How to Repair a Cracked Dashboard in a Car

You can restore your dashboard yourself for a fraction of the cost of a professional repair.

Constant exposure to the heat from the sun may cause the dashboard on your beloved vehicle to crack. It can be expensive to have it repaired or even fixed, but luckily, it's a simple enough repair that you can do yourself without breaking the bank.

Things You'll Need

• Utility knife
• Painter's tape
• Silicone caulking
• Vinyl paint

Instructions

1. Make room for the silicone caulking by digging your utility knife into the crack a little. No need for serious slashing here; just about a 1/2 inch extra is all you need. Any more than that will just make the crack wider.

2. Clean the area well. Remove any debris in and around the crack and allow the area to dry thoroughly before attempting the next step.

3. Apply painter's tape to each side of the crack to protect your vinyl dashboard from the silicone caulking. Now the silicone will just enter the crack.

4. Pour the silicone caulking into the crack and allow it to dry for about 15 minutes. This would be the final step for smaller cracks, but wider cracks might need a little more attention. If the silicone repair job is too obvious, use vinyl paint to apply texture to the silicone. You must finish this step before you remove the tape and the silicone has a chance to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• For very wide cracks, allow the silicone to rest for about 2 hours and use motor car vinyl paint to make the repairs less noticeable.

References

• ArticleClick: Dashboard Repair: Fast And Inexpensive Methods