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Dashboard Leather Bubble and Defroster Vent

18K views 29 replies 15 participants last post by  SebbyOverland 
#1 ·
Hey everyone. I am new here. I recently bought a 12 GCJO and noticed the dashboard doing this strange bubble thing and the Defroster vent is bending upward. See the pic.

Has anyone else encountered this? Not sure I even want to do anything about it as the Dealer will probably make things MUCH worse.

What are your thoughts?
 

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#4 ·
Yeah I was thinking this is how it could be repaired with a syringe / glue. I was also thinking maybe let it sit in the sun get nice and hot. Then sit somehting heavy on it then pull in the garage perhaps the glue would get sticky again then as it cools maybe stick back down.

Kinda silly to even have to deal with this. :mad: Pretty expensinve SUV as you already know.
 
#5 ·
Wow, your defroster vent is very deformed. Mine is starting to bulge up in the center where the speaker is. I'll be having them replace it at my first oil change, also hoping to have them resolve the clunk/bobbling noise in the back and the transmission clunk as well...
 
#8 ·
I took a hair dryer and gently heated up that corner and smoothed it down with my fingers. The bubble dissapeared (at least for now).

I will keep an eye on it and see if it starts lifting again.
 
#10 ·
Yeah. I got the idea from a youtube video of a guy repairing another dash. He used a needle. But the bubble he was working onm was right in the middle of the dash. I am lucky because mine is in the far corner where the air can somewhat be pushed to the outer edge. I think that is what happened.

I also think the dealer detail guys caused this with their "Steam Wand" thing. I saw them using it on another Grand. It made the dash wet then the glue gave out. Asshats.

I am not sure it will last. But I am also pretty sure I will live with it until it is sooo bad I cant take it anymore because I know the dealer will trash the car replacing it. There is another video of a couple of dealer service staff removing the dash from a WJ and it looks like a COMPLETE AND TOTAL NIGHTMARE.
 
#11 ·
While I agree that the JGC is an expensive vehicle, and we should not see issues such as this, if that were MY dash - the dealer would be replacing the WHOLE dash board, not attempting to go at it with any needles or heat guns, etc.:eek:

The thing that I would do is request that the dealership put their best guy on the job and replace the dash.
 
#17 ·
Just had mine replaced due to bubbles near the windshield and then at the base of the speedo dome... New one looks better than new. I think there is now a stitch seem at the base of the speedo dome that was not on the previous one. Makes sense...

Haven't driven enough to hear any new "rattles", but I was not going to accept this on a new vehicle under warranty. (definitely would accept it on a car out of warranty!).
 
#18 · (Edited)
Mine has remained rattle free for the most part. Its been about three months now. I did notice a couple of things that you or anyone else might want to double check as well after dash replacement.

1. The covers under the dash on my car were not lined up properly but easily corrected. The foot well vents should poke through the felt material. No biggie.

2. The plastic ring / dust shield around the steering wheel doesn't seem to stay snapped in on the right side close to the START button. It is slightly lifted now. If I push lightly on the piece it will sit flush but never stays down. My dealer also very slightly tore the dust shield vinyl. Not a huge deal. But maybe I should mention it.

3. The top defroster vent grill was also replaced on my car. I noticed the wires for the light sensor were not properly in place when they popped the defroster grill back in. I used a plastic stick to push the wires down so they were no longer visible. I hope they are in the right place. Everything works.

4. I noticed in front of the gear shifter where the center console meets the large cubby hole the plastic pieces were not lined up right. It was causing and obvious squeak. So I pushed gently and it "popped" back into the properly place. Squeak gone. Don't force it too hard though.


So I give the dealer credit. They were careful obviously and did not scratch my interior in any way. I really was expecting the worst. I was pleasantly surprised and the dealership has earned my respect back.


Good luck!
 
#24 · (Edited)
Looks very familar. Chrysler had this problem with padded vinyl tops back in the early 1980's. They just have never gotten the hang of gluing a darker colored plyable material to a solid substrate that is exposed to hot temperatures caused by direct sunlight. That dashtop gets plenty hot on a warm sunny day.

When I took my brand new 1982 Chrysler LeBaron Brougham 4-door (what was I thinking?) into the dealer, showing them how it bubbled up on hot days when parked outside in the sun they said "well, don't park it outside in the sun on hot days". The dealer refused to repair it, the Chrysler zone manager refused to repair it. It never did get fixed. That and other problems made me trade the POS for a 1984 Buick Century after putting up with it for about 1 year. Made we swear off Chrysler products for years. Now, the problems I had with that Buick (suffered with that POS for 2 years before trading again)...but that's a story for the GM forums...

Which is why I drove mostly Fords for the past 25+ years.

Love my 2012 GC, one of the best vehicles I ever owned (so far, knock on wood laminate). Be happy Chrysler is replacing these dask covers under the warranty.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Here is how I did it in the past - mostly for vinyl/leatherette bubble repairs (use at your own peril - keep in mind the dealer may not honor the warranty if they find out you tried this).

Supplies - Syringe (I got a new one from a friend who is a Diabetic)
Adhesive (here is what I used: Amazon.com: Beacon Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive, 4-Ounce: Arts, Crafts & Sewing )
3M Green Masking tape (or Frog tape, designed for oil paints and solvents)
Several Clean Rags
Adhesive remover (I prefer acetone based, but I am old-school - avoid breathing. Warning - improper or over-use may damage the top of
your leather dash).
Cheap 99 cent plastic dropcloth (0.3 mil, 5' by 8' from Home Depot, etc)

Hopefully you are near a seam, otherwise you will have to stick the needle through the leather (note - the pinhole may be noticeable after attempted repair so be forwarned). If so, mask both side of the seam as close to the stitching as you can (this is to prevent any of the adhesive from getting on the top surface of your dash - this adhesive will be nearly impossible to remove if you do).

Cover your front seats, steering wheel and dashboard with the plastic drop-cloth. Tape into place.

Fill the syringe with adhesive - not full - just a bit. You can draw the adhesive into the syringe by pulling the plunger backwards and sucking. Do not worry about air in the syringe.

Test that the adhesive is flowing properly onto a test rag. If working OK, pull back on the plunger a bit to keep adhesive from dripping while you get into position.

Stick the needle between the seam threads and under the leather as far as you can. Push the plunger, moving the tip to get into the farthest points of the dash "bubble". Use care to not stick the needle through the
leather from the inside.

Do not go overboard on the adhesive, if you put in too much - it may come out through the seam during the next step.

Remove the needle, making sure you get no adhesive on the top of the dash.

Give the adhesive at least 20-30 seconds to "tac".

While you are waiting, prepare an "emergency" cleaning rag with adhesive remover. Use car to make sure you do not touch any interior surfaces with the rag.

Now, with a clean rag in one hand and the "cleaning" rag in the other - use the clean rag to push the bubble down, spreading the adhesive and hopefully starting the bonding process. Smooth the bubble out with the clean rag, checking constantly to make sure no adhesive is coming back out through the stitching. If any does, CAREFULLY use the rag with adhesive cleaner to remove it. Do not rub, be as delicate as possible.

Remove the green tape, again checking for adhesive and cleaning if necessary.

Note - even after all this work, the outline of the bubble and the adhesive may be noticeable.

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So now, why would you avoid having the dealer replace the entire dashtop under warranty? Personally, I would never attempt this unless it was not covered by warranty on an older vehicle. In your case, the dealer or approved auto upholstery shop may be able to restretch and reglue just that area since it appears to be close to the defroster vent cover, where the edge of the leather dash cover can be gotten at fairly easily. I understand that perhaps you do not trust your local dealer network in South Africa to do the work satisfactorily.

They use a spray adhesive similiar to this at the factory when they manufacture the leather dash tops: 3M 76 Hi-Tack Spray Adhesive, Clear 18.1 Oz. Aerosol Can - Amazon.com

But this requires access to the underside of the leather, which cannot be done on an installed dash.
 
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