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Thread ID: 76163 2007-01-23 07:55:00 Cosmetic repairs on plastic dashboard? Billy T (70) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
518527 2007-01-23 07:55:00 Hi Team

My car has a broad expanse of silver-grey painted plastic on the dash, and today Mrs T installed on of those car perfume dispensers. It leaked in the sun (as they do) and some of the contents dribbled doiwn the dash, dissolving the surface finish as it went and leaving a black plastic trail.

It looks god-awful, so I'm looking for a company that does touch-ups on this type of surface, hopefully there will be one around somewhere servicing panelbeaters, car dealers and the like.

Anybody know of who might be able to help in the Auckland area?

Cheers

Billy 8-{) :(
Billy T (70)
518528 2007-01-23 10:13:00 There is a business based in Auckland specialising in dashboard modifications and repairs- they are in all the car magazines- I'll see if I can find one and I'll post it here. Sick Puppy (6959)
518529 2007-01-24 04:19:00 This is what perfume does to plastic? What does it do to people who breathe it? Graham L (2)
518530 2007-01-24 05:29:00 Hi Team

My car has a broad expanse of silver-grey painted plastic on the dash, and today Mrs T installed on of those car perfume dispensers. It leaked in the sun (as they do) and some of the contents dribbled doiwn the dash, dissolving the surface finish as it went and leaving a black plastic trail.

It looks god-awful, so I'm looking for a company that does touch-ups on this type of surface, hopefully there will be one around somewhere servicing panelbeaters, car dealers and the like.

Anybody know of who might be able to help in the Auckland area?

Cheers

Billy 8-{) :(

Thats not good. Have you contacted the company who makes the perfume to complain, and it could be a defective unit if it leaked. You may have a claim againest them for the cost of the repair. The chemicals in those things are terrible, and I don't know why people buy them, if it dies that to a paint finish, imagine what it does to your lungs and health.
rogerp (6864)
518531 2007-01-24 06:41:00 I would think that if you used it as it was supposed to be used, you may have some come back from where you bought it or from or the manufacturer.
Yes I agree with Rogerp.

Trevor :)
Trev (427)
518532 2007-01-24 09:53:00 Sorry about the late response, I've been out of town all day.

Normally I would be the first to take on the manufacturer, but I just can't see how it could have leaked unless inverted after opening but prior to installation. On that basis it does appear to be an own-goal, but blowing the whistle on Mrs T won't do anything for marital harmony.

Once I get a price for the repair, I might make a tactful approach to the manufacturer/importer on the basis that the packaging does not warn against inversion or possible damage (I'll have to check that this is the case of course).

In the meantime I'll await SP's advice as to the repair firm and while waiting I'll peruse the yellow pages. Might even ring a big car audio installation firm, they are bound to have damaged a dash at some stage and will know who fixes them. Plenty of strange accidents happen when you take cars apart for car audio installation

Back in the days when I did car radio and radiotelephone installations I drilled right through the petrol pump power lead in a loom running inside a metal channel (silly place to hide it) and the customer only got 100 yards up the road before it died. What was funnier was the boss hooked it up to what he thought was a 12 volt lead as a temporary solution for the night, but it was the brake light feed. He was lying against the brake pedal at the time so it read 12 volts. The customer was back the next day saying it cut out on long roads but was OK on short ones. Took some lateral thinking, but we soon traced it to the brake lights and rewired it properly.

Another day I was working on a brand new V6 Ford MKIV Zephyr Zodiac for an influential client and drilled right into the heater core. How was I to know it had a heater? Hardly any cars had heaters then, they relied on warm air leaking through the gaping holes in the firewall! We got it fixed PDQ and fortunately the client saw the funny side of it all.

Cheers

Billy 8-{)
Billy T (70)
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