Armor-all?

Ok, now that Ive heard this a few times, is armor-all bad for your dash? I had a car wash joint tell me it will actually void your warranty.:confused:
Does anyone here have some kind of horror story of the long term effects of armor-all?

Originally posted by USHotRod
Ok, now that Ive heard this a few times, is armor-all bad for your dash? I had a car wash joint tell me it will actually void your warranty.:confused:

That is the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard, lmao. I've never heard any horror stories about armor-all and I know a lot of people that use it. I personally dont like it just because it looks like someone just dumped a bucket of grease on your dash. I like the McGuire's stuff a lot better. Not to mention it smells better. ;)

Ive never heard anything bad about it. With the F-bodies oversized dash (or the picnic table as I like to call it), thats a lot of grease and glare. Still, using anything would be better than not protecting it at all.

i have heard it dries it out if you do not keep it on or something like that. but that is jut what ive heard, dunno if it is true though

Its about time i find some people that do something more than tell everyone how bad every car product is for your car and how they have a magical product that outshines, protects and never harms. I have heard all sorts of stories, and the bottom line is anything is better than no protection on those plastic peices. Its not like armour all contains a large amount of silicone that eats through tires like dealer tire dressings. I have used armour all and many other products for a long time and have not had a problem with them causing any harm.

I still think they myth is the fact that why some people say armor all ruins the dash is the simple fact, that they probably used a couple of times and then quit using it and their dash cracked..

Armor All in my opinion is not that great for dash boards for the simple fact that it makes the dash too shiny (too much glare)... I have been using Turtle Wax Formula 2001 Super Protectant and it seems to be working well.. I do like to use Armor All on Tires though, which I will after I use up the TW Tire Dressing.. What can I say, this past X-mas, I did get a gift pack of TW Wax, Car Wash, Tire Dressing and Protectant Spray... I have read quite a few of threads talking about how Carnauba Wax, leaves a yellow finish to a white car... All I have to say is that is BS, I just waxed my car this past Friday and it does not have a yellow finish...

I agree with Fbird95, that a lot of people will put down other products and say their stuff is the best.. For example I have read where every product (i.e. TW, Meguairs, Mothers just to name a few) are crap compared to Zaino.. Well it might be true but I do like and use the above companies...

If you like one product use it and don't let other people tell you otherwise..

Charlie

You might wanna try asking the guys over in the show & shine forum...they equivalate using armorall like someone taking crack...it make it all better...but you gotta keep using it frequently for it to stay all better. (how's that for an analogy?!) :D

As far as the truth in that...I've used armorall for about 10 yrs...but I use the low gloss. Would I use something else...SURE! But that doesn't mean armorall is bad. I might give that meguires stuff a try...I just use the stuff to clean everything up...but if you do use armorall...definitly use that low gloss stuff for the upper dash, or you'll get glare something furious! ;)

-Mike

Thanks for all the replies guys. I guess the Car Wash place was full of sh*t after all.

yeah...as far as armorall 'voiding' your warranty...that's like saying using soap to wash your car would void it too! :bs:

-Mike:D

I used to detail cars and believe it or not, that is the "story" about Armoral. Armoral is a petroleum based product... products like this can actually dry out and rob plastics and rubber of their oils and can cause cracking. Have I ever seen this happen and can for sure 100% attribute it to Armoral... nope. This is, however, what I had heard several times.

For this reason I had always stayed away from Armoral vinyl protectant and instead used silicone based protectants (like Son-Of-A-Gun).

Take it for what it's worth and that ain't much :)

Also, moving to the Show and Shine forum...

I used armor all for a long time. Just switched to turtle wax 2001, it doesn't glare as bad.

I have heard the armor all tales of cracking and drying out and such. I don't think anybody can prove anything though.

John

In the middle of the message there was mention of carnubba wax turning a white car yellow. Maybe if the carnubba wax you use is always yellow. Even then, I doubt it. how about the mothers carnubba that is pink. Does this turn the car pink ?

Originally posted by fbird95
In the middle of the message there was mention of carnubba wax turning a white car yellow. Maybe if the carnubba wax you use is always yellow. Even then, I doubt it. how about the mothers carnubba that is pink. Does this turn the car pink ? Before I started using Zaino, I used Meguiars carnuba wax. That never turned my car yellow at all.

Brent, where could one get this Son of a Gun stuff?

Here's the main reason I'll never use a cheap "protectant" on any of my cars....

Obviously abrasives should never be used on vinyl. Petroleum distillates are a universal "no-no" for both vinyl and rubber. Waxes should never be used on vinyl because (a) Most waxes contain petroleum distillates, (b) Wax is a build-up product, holding in the heat absorbed from the sun and accelerating heat damage.

Virtually all vinyl manufacturers agree that no type of oil should be used on vinyl. Silicone oil vinyl treatments should not be used for several reasons; 1) Silicone oil formulations typically attack the vinyl topcoat, 2) Silicone oil formulations usually contain no effective UV screening ingredients, 3) Silicone oil formulations are build-up products which accelerate heat damage, 4) Silicone oil formulations are greasy and oily, attract dust, and soil more quickly. READ THE LABEL! Product directions suggesting more than one coat for better cosmetic enhancement are build-up products and are recommended against by vinyl manufacturers.


Using products of this nature CAN do more damage than using nothing at all! If you trust using a $3 "protectant" on a $30K+ vehicle, that's your business, just leave it off of mine, thanks.


About waxes causing "yellowing"......yes it certainly can happen because it happended to me years ago. It won't turn a car yellow but it will discolor the true color of the paint. Ever wonder why they call it Meguiar's #26 YELLOW wax. After repeated use of this type of wax, I had noticed my previous car had taken a different appearance from the buildup of the wax. After stripping it off, the color returned to normal. Some paint colors will show this effect more than others, and it also depends on the quality of the wax you're using. Most consumer grade carnaubas use VERY unrefined carnauba and are more likely to cause discoloration if used too often. If you like to wax often with a pure unrefined wax, you might notice it too. But, if you're the type that waxes every few months, you'll probably never notice it. But, that doesn't mean it can't happen. If Mother's wax is pink, it still can cause yellowing because the pink is a color additive, whereas the wax in the formula is always going to be yellow in nature. I've seen it with my own eyes, and it can happen. This is just another reason I don't use too many carnauba formulas anymore. It's just too old school....

So if I were to switch from armor-all to something different, would it be alright or do I need to keep putting on the armor-all now that Ive started.

Originally posted by USHotRod
So if I were to switch from armor-all to something different, would it be alright or do I need to keep putting on the armor-all now that Ive started.

If it were me, I'd remove it ASAP to start from a "fresh" slate. I'd use a standard vinly/ plastic cleaner to remove it, then apply whatever protectant you like.

I remember using AA way back in my beginning days of car care, and even then it was greasy, nasty stuff. It's definitely on the bottom of the pole as far as protectants go..... :(

Actually I mean would it be ok to start using a different brand since Ive put armor-all on many times already?

Sure it would be fine..... it would be like using a different wax on the paint that you use now. You can use anything you like, but it's best to remove the previous dressing first. I personally wouldn't want to apply something on top of the AA.....

So...what's the best alternative to Armorall? Then, after you say zaino, what's the best after that? :D

-Mike

Actually, I wouldn't say Zaino anyhow, because technically they don't make any interior dressings. Without reservation, the best interior protectant going is from 303 Aerospace. No it doesn't provide a blinding/greasy/oily/etc shine, but it offers outstanding protection. The shine is more of a matte look so it doesn't blind you in the sun. 303 is highly regarded among enthusiast detailers as being at the top of the class as far as interior protectants go. www.303products.com

So, since my first recommendation was 303 and you wanted a second recommenation.....that would have to be Zaino. :D ;) :p

Seriously though, Meguiar's also makes a pretty decent interior dressing, #40. It can usually be found in some parts stores like NAPA. Mother's also makes a fine protectant called "Preserves." http://www.mothers.com/products/products.html All the cheap stuff, like AA, Black Magic, etc, is full of petroleum and oils....just nasty IMO......


:thumb:

Originally posted by USHotRod
Ok, now that Ive heard this a few times, is armor-all bad for your dash? I had a car wash joint tell me it will actually void your warranty.:confused:
Does anyone here have some kind of horror story of the long term effects of armor-all?

:bs:
the guy at the car wash joint must've been smokin a joint when he told you that bs...voiding your warranty??!! that's the most rediculus thing i've ever heard