armor all

i just got a bunch of different types of armor all wipes for my b-day   and one of them were for exterior plastic and rubber    are these fine for the wheels b/c my sister said she heard that amorall makes the crack

Since you asked..I'll be quite honest with you..
 
I never was a big fan of Armor-ALL...The original formulation was horrible..it would leave everything slimey and yes your sister is right..Armor-all is nothing but silicone and that will suck the moisture out of anything and cause it to get brittle and eventually crack...I don't know about today's Armor-all in all fairness, but I doubt they stopped using Silicones in their stuff...I stopped using Armor-all over 20 years ago.

I would agree with Dennis. armorall is the worst stuff for your dash, but for tire dressing and wheel cleaner, I have no idea. Since you replace tires more often that your dash, I would assume any damage done by the armorall would become evidant by the end of the usefull life of the tire, but I personally avoid anything with a viking on the bottle.

I agree with Dennis.  The original stuff was silicone based and while it worked great at first, over time it would dry and discolor your plastics.  I have not used it myself for ages, so cannot personally speak as to what it's like today, but I have friends who are detailers who say to stay away unless your trying to sell your car right away!

quote:

ORIGINAL: Linus Gump

I would agree with Dennis. armorall is the worst stuff for your dash, but for tire dressing and wheel cleaner, I have no idea. Since you replace tires more often that your dash, I would assume any damage done by the armorall would become evidant by the end of the usefull life of the tire, but I personally avoid anything with a viking on the bottle.

 
Racist!!

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dennis

Since you asked..I'll be quite honest with you..

I never was a big fan of Armor-ALL...The original formulation was horrible..it would leave everything slimey and yes your sister is right..Armor-all is nothing but silicone and that will suck the moisture out of anything and cause it to get brittle and eventually crack...I don't know about today's Armor-all in all fairness, but I doubt they stopped using Silicones in their stuff...I stopped using Armor-all over 20 years ago.

 
so whats the best thing to use on the dash  ?

These two are my favorites
 
  

I have used baby oil mixed with water before. Mix a little in a spray bottle and mist onto the dash, then spread with a damp sponge. Use the oil sparingly, because a little goes a long way, and a thick residue will collect dust like there is no tomorrow. The nice thing about it is it is water based, and the dash will soak up the moisture keeping it from drying out and cracking. You can also use the baby oil on the tires too, but after about 15 minutes the shine is gone because the rubber soaked up the oil. Supposedly it will help prevent the tires from dry rotting, but I have never used it long enough, nor kept tires that long to test that theory.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Linus Gump

I have used baby oil mixed with water before. Mix a little in a spray bottle and mist onto the dash, then spread with a damp sponge. Use the oil sparingly, because a little goes a long way, and a thick residue will collect dust like there is no tomorrow. The nice thing about it is it is water based, and the dash will soak up the moisture keeping it from drying out and cracking. You can also use the baby oil on the tires too, but after about 15 minutes the shine is gone because the rubber soaked up the oil. Supposedly it will help prevent the tires from dry rotting, but I have never used it long enough, nor kept tires that long to test that theory.

 
Hey, you're supposed to BABY your car, noy BABY OIL it!!!

Linus that method may be good IF one does not live in a very warm/hot climate...the baby oil acts like just what it is...oil...what does oil do when it gets heated?  COOKS! Which then tends to dry out, turn white and crack eventually.

Listen to Dennis.

I preferr "to use baby oils" on ahhh, the human body, not my cars---

Where does baby oil come from anyways?  You get olive oil from olives, sunflower oil from sunflowers, so........

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dennis

And if Linus goes to the beach..he just rubs up against his dash, presto!..now he's all set for a day of tanning....

 

I got the idea for using baby oil from a auto detailing book written by a guy who owns a detail shop in SoCal. No, it's not what he uses in his shop, but it is a product that will work to shine and protect the dash if nothing else is available. The interior of your car is not like your skin, so the oil will not cook your dash. Even though it is oil, it is water based so it wont hurt anything in the car. If you leave a thin film, thinned out even more by mixing with water, in a few minutes it has evaporated/ soaked into the dash, leaving a nice shine.
 
BTW: I am Irish, so I dont tan, I burn. Since I live in the Pacific Northwest, I dont even do that, I rust.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Dennis

These two are my favorites

  

 
 
Since I can't seem to find the Tech Protect...I may try the Vinylex.  I'll let you know what I think.

Did you try PepBoys for the Megquires nxt Protect?..I called their number on the bottle..they claim that their supply can't keep up with the demand..that's why some markets it's hard to find right now..
 





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"It is here by declared that the NXT Generation product line can not be taken out of production, unless Meguiar's can make a better product (good luck with that!!). I have three cars that have never looked so good. My '96 Miata does not have a clear coat, and the paint now has this great wet look shine. I have helped sell five more bottles to neighbors and friends, after they have seen my cars. I spend at least $200 dollars a year on trying car care products, M

Auto Zone also has it.  But if you like the the factory look without that shine, Megquires also makes a quick detailer for the interior. It works very well and does not leave a shine.

It must be in high demand because the only place that had it was Auto Zone and they refused to sell it to me stating that they were advised to remove them from the shelf.  I've tried Walmart, Pepboys, 2 Advanced Autos, and 2 Auto Zones and with the exception of the 1 Auto Zone that refused to sell them to me...nobody else carried it.   I'll just order a bottle from the Maguire's website.

Maybe it's so good...the competition is forcing them to take it off the shelves..
 
If there was anything wrong with it..funny that Meguires would sell you some...

I called Maguire's and they said there's nothing wrong.....I'm anxious to toss my old Armor All and replace it with something better!

has silicone and sucks out moisture?  ...I think I'm going to try armor all as a longterm-storage protectant for my firearms :P.  if it works, it's a helluva lot cheaper than eezox :P

Try astroglide on the tires

lol.. astroglide is the best stuff ever :D

quote:

ORIGINAL: samvoiceman

Try astroglide on the tires

 
It will help you slide between the rocks with no friction.