Hi guys, I'm posting this thread because I need some advice on what I should be doing to protect my interior (specifically the dashpad). The interior on my car is very nice, if I had to rate it I would give it an 8 or 9 out of 10. No rips on the seats, no fading on the cloth, and most importantly, an immaculate dashpad. The pad has no cracks, except a tiny little nick on the left side where the door closes, but that's not even visible with the door shut. Now I constantly hear horror stories about cracked dashpads, and how UV exposure is one of the main causes of this. My car is a DD to school from spring through to fall, and sits outside in the sun for 7 hours. My question is, what is the best way to protect it from UV exposure? I'm thinking of just getting one of those windshield-length sun screens to put in during the day; would this be a good idea? I'd prefer not to use any shine products on it, as I just wipe the dust off it, and I've heard bad things about using ArmorAll on these dashpads. But if there is something that would provide UV protection, I'd love to hear about it. Also, I've noticed that in the half year that I've had the car, the steering wheel (stock airbag wheel) has gotten sort of worn along the top.. the bumpy texture that it has (is it vinyl? I really have no idea) is much smoother along the top. Now I may just be OCD, but I don't recall it being that worn when I first got it. I don't hold the top of the wheel, so I'm wondering if that could be due to UV exposure? I just realized this may make a difference; the tint on my car is 5% rear, 35% sides. Don't know the tint on the T-tops, and if the windshield is tinted, I don't have documentation on it. I realize I may worry about this stuff too much, but I do love my car and I'm just trying to take car of her as best as I can. So any input would be really appreciated. Thanks guys! ----- Edit: I guess that's kinda hard to tell what the hell I'm actually asking, so to sum it up: 1. Do you think simply using a sunshade will be sufficient protection for the dashpad during summer? 2. Is there any agent I should be using on the dashpad to protect it from UV exposure or from cracking? 3. Could UV exposure also cause fading or wear on the steering wheel? Not sure if that made too much sense but I can elaborate if need be. And any info or recommendations related to this stuff would be helpful.

1. Yes
2. A good protectant will do the job. I would put it on all the rubber, vinyl, and weatherstripping.
3. Yes, but it'll make your steering wheel slippery.

I haven't seen, but I've been told Armorall dries things out, & maybe adds to discoloring.
I have used Voodoo Mojo or something like that for a year now, but I realy think I'll be going back to clean very warm water with a lil Ivory or Palmolive dish soap mix every once in a while, & using a clean damp cloth to wipe down
the dash , steeringwheel, & other plastics & vinyls occasionaly.

IMHO-- any time an interior can be shaded will help it live longer!!

I use a cover over the dashpad - they are on ebay all the time, like $39 - it's a carpeted piece shaoped the same as the dashpad, that lays overtop. I also use a sunshade in the windshield.

With protectant, use somethings besides Armorall - it's the worst stuff out there. It has oils, that literally deep fry the covering in the hot sun. Use something better.

I apply a Turtlewax product that was recommended to me by a dashpad company, and I only use it 3-4 times a year IF I'm at a good enough show or cruise in to show off my perfect dashpad by removing the carpeted cover. But that carpeted cover looks so good on there that even at most shows, I leave it on. I figure if anyone wants to know, they'll ask - show judges included. Given how expensive a replacement is, and how rare they are becoming, I'll skip the possibility of a trophy if that's what it takes, and carry my perfect dashpad back home!

Thanks for the input guys! I will definitely be buying a sunshade, I'm looking at this one: http://www.autoanything.com/driving-...0A2664818.aspx
I haven't compared a bunch of different products, but its a sun shade, not like I could really be dissatisfied with it, and its sized for my specific car. It seems that that should pretty much cover me as far as protecting the dash.

camaronewbie, I thought about using a cover, but I do really prefer the look of the dashpad. However, if the pad was already damaged I'd buy a cover in a heartbeat to hide the damage.

Looks like for now I'll probably just use a damp cloth whenever I need to clean the vinyl, but do you guys recommend any particular protectant? Especially for the rubber and weatherstripping, since I think I'll want to do that whether or not I decide to put anything on the dash pad itself.