connections) The stuff dries crystal clear and hides all the scratches!!!! When I should it to my wife she said "what did you do, take the plastic cover off?" Thats how transparent the cover looks now!
So if you want a quick fix to cover all the scratches on your plastic instrument cover, just spray it with CRC 2-26!

Newbie - Just Registered
Before you spend hours on this try my way.......which I leaned the hard way.
Use the shiniest silicone protectant, I like Black Magic myself. Wipe plastic with a damp cloth slightly impregnated with a drop of dishwasher detergent. When dry get the softest cloth you have and just wipe some of the Black Magic on it -- lightest coat you can put on. Done! Like new, will last for around a year.
Use the shiniest silicone protectant, I like Black Magic myself. Wipe plastic with a damp cloth slightly impregnated with a drop of dishwasher detergent. When dry get the softest cloth you have and just wipe some of the Black Magic on it -- lightest coat you can put on. Done! Like new, will last for around a year.
Quote:
Use the shiniest silicone protectant, I like Black Magic myself. Wipe plastic with a damp cloth slightly impregnated with a drop of dishwasher detergent. When dry get the softest cloth you have and just wipe some of the Black Magic on it -- lightest coat you can put on. Done! Like new, will last for around a year.
Thanks for answering my post from 6 years ago!Originally Posted by Limited Editon 04
Before you spend hours on this try my way.......which I leaned the hard way.Use the shiniest silicone protectant, I like Black Magic myself. Wipe plastic with a damp cloth slightly impregnated with a drop of dishwasher detergent. When dry get the softest cloth you have and just wipe some of the Black Magic on it -- lightest coat you can put on. Done! Like new, will last for around a year.

But what I ended up doing is replacing the tinted plastic cover with a new clear one from the max. This solved two problems...scratches are gone and I can see the guages again as the cluster lights in the I30 have dimmed with age.