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WARNING!! Isopropyl Alcohol caused dash discoloration

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by hybrid4earth, Mar 13, 2005.

  1. hybrid4earth

    hybrid4earth New Member

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    All – Well it happened, my baby’s first “boo-boo”! I fear that it is probably permanent, but if anyone has any advice, I’m listening. While attempting to remove an inspection sticker from the windshield near the lower driver’s side, I used some isopropyl “rubbing” alcohol and it drooled on the black plastic dash and left a couple of discolored streaks. As soon as I noticed this I attempted to clean it with a damp cloth, but it is still there and there is little relevant advice on the internet. I should have read the manual more carefully because it clearly states not to use any organic cleaners on the interior of the car. So my warning is to be careful when removing those stubborn stickers or cleaning your car so you do not have the same problem.

    Cheers,
    Stacy
     
    #1 hybrid4earth, Mar 13, 2005
  2. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Thank you, hybrid4earth, for the warning. Sorry about your unfortunate accident.
     
    #2 TonyPSchaefer, Mar 13, 2005
  3. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    i use products from www.moreshine.com for cleaning up various things on the car. they bring back the color, make my gas extremely clear, and clean very well with no after affects. The wheel "cleaner" is cool too.. anyone want to buy me more? hehe. It's enviromentally friendly too.
     
    #3 V8Cobrakid, Mar 13, 2005
  4. Bob Allen

    Bob Allen Captainbaba

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    Sorry about your incident. You might want to go to "dashdesigns.com" and order a carpeted dash cover. I have one and they are great for cutting glare and protecting the dash from sunlight. They are custom fit to the Prius and the quality is excellent. You can see some photos of them in the "album" secton. Cost is about 40 bucks.
    Bob
     
    #4 Bob Allen, Mar 14, 2005
  5. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    I would be very careful getting anything like isopropyl alcohol near any plastic. There are two strengths of iso you can purchase over the counter, but even the topical variety can damage plastics.

    If you happen to spill it on carpet, it will usually leach out the color too. Just not a good idea to keep around a car.

    About the only thing I use isopropyl alcohol for is dabbing on a paper towel and cleaning the wiper inserts. This helps prevent streaks.

    I don't think you can use a carpeted dash cover on the Prius due to the location of the passenger airbag. Unless it has cutouts to allow the airbag to deploy.
     
    #5 jayman, Mar 14, 2005
  6. hdrygas

    hdrygas New Member

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    Thank you for the warning!! Sorry about the dash. :cry: Should we put this warning in the knowledge base?
     
    #6 hdrygas, Mar 14, 2005
  7. hybrid4earth

    hybrid4earth New Member

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    Thanks all for the replys! I will have to look into the moreshine products. Hdrygas - I do not know how to put this into the knowledge base, could you enlighten me?

    I also posted this on Yahoo's Prius-2G group and was given the advise to try Armorall. After being very careful with only a small dot and seeing no new discolorations, I tried it on the driver's side of the dash and it did help mask most of the discolorations. I then used the traditional slightly damp microfiber cloth to remove most of the excess Armorall. I do not like the shiny glare.
     
    #7 hybrid4earth, Mar 17, 2005
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