Dealing with a cracked dashboard in your Mercedes-Benz can be frustrating. That single crack can become the focal point of your interior, detracting from the luxury and elegance you expect from your vehicle. Professional restoration services can be expensive, often costing thousands of dollars. Fortunately, for the DIY enthusiast, there are more affordable and hands-on solutions. This guide explores a method to repair your Mercedes-Benz dashboard crack yourself, maintaining the original aesthetic and saving you a significant amount of money.
Before diving into the repair process, let’s consider the common approaches and why the method outlined here stands out.
Exploring Dashboard Repair Options
When faced with a cracked Mercedes-Benz dashboard, several options might come to mind:
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Leather Wrap: While a leather wrap can offer a luxurious feel, it’s a complex and time-consuming process. Stretching leather around the intricate shapes of a dashboard, especially near vents and corners, is challenging. Pre-made leather covers with stitching are available, but the added stitching can look out of place in a classic Mercedes-Benz interior, which typically lacks such detailing. To maintain a consistent look, you might need to wrap other interior parts, increasing the project’s scope and cost.
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Cloth Cover: Cloth covers are a cheap and easy fix, but they often compromise the vehicle’s interior aesthetics significantly. For most Mercedes-Benz owners, this option is simply not in line with the desired level of refinement.
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Dash Cover Cap: These plastic caps are designed to fit over the existing dashboard. However, they can be costly for what is essentially molded plastic. Installation requires adhesives like double-sided tape or silicone, which can damage the original dashboard surface. Moreover, these covers may not withstand prolonged exposure to direct sunlight and heat, potentially warping or cracking over time. Once installed, removal is difficult and may leave behind adhesive residue and further damage.
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Bondo: Body filler, commonly known as Bondo, is often used for automotive repairs. However, its rigidity makes it unsuitable for dashboard repair. Dashboards are made from materials that expand and contract with temperature changes. Bondo lacks the necessary flexibility and is prone to cracking again as the dashboard material moves.
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Buy a New or Used Dashboard: Replacing the entire dashboard might seem like a solution, but it’s an expensive undertaking. The cost of a brand new dashboard can be exorbitant. Used dashboards, even if crack-free initially, are likely to be old and dried out, making them susceptible to cracking again in the future.
DIY Dashboard Crack Repair with FiberFlex Kit
A more effective and cost-efficient approach involves using a specialized repair kit designed for flexible plastics. This method allows you to address the crack directly, maintain the original dashboard material, and achieve a seamless repair. For this guide, we will focus on using a FiberFlex repair kit, readily available online for around $70.
This kit typically includes:
- A heating element with a flat welding tip
- A welder stand
- Stainless steel reinforcing wire mesh
- FiberFlex welding rods (plastic filler material)
Note: The steel mesh included in some kits is primarily intended for bumper repairs and not ideal for dashboard crack repair. The FiberFlex rods are the key component for this task.
Step-by-Step Guide to Mercedes-Benz Dashboard Crack Repair
Before starting, it’s highly recommended to remove the dashboard from the car. This provides better access for repair and avoids any potential damage to the vehicle’s interior during the process. In this example, the dashboard was removed to replace AC components, providing an opportune moment for crack repair.
Step 1: Prepare the Crack Area with a Dremel Tool
Begin by using a Dremel tool or similar rotary tool to prepare the crack. Carefully sand down any raised edges around the crack to create a smooth, even surface. Then, create a V-shaped groove along the crack line. This groove will provide space for the filler material to bond effectively.
Step 2: Fill the Groove with FiberFlex
Using the heating element from the repair kit, melt the FiberFlex welding rods and apply the molten plastic into the V-groove. Work in small sections, pushing the FiberFlex material into the groove to ensure it bonds with the dashboard plastic. The FiberFlex will provide a strong and flexible foundation for the repair.
Step 3: Sand the Repaired Area
Once the FiberFlex has cooled and hardened, use sandpaper to carefully level the repaired area. The goal is to make the repair flush with the surrounding dashboard surface. Sand gradually and check frequently to avoid removing too much material. Keep the sanded area as small as possible to minimize the area that needs further refinishing.
After sanding, the raised edges of the crack should be gone, and the surface should be relatively smooth.
Step 4: Apply Padded Dash Filler
For the next step, use a specialized padded dash filler. “Polyvance 2050-9 Padded Dash Filler” is a recommended product, known for its flexibility and suitability for dashboard repair. This type of filler is designed to move with the dashboard material, preventing future cracks. While it might come in a larger quantity than needed for a small crack, it’s the right material for a durable repair.
Step 5: Apply Filler and Sand Again
Apply the padded dash filler to the sanded FiberFlex repair, filling any remaining imperfections and creating a smooth surface ready for texture replication and paint. Allow the filler to dry completely according to the product instructions. Once dry, sand the filled area to achieve a perfectly smooth and level surface.
Step 6: Replicate the Dashboard Grain
To seamlessly blend the repaired area with the original dashboard texture, you’ll need to replicate the grain. A clever method involves using PDR (Paintless Dent Repair) hot glue tabs, often found in dent removal kits. Apply hot glue to the textured side of a PDR tab and press it firmly onto an inconspicuous, textured area of your dashboard to create a mold of the grain. Before applying to the repaired area, test this technique in a hidden spot to ensure the glue releases cleanly without damage.
Use 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol to help release the glue tab from the dashboard surface without damaging it. Be patient and gentle during removal.
Step 7: Priming and Painting
Cover the entire dashboard with clear plastic sheeting, exposing only the repaired area. Apply two thin coats of automotive primer to the repaired section. While the primer is still slightly tacky, carefully press the grain-mold tab onto the primed surface to transfer the texture. Allow the primer to dry completely. Finally, apply black vinyl paint to match the original dashboard color, blending the repaired area seamlessly with the surrounding dashboard.
Conclusion
Repairing a cracked Mercedes-Benz dashboard yourself is a rewarding and cost-effective alternative to expensive professional services or less desirable cover-up solutions. By using a FiberFlex repair kit and following these steps, you can restore your dashboard to its original look, eliminating that distracting crack and enhancing your driving experience. This DIY method allows you to maintain the authenticity of your Mercedes-Benz interior while saving a significant amount of money.
