Cracked Dash - Any ideas? Tips?

headly · Post by **headly** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 1:27 pm

'Woo warriors,

I have just discovered a 7-8" crack in my dash on the drivers side, extending upwards from the windscreen vents. Has anyone repaired anything like this before?

woo · Post by **woo** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 1:52 pm

my dash pealed up areound the vents and i put a dashmat over the top to hide it. I dont know how you would repair it

headly · Post by **headly** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 2:23 pm

Yeah I could do that, but would like to try and repair it first. Its in the bit that raises up over the instrument cluster. Im thinkin if I can get some sort of adhesive I could work it into the crack and fix it that way.

ooobiserooo · Post by **ooobiserooo** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 2:40 pm

if i got it you can use a "plastic gun" fill the holes with plastic, and buy some of that mini modeling paint cans! (like ones used for the plane/boats models) mach the color and...

headly · Post by **headly** » Thu Mar 02, 2006 3:12 pm

as in like one of those small heat glue guns? the ones that use glue sticks about 4" long?? didn't think about them actually, come to think of it that stuff is pretty pliable too so it wont go brittle in the sun. Thanks dude will try that on my days off.

TheGreatAndPowerfulOz · Thu Mar 02, 2006 5:50 pm

Which car do you have?

Is it a solid plastic dash or a vinyl padded covered dash?

If it is vinyl, it can be repaired with a vinyl restoration kit that bonds new vinyl into the crack, molds matching grain shape into the repair and colours the repair material to match.

If it is a solid plastic dash, then someone who is good with a plastic welder may be able to fill the crack and then use some kind of grain pattern to match the dash.

The easiest way would be to get a dash mat or to replace the dash with one that is not cracked.

RichieOzzie · Post by **RichieOzzie** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:16 pm

Seems to be a design Fault. My Lanos has the same "Disease".

I figured it was to do with expansion and contraction with heat in the car/sun on it. I have managed to arrest the problem since I re-tensioned after taking the dash out. I had a irritating rattle right at the back of the dash under certain conditions. From what I have seen, the crack appears anywhere it wants on the Dash.... !!!

chris2511 · Post by **chris2511** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:59 pm

I have 2 cracks on my dash and a rattle in the back of my dash where those airvents are at the back of the dash, how did you fix the ratteling as i gets annoying especially when your car is idleing etc.

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:05 pm

I have that rattle behind the dash too... (planning on working to fix that in the not so far future.)

Audacity Racing · Post by **Audacity Racing** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 3:42 pm

i'm really suprised my dash isn't cracked yet... it's a 99 model... and when it rattles, i hit the dash

and it's still not cracking or anything

RichieOzzie · Post by **RichieOzzie** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 8:26 pm

Aaaah, so, it's not only mine that rattled!?!? ............. even after being bashed in frustration!!

This is a real pain to do, but you CANNOT access the cause of the rattle without pulling the Dash off am afraid!!, no matter how hard you try.

You can touch the problem, but not remove it or buckle it to stop the rattle!!, and I can say, it justified the time it took to do it as well!!!!, it took months to find out what caused it, so, one morning was nothing, and DAMN SATISFYING TOO!!!

Take dash off its hangers, and pull toward you, about 30cm, no need to remove steering wheel, just the switches on the column.

Now look from outside the car, in through the Wind screen>>>>.

At the front of the Screen vents, under the plastic, there is a pressed metal strip, you can "twang" it with your fingers from inside the car!, and this is the rattle you hear!!.........It is about 1.5cm thick, Grey/silver coloured metal,...... curved a bit to fit the profile of the Firewall/Dash, it is about 1 meter long, "Fixed!!" at either end by a self-tapping screw into the Dash Plastic, ........and one end is probably cracked off the Dash!!!.

In the Metal strip, along with its plastic Screw mount, is the Mounting screw .

This screw rattles in the hole in the Metal strip, and that is what causes it to make the irritating noise.

Unscrew the metal strip completely, you may find there are 4 screws in total to remove with a "Chubby" Driver. Pull it off/out.....and do what I did.... Jump on it!! (The satisfying part)

Oh!!!, and dont forget the Band-aids for your sliced fingers, the metal has SHARP Teddies on it, alll along the edges!!

(Teddy is Teddy Burrs(aka Bears) = Burrs, sharp edges that are left from machining/manufacturing etc) .... and VERY SHARP TOO!!!

No wonder warranty work would not be undertaken for it!!

Good luck, careful with those "Pinkies"

JohnnyC · Post by **JohnnyC** » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:42 pm

Hmmmm I might just go out and take care of that right now. I've been wanting to get at my gauge cluster to take some measurements for days now... so at least I would have a secondary reason to get in there.

headly · Post by **headly** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:05 am

that f#@king rattle !! that thing turned up about a month after warranty ran out and I had no idea what it was. I though it was a heater thing inside the dash, I made it go away by wedging a bit of aerial cable between the dash and the A-pillar trim.....now me knows ho to really fix it thanx to the all knowledgable Richie !!

chris2511 · Post by **chris2511** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:22 am

Hey Richie,

How do you take the dash off its hangers as i cant work out how to do it and pull it towards you?

Thanks!!

chris2511 · Post by **chris2511** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:38 am

Can anyone offer their advice on this matter?

Thanks!!

The original daewootech forum

Cracked Dash - Any ideas? Tips?

Cracked Dash - Any ideas? Tips?

Re: Cracked Dash - Any ideas? Tips?

Dash-board Rattle..... How to stop it.