[Guest]

I've been reading bits &am

I've been reading bits & pieces in the various posts on this site about Armor All Protectant and melting interior plastic parts and I am hoping to get a thorough answer/explanation on the subject.
Armor All Protectant is, in my opinion, a low-grade detailing product for car interiors. Is it true that this product causes interior plastic parts, such as heating/cooling vents, to melt? If this is true, does it cause all plastic parts to melt or just some. Does this problem occur in many Ferrari models or just particular models or years? Does anyone know the reason why this occurs? Do all detailing products/solvents cause this same reaction? I know there are other, higher quality products out there, so do all detailing products cause this melting situation? Are there other reasons that create this melting problem or is it only when cleaning products are introduced? To what extent is the melting. Are we talking a slight warping or complete meltdown? I'd like to hear from both those who have experienced this scenario and/or those who might know the reason for the cause and effect.

 

[Guest]

Yep! I used to use it on my fo

Yep! I used to use it on my ford dashboard till it eventually cracked it. I found out that because it's a petroleum-based product it eventually dries out all the moisture and oils in plastics and vinyls. Your better off using silicon based product or something a little pricier. I have been using straight silicon spay on tires, bumpers, and the interior for a long time. Spray on, soak and wipe off, looks great and lasts a long time.
Hope this is of some use to you

Regards
Steve

 

[Guest]

While the feedback is apprecia

While the feedback is appreciated, this is not the scenario I am referring to. What you describe is a situation, where over time, an inferior detailing product has contributed to the decline of your interior parts, where UV rays, heat, cold and weather conditions from open window driving most likely also played a significant factor. Cracked dashboards also occur for other reasons as well. What I am referring to are the discussions where Ferrari owners have described a situation where "melting of interior parts" (their words) has occurred. I have also read about this in Sports Car Market magazine, where Ferrari experts such as Keith Martin and Mike Sheehan have also touched on seeing this occur as well. In the descriptions that I have seen, owners relate how plastic parts, notably the air vents, have literally "melted into a gooey mess" (again, their words). I have read about this happening only in the F355 model and one or two instances in the 348. What I have not seen is any explanation as to what extent does someone mean by a "gooey mess" and what the cause may be, if anyone does know.

 

[Guest]

It can occur in various models

It can occur in various models and years..mostly affecting the 348, 355, 512TR (seen it first hand in these models). The rubberized coating will fail...no one knows for sure why. It seems sun and heat play the biggest factor. I am dubious to the Amorall having much affect, if any. Bottom line, is that Ferrari used a poor choice of materials...later cars like the 360 seem to not share this problem.

Stephen's example is hard to say for sure was caused by the Armorall...perhaps his dash would have cracked anyway...we don't know for certain. I would be very careful with silicone spray...I have personally seen it discolor black plastic interior peices on several occaisions (reacted in just a couple hours after application), which had to later be replaced.

 

[Guest]

The excuse from Ferrari about

The excuse from Ferrari about armor all or such stuff causing the rubber to "melt" is just B.S. My 1989 348 had the problem. Ferrari gave me the same excuse: Armor-all. When I removed the parts to change them the back side, never exposed to the air, was just as bad. Gooey Mess means the rubber has desolved and comes off on your fingers and hands. This is the parts that start off feeling like hard rubber. Shame that Ferrari cannot fix the problem after 10 years. My 1999 456GTM now has the problem. If you had this happen to your car, let me know. If you know a fix, let me know that too!

 

[Guest]

There is a fix on the other si

There is a fix on the other site, you use various solvents to remove the rubber coating, leaving the bare plastic instead. Looks fine.