Can You Buy a New Perspex Cover For the Dials?

[Jerry*]

The see-thru perspex on the instruments/dials on my LCR is a little scratched. Can you buy a replacement from anywhere or are they only supplied with the entire instrument binnacle as well?

If you can, who do I need to try?

Also, how do you remove the perspex screen from the dials?

Any help would be much appreciated.

J

 

[Alexis27]

You could try acrylic polish first: http://www.theplasticshop.co.uk/perspex-polish-xerapol-3373-0.html

 

[GlanzaV]

Think that would work on plastic headlights? Or are they polycarbonate (which it advises not using the product for?)

 

[adrianmorris]

I posted about this a few years ago. The plastic seems to scratch easily or the angle of it makes scratches show up more than on other cars I've had. I scratched mine a little dusting it off the first day I had the car (brand new)! After that I've made a point of wiping it as little as possible.

Anyway, I improved the look of mine using the Meguiars plastic polish PlastX. Halfords sell it. Easier and cheaper than replacing (assuming you only have light scratches).

Adrian.

 

[Jerry*]

Cheers for the responses peeps.

Does anyone know if you can actually remove the perspex from the front of the instrument binncale though?

Removing the entire unit is easy enough but as some of the marks on mine are on the inside of the 'glass' (!?) its a real pain having to clean i from behind through the dial holes (if you know what I mean).

I'm also thinking of maybe fitting some silver dial surrounds and this will be more or less impossible without removing the perspex front, which feels like it will snap if I try and prise it open.

Any ideas?

J

 

[Andrewcupra TDI]

as with most cars ive seen done , need to heat the instrement up with a gun r hairdrier ,

but as you say it is very brittle usually (never done the leon ones just speaking on other cars )

 

[LEE69]

Yes you can remove it the dash as to come out of the car and the air bag light may come on, which will need to be re-set with vag com.

 

[Jerry*]

Nah mate, you don't need to remove the dash... the entire instrument binnacle comes out when you remove the 2 torx screws underneath and disconnect the two wiring connectors.

Its the perspex 'glass' across the front of the dials that I want to replace/remove.

Incidentally - has anyone fitted any chrome dial surrounds to their Leon? If so, how did they do it without removing the 'glass'?

I'll try the hairdryer Andrew and hopefully this will work. There are little clips that I have undone around the edges of the unit but they don't seem to free it up. Its like its sealed elsewhere. Maybe heating it with a hairdryer will make the rubber/plastic around the edge soften a little and allow me to remove it!?

J

 

[LEE69]

Nah mate, you don't need to remove the dash... the entire instrument binnacle comes out when you remove the 2 torx screws underneath and disconnect the two wiring connectors.

Its the perspex 'glass' across the front of the dials that I want to replace/remove.

Incidentally - has anyone fitted any chrome dial surrounds to their Leon? If so, how did they do it without removing the 'glass'?

I'll try the hairdryer Andrew and hopefully this will work. There are little clips that I have undone around the edges of the unit but they don't seem to free it up. Its like its sealed elsewhere. Maybe heating it with a hairdryer will make the rubber/plastic around the edge soften a little and allow me to remove it!?

J

Yeah i meant the binnacle i have replaced my faces for cupra r ones

You have to un clip them all then it comes away, mine did.

 

[Jerry*]

Yeah but when you remove the two tiny torx screws and then undo all the clips the front section of the unit comes away leaving the back section with the dials on etc and the front part with the perspex 'glass' and the dial holes etc.

I need to get the glass off so I can replace it and also fit some silver dial surrounds to the dial holes themselves.

You can post the silver rings through from the back by bending them a little bit, but they are not a perfect fit and need to be glued or fastened in, and that is nigh on impossible without removing the 'glass.'

The perspex seems to be really brittle and cheap and doesn't want to come away easily.

J

 

[LEE69]

Ahhhhh with you now, they sit inside the front bit.
Maybe dremel the edge of then re-glue it back together?

 

[Jerry*]

I'll give it a go - it is what is known as an ABSOLUTE B4$T4RD!

Nice one mate... :lol

J

 

[Andrewcupra TDI]

ye other way is dremmel neatly and re glue ,

was a PITA converting fords from green to other colours had to cut away the green coloured plastic up underneath the inside of the plastic screen

good luck and take your time