alltravis

Brought home my brand new "to me" 2008 997.1 C4 on Tuesday... I'm super stoked about it... And then I made the massive mistake of putting a suction phone mount on the dash. The mount had a little bit of tackiness on the bottom to help keep it in place and it worked really well... I pulled it off to reposition and found that it had left a discolored ring!

There is no residue to wash off, it's just discolored and looks horrible! Any ideas on how I might fix it?

Thank you!

rtl5009

Have you tried a magic eraser?

alltravis

Good call. I'll give that a shot tonight

Mumbles

goo gone

Mumbles

I personally wouldn't try this method as those magic erasers are brutal and can leave permanent damage, They're strong enough to alter the finish on alloy wheels

TheMurse

I too would recommend caution when using a magic eraser. Those things are surprisingly abrasive and I'd keep them far away from any surfaces in your car you can't quickly and easily replace. Plastic door sills are the only place I'm comfortable using a magic eraser and only then with extreme caution.

The discoloration left by the suction ring almost looks like the original sand beige color. Griot's Vinyl Dressing would be a good place to start, applied with a microfiber towel and then buffed dry.

rtl5009

^Dramatic- I have used a magic eraser on my steering wheel and it looks great. Also on the dashboard.

No damage from a guy who has done it.

Ironman88

Would hate to see a problem like this possibly become much worse.

Similar to what others have said, I would also convey caution on the use of Magic Eraser. The issue is not specifically tied to addressing the circular stain, but how it may affect the surrounding material in the process of using it.

If you use it at all, I would only use it very gently and with it being wet. That will reduce somewhat the abrasiveness of it.

alltravis

I am going to try the magic eraser on one of the small panels between the PCM and the glove box as I can replace that easily if there are any issues. I've also ordered up some Griot's Vinyl Dressing too.

THANK YOU!

hexagone

magic eraser is an abrasive. I had my gf once do it on our floors and said how awesome it worked - until there were dull spots all over the floor.

Be very careful about using magic eraser in an inconspicuous area

paddlefoot64

I’d be careful using Goo Gone. Similar products can melt some plastics.

Petza914

I agree with TheMurse. The ring where the mount was actually looks better than the rest of the dash, which looks faded. I would treat the dash with a good vinyl cleaner and protectant and bring the rest of the dash up to the restored color that the ring created. Might as well do the rest of the interior too. It looks like this is not a full leather optioned car so you can do the dash, the tops of the door panels, etc and anywhere else you have that textured plastic. Use a leather cleaner and conditioner on the leather surfaces.

alltravis

Thanks. I can confirm that the magic eraser didn't fix it (nor did it make anything worse). I've ordered up some Griot's Vinyl Dressing to try this weekend.

Ironman88

Maybe you'll have some good success with the Griot's vinyl dressing.

I've never had the best success with a product like that that has combined functions - cleaning and treating. They never really clean the surface effectively. It's a compromised product in my view.

Over many years, I've used so many interior cleaners. Some of them would clean well, but were harsh and ended up damaging some of the interior finishes.

The one that I've had really great success with is Chemical Guys Nonsense All Purpose Cleaner. Here's a link to the product from their website.

https://www.chemicalguys.com/nonsens...e-cleaner.html

Amazon has it - 16 oz for about $9.


From the Chemical Guys product description...Transparent Cleaning Technology

Nonsense will completely change the way you think about all surface cleaners! Generic cleaners contain coloring agents that stain or damage and caustic fumes that contaminate surfaces and harm the user. Nonsense breaks down coffee, grease, wine, pet, and food stains in seconds. Color free, odorless, and pH-balanced, Nonsense is designed for the safest and most pleasurable user experience possible.

I can tell you from firsthand experience - the stuff really works, and has not negatively affected any of the surfaces I've used it on - including some of the painted surfaces in the 997 interior (center console for example).

I would use that product first, followed by a good vinyl dressing. The dressing will restore the surface overall.

Good luck with the process...

Carreralicious

Do you think the suction cup pulled color off or that it left residue? That’s really strange that it left a ring there.