FINALLY...A good use for Plasti-Dip

[simonrjones]

Took the opportunity to look deeper into the crack/pop/snap sounds that so often occur from the dash/Stereo area. Seems obvious, but if u remove the cover (on top of HVAC and Head unit) theres a heck of a lot of plastic parts sticking out from the dash and on the back side of the cover, not just clips, probably to keep the cover from pushing further back when installed to keep the controls etc. flush with the cover.

Anyway, I put a couple of adhesive back foam tabs directly ON a few spikes , just lightly attached on the ends (for lack of better word) on both back of cover and dash facing up surfaces. I then sprayed the entire back of the cover with plasti-dip, not too thick, believing that with little bit of flexible surface texture, it might help. Re-installed everything.

Outcome: Definitely alot less crack/pop/snap sounds, almost none at all, whether im on smooth or bumpy or uneven roads. In tapping the cover, it seems more solid,, and doesn't creak or give when I push on it. Seems if you can get some of this stuff in between hard plastic to hard plastic surfaces, it would mimic what probably occurs if you had squishy dash/console pieces to begin with.

[korball33]

[littlejj]

Any pics?

[simonrjones]

Any pics?

Not really, wouldn't really see much anyway-(black plastidip/black cover). If you go ahead, just a reminder, as the whole cover comes off slowly working your trim tool or fingers around, make sure the airbag\off light for passengers is either:

1. Taken out of the clips in behind completely (so you are left with the whole light dangling there), or
2, if you do unplug it, make sure you don't do what I did which was accidentally turning on the ignition to roll down a window while i was working, giving me an airbag fault (the system saw that a harness wasn't plugged in and gave me a permanent air bag light on my cluster) I had to get this this airbag light cleared at the dealership, fortunately, they didn't charge me.

Just do one coat, and try that. Id recommend masking/covering the front of the cover, as spray can get underneath whilst spraying downwards, but if you don't mind peeling it off after, then dont worry about that part. Make sure you get the RIM/SIDES with the product, I dont think you have to be perfect, just so there's some rubbery treatment in those places where plastic goes up against the plastic of the dash.

I'm quite happy with the difference it makes. So I'm gonna do the same for the back of the plastic dash piece that holds the 3 front vents, and the passenger vent plastic also. Maybe even the plastic panels that house the window switches too, see if I can't get the creaks you get (when you grab the door handle to close the door) to disappear completely.

[simonrjones]

Not sure if anyone else got the issue I had with the door handles creaking when you squeeze/open or close the door, but...
I took off the plastic housings for the window switches today. Sprayed plastic-dip on the backs of them (without the switches in of course) Masked a few areas first so the spray wouldn't show on the outside/top of the housing, let dry, removed masking, and re-installed.

the result is NO creaks. Proof its the flexibility of the plastic on hard plastic that was the issue. now thats there's a thin later of rubberized material in between, there's no or at least very little for the plastic to move or slip against other plastic.

No pics sorry, just went ahead and did it, and quite happy about it too. Also did the back sides of the air vents (which seem a lot more solid and part of the dash now, no creaks or squeaks when I push on the plastic surrounds).