Dashboard Cracks

[StuBeeDoo]

I've seen a lot of references to cracked dashboards. At the moment, mine seems to be fine.
Is there any way, other than pure luck, of delaying the onset of crack(s)?
I've never actually seen a cracked one. Do they go in a specific place, or pretty much anywhere?
I'm not really relishing the idea of having to do a dash change (unless I could find a grey one!).

[greentouring]

My dash has a crack on the passenger side.........I think the sun caused it, so will change it at some point.

[beardymat]

they usualy crack from the edge of the centremost depression in the passenger dash top if that makes any sense

i have noticed that the cracked ones are usually darker in colour as if they have been treated to plenty of dash sheen or maybe they just did a batch of dark grey which were more prone to cracking.

a dash change isnt that scary if done correctly, its just that some people get it wrong in the heater controls which turns it a bit freddy.

[Brianmoooore]

Is there any way, other than pure luck, of delaying the onset of crack(s)?
I've never actually seen a cracked one.

Yes! Keep it out of the sun.
I find about half have a least a small crack, and changing one isn't a difficult job at all!

[StuBeeDoo]

i have noticed that the cracked ones are usually darker in colour as if they have been treated to plenty of dash sheen or maybe they just did a batch of dark grey which were more prone to cracking.

So maybe it's best just to keep it dusted then and not polished??

[greentouring]

Stu, I'm sure a chap on here did a tutorial about it. Think it took the best part of a day to do. Mine's gone where beardy mentioned, which you wouldn't expect on a '93 plate..........

[Simon13]

yeah it's not that bad a job it just takes a long time as there's lots of parts to remove.

I've found that the darker coloured cars suffer more as they get hotter when left in the sun

[StuBeeDoo]

I've found that the darker coloured cars suffer more as they get hotter when left in the sun

[beardymat]

i personally just use a microfibre cloth to wipe it over, keeps that nice matt finish that they came with originally. also stops the glare you get off the sun in overly shiney dashboards.

[StuBeeDoo]

i personally just use a microfibre cloth to wipe it over, keeps that nice matt finish that they came with originally. also stops the glare you get off the sun in overly shiney dashboards.

I do that about nine times out of ten. The tenth time, I use some aerosol interior "sheen" stuff.

[beardymat]

i personally just use a microfibre cloth to wipe it over, keeps that nice matt finish that they came with originally. also stops the glare you get off the sun in overly shiney dashboards.

I do that about nine times out of ten. The tenth time, I use some aerosol interior "sheen" stuff.

replace the sheen stuff with a damp cloth, doesnt sound sexy but keeps it clean without the need for shiney dash stuff plus its cheaper. wipe over after with the microfibre to keep it streak free.

[oze30]

depends on who's been sitting in the passenger seat. Most people use the top pockets as a handle to get out of the car. If they're gentle, they'll grip it and gradually pull to raise themselves up. If not, they'll grab it and hoic themselves up hence the cracks in the dash!



Along with the above mentioned heat and sun cracking!

[lance1a]

is there any way to repair these cracks? I have seen a few product advertised on ebay and the like but am sceptical about the claims made. My red car has a few large cracks but I don't mind if the repair is at least an improvement over the current state.

[Brianmoooore]

Plenty of scrapyards around where you live with E30s in. Not worth messing around repairing one. Just change it for a good one.

[lance1a]

old Tom up at Bloxham is getting expensive though, bought a ECU the other day, charged me twenty quid! That's why I keep a whole stack of spares cars here on the farm. Just that the red car is basically a cheapie, I might just break it instead. Or see if I can use it to try and get my Alfa motor to match up with the M40 box (as a mule).

[chris_m50]

My experience in E30's is that the glovebox comes loose or out of line and its people not knowing the knack of shutting it and slamming it that cracks the dash. I've seen them get worse in peoples cars and then i see the way their misses shuts the glove box. Women eh?! lol

[daimlerman]

The dash is cracked in my '89 4 door,in the R/H lower corner of the tray in front of the passenger seat.I filled the crack with evostuck and painted over,but of course it is still visible.Every time Beardymatt sees my car he trys to flog me a dashboard....it's got no worse and it fits the 'q' car image.

[cros]

Aah, a subject I've spent too much time on.

My '94 had an unusually long and deep crack in the normal place when I got it. The filler that had been put in there looked rubbish.

I replaced it with an '84 one that had an almost invisible hairline crack. A year later that had grown out of the pocket recess and was annoying me (even when filled) so I changed it for a dash from an '89. Fast forward a year and now even that has an inch-long visible crack.

I've now got a perfect '94 one to put in and am getting quite good at doing the swap!

If this next one starts to go, I'll drill a 5mm hole before it runs over the top and fill it back in with Silkaflex. That should stop the point of the crack from tearing itself into an even longer one.

I've never noticed anyone hauling themselves out of the car by pulling on the dash, but I have thought about the glovebox being the root cause.

[Barnz]

The dash is cracked in my '89 4 door,in the R/H lower corner of the tray in front of the passenger seat.I filled the crack with evostuck and painted over,but of course it is still visible.Every time Beardymatt sees my car he trys to flog me a dashboard....it's got no worse and it fits the 'q' car image.

Mine's gone in the same place - RH side of passenger top tray and cracks towards the screen have got worse in the year I've had the car.... will be after a dash if it gets worse. I think it's mostly sun damage as said.... dark interior too...

[Fushion_Julz]

My 325 has a small crack on the RH side of the tray in the corner on the inside of the car, towards the centre console/OBC area...But it is pretty small and hasn't grown noticeably in the 3+ years I've owned the car.

Both the M3 and the touring have no cracks or splits in the dash at all, but the M3 has a small burn mark just above the row of buttons in the centre (fekkin smokers, eh?)

All 3 cars have dark interiors and the touring one has been valeted (not by me) with something that has made the plastic glossy...

[hubble]

I was told.....now don't quote me on this that vaseline is a good cure for cracks and I don't mean on your rear end either LOL!

A friend of mine spotted a Turkish cabbie rubbing it on his dashboard! Ok this post isn't working is it???!!!
For what it's worth it stopped the intense heat and sun damage.

As for using it on your own, dash that is - Probably not - too greasy! LOL

[StuBeeDoo]

I was told.....now don't quote me on this that vaseline is a good cure for cracks and I don't mean on your rear end either LOL!

A friend of mine spotted a Turkish cabbie rubbing it on his dashboard! Ok this post isn't working is it???!!!
For what it's worth it stopped the intense heat and sun damage.

As for using it on your own, dash that is - Probably not - too greasy! LOL

Dude, thanks for the post - had a good laugh at it.
Thanks also to everyone else who's contributed.

[deane30]

Would a UV protectant such as Armour all help prevent it? see http://www.armorall.com/products/view_p ... _index=new for which product i mean. thanks

[bwaterman_m20b23]

For those of you who are lucky enough to live in a more dashboard friendly environment and have never seen a cracked dash allow me to ruin your day...







Thank god for my dash mat which hides this horrible sight.

[StuBeeDoo]

^^^Man, that's bad!^^^ Anyone seen a worse one?

Would a UV protectant such as Armour all help prevent it?

Good question. Anyone have an answer? Could be worth a try, unless someone can definitively say it's a waste of time (& money).

[baur320]

Would a UV protectant such as Armour all help prevent it?

I use their matt wipes and the dash always comes up well. Don't know about its UV properties, but it reduces the reflection of the instrument panel on the windscreen.

[daimlerman]

That last photo is the worst that I have seen,where in the world are you?makes my 2in crack insignifiant!!

[bwaterman_m20b23]

In perth which is on the west coast of Australia, it can get pretty warm in summer and i don't think it was looked after too well before i got it.

[ed325i]

The dash has got metal which when gets hot expands which causes the splits
Thats my thinking.

[mrLEE30]

need to get a pic of mine before i changed it...very similar to my Aussie friend here its extreamly rare to find a dash without cracks so it is obviously a heat thing not necessarily sun, here in the daytime the temp in a car get reach temps in excess of 60-65C so i guess the expansion and contraction of the foam and the ''leatherette/vinyl'' covering eventually decides to call it a day and crack. here most normal place is on top of the instrument cluster and just above the air vents.... any passengers using the dash to get out of the car will find its their last time doing so..... let the feckers walk

[deane30]

I have no cracks in my dash and I use the UV stuff, but i also put up a wind screen sun shade whenever its parked outside. maybe i'm just lucky though. I only do that because i know how much of the problem the cracked dashes are

[AdamAnt]

mine is by far the worst...as with my fellow aussie...the sunburnt country..havent got pics..but i managed to fill the cracks with plaster filler ...and paint over it..looks ok...cracks still visible..but doesnt look poverty now.

[rvrboy]

I think if you start putting on any of the above mentioned remedies, you may well be speeding up the cracking process, ie;when the car is in the sun, it probably starts trying to cook the dash.
Gerry

[Rich_W]

For those of you who are lucky enough to live in a more dashboard friendly environment and have never seen a cracked dash allow me to ruin your day...







Thank god for my dash mat which hides this horrible sight.

Is the actual "fibreboard" of the dash damaged or is just the covering vinyl?

Mines OK at the moment. But I reckon theres 3 options if it starts getting like that.
1) Replace it
2) Reinforce it underneaththen recover it in Leather
or
3) Get a super bling bling one

┚¬1200 from E30Shop.de (LHD only)

[Brianmoooore]

E30 dash is made of foam covered steel.