In the automotive section of this mornings Chicago Tribune a reader wrote in to the Q&A column about a sticky dash problem. They didn't mention year, make or model of the car, but here's the first part of their question:

"We had our car detaled last November. When we took a trip to south Florida, we noticed the dash became shiny and sticky from the sun."

There was more to the note and writer's reply, but no one seems to know what to do about it.

 

Maybe the detailer used a oil based silicone product that magnified the sun heat causing the dash to become sticky.
There's two different type silicones used in detailing.Oil based and water based which is silicone based polymer that is water soluble.A lot of companies use this polymer as a protectant and through proper emulsion it can be soluble in water with no negative side effects.
Oil based silicone detailing products are usually cheaper than water based products.
I believe years ago Armorall was silicone oil based and high alcohol and has some negative press with drying and cracking vinyl.The formula was changed to water based silicone and no alcohol and is fine..

Silicone:
[: or polysiloxanes, are inorganic polymers consisting of a silicon-oxygen backbone (...-Si-O-Si-O-Si-O-...) with side groups attached to the silicon atoms]

Good: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDS) is a basically inert, water based, amino functional polymer resin that doesn't migrate (dry out) the plasticizers from materials, has less UV radiation absorption and dust attraction properties. Chemists use water-in-oil emulsions, to reduce emulsion particle size, to stabilize emulsions, and to improve spreading and coverage of wax products. Most modern silicone formulas are water soluble (no petroleum), and are completely inert.The best way to describe most forms of silicone is to think of it as a man-made wax ester. Silicone is created by the reaction generated when you combine fatty acids with Polydimethylsiloxane

The Bad: Dimethyl is derived from Aromatic hydrocarbon (petroleum) distillates, and is usually formulated with a solvent, hexane and petroleum oils, which are environmentally unsound and give a slick, oily finish, which attracts dust and dirt and amplifies sunlight causing vinyl and most plastics to dry out and crack, this type of silicone also causes, which means the product will land on body panels causing a black stain. It also causes rubber compounds along with sun iteration to remove the micro-wax in tyres as well as its carbon black (it's what makes the colour they are)

And The Ugly: Silicone is an active ingredient in sun UV amplification. As a low quality silicone dressing evaporates away, the silicone oil is left behind, the sun then amplifies these residues, and the drying process is accelerated. This causes rubber, EDPM, vinyl and plastics to dry out, which turns them grey or brown, losing their flexibility and prematurely fail. Water-based dressings do not contain oils or petroleum distillates and provide a non- greasy, natural looking satin finish.

For a Few Dollars More: Hydrocarbon (petroleum) distillates can be further purified, re-distilled, reacted and combined with various other chemicals to produce a wide range of environmentally safe (water-based) and useful silicone products.

On my dash and other vinyl,I use Protectant 303 Aerospace Vinyl Protectant with UV sun blocker protection and is said to have no silicone or solvents.

 

I wonder if there is anything in the Owners Manual about chemicals to not use on interior surfaces? Mine isn't available right now or I'd look.

 

Yes, under "Cleaning"/interior.......at least in the 2011 Owner's Manual. The website has tutorials and may also have been mentioned there.

 

Not much,Bob.
4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior
The following procedures will help protect your vehicle's interior and keep
it in top condition:
■Protecting the vehicle interior
Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty surfaces
with a cloth dampened with lukewarm water.
■Cleaning the leather areas
●Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
●Wipe any excess dirt and dust with a soft cloth dampened with
diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of approximately 5% neutral wool detergent.
●Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly wipe
off all remaining traces of detergent.
●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remaining
moisture. Allow the leather to dry in a shaded and ventilated area.
■Synthetic leather areas
●Remove loose dirt using a vacuum cleaner.
●Apply a mild soap solution to the synthetic leather using a sponge
or soft cloth.
●Allow the solution to soak in for a few minutes. Remove the dirt
and wipe off the solution with a clean, damp cloth.



■Cleaning detergents
●Do not use the following types of detergent, as they may discolor the vehicle interior
or cause streaks or damage to painted surfaces.
• Non-seat portions: Organic substances such as benzene or gasoline, alkaline
or acidic solutions, dye, or bleach.
• Seats: Acidic solutions, such as thinner, benzene, or alcohol.
●Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel's or other interior
part's painted surface may be damaged.
■Preventing damage to leather surfaces
Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of leather
surfaces.
●Remove any dust or dirt on leather surfaces immediately.
●Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Park
the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.
●Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or that contain wax on the upholstery, as
they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior heats up significantly.
■Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.
Vehicle systems such as the audio system may be damaged if water comes into
contact with electrical components under the floor of the vehicle, and may also
cause the body to rust.
■Cleaning the inside of the rear window
●Do not use glass cleaner to clean the rear window, as this may cause damage to
the rear window defogger heater wires. Use a cloth dampened with lukewarm
water to gently wipe the window clean. Wipe the window in strokes running parallel
to the heater wires or antenna.
●Be careful not to scratch or damage the heater wires or antenna.

That one highlighted I didn't know and have used window cleaners for years without a problem.
No way you get off that oily plasticizing film that happens with a cloth and lukewarm water.

 

The highlighted part is news to me too! Don't know what I'll do now that I know this.

I've never had a problem with the rear widow defroster in any car. I may not clean it as often, or use something on the mild side, like Stoners or something.

 

I highlighted it not Toyota.
I'll continue to do what I've been doing.I've been using ammonia free Sprayway for awhile but I have used other cleaner with ammonia for years without a problem..

 

Years ago a girlfriend put me onto "microfiber" cleaning cloths (she bought me a bundle), especially for the car. That's all I use now (dampened in water) for windows, and I believe somewhere in the Owner's Manual Lexus mentions these types of cloths for general interior cleaning/wiping. Great for drying the car after washing, as well.

 

Joe, I figured that you had done the highlighting.

 

Used Windex for years on our 2007 without a rear defroster problem.

 

Thanks for the input and didn't mean to get offensive when the issue turned to price. It was a reference point. The car was out of Miami and actually talked to the dealer there. It was a cleaner and lack of "sunscreen" - the guy never put a sun screen up when parked in the sun. He also drove with his wrist hanging over the top of the wheel andused his finger nails to pick at the dome over the panel gauges. I found an interior guy who has a "spray" bond of some type I have asked for the MSDS on so I can see if it can be applied. At this time, if it is not seen by others, Lexus must have fixed the old IS problem and the only places on my dash that are compromised is the dome and just along the ridge in front of the window all the way across the dash. This isn't the kind of dash you throw things up on so has to be a treatment that was wrong. Thanks for the input. Will fix on my own.

 

I love microfiber cloths but have always read not to use on leather and therefore have never tried them on leather. Have you used them on leather?

Dave Mac

 

A few days ago I noticed my dash above the steering column to be sticky. The problem is only in that location. I had some time today and decided to clean the sticky stuff off. To my surprise, the sticky stuff was my dash. It looked fine before I took the towel to the dash. Now it looks nasty with streak marks AMD micro fibers stuck to the dash.

Now I've owned this car since New. I used armor all. AMD the car wash uses lexol. The problem only occurrs over the steering wheel area so the product I used shouldn't be the cause or else the whole dash should be melting.also I use a sunshade. And as to why there are more post on the IS forums on the sticky dash issue, I believe it is the fact more IS owner's are younger, more internet savvy and like to be on forums over the Older Es owners.

Anyways. I called for an appointment for this coming Monday and ill share their verdict. Btw I have 70,080 miles so I'm out of warranty also.

 

Dave Mac.......Took me awhile to find the info on the microfiber cloths (it wasn't in the Owner's Manual like I thought), but the following interior cleaning tutorial is from Lexus Canada: http://www.lexus.ca/lexus/experience...aining_qa.html It's four paragraphs down and it appears to give the OK to use them on the leather. I'm sure that it's somewhere on the Lexus USA website as well although I couldn't find it, but because of the American spelling of "fiber" (not "fibre") I'm sure it's there somewhere.

 

I have used the microfiber cloths along with Lexol leather conditioner for years on all of my leather car seats.