Dash Covers Tech Center

It may seem like just a bit of decoration, but a custom dash cover or dash mat does much more for your vehicle. When you outfit your vehicle with a dash cover, you can:

What Can a Dash Cover do for my vehicle?

It may seem like just a bit of decoration, but a custom dash cover or dash mat does much more for your vehicle. When you outfit your vehicle with a dash cover, you can:

Protect your dash from dust, dirt, sunlight and heat that cause damage
Lower the interior temperature of your vehicle
Dress-up the looks of cracked, faded or bland dash surfaces
Add a well-needed shot of color to your interior
Improve the feel of your dash
Discover smooth, form-fitted looks specialized for your vehicle
Install your new cover quick and easy

A guide on the protection of a dash cover or dash mat

Dust, dirt, sunlight and heat. All of these are enemies of your dash, and all of them are thwarted by the powers of a dash cover. Here's how:

Dust and dirt

Dust Dust and dirt that regularly collect on your dash surface are a pain to stay on top of. There are dash cleaners and shiners, but use the wrong product and you'll end up with a crack or two. Heat and oils combine to force large rifts in the surface. Instead of that risk, a dash cover simply swallows the dust, which is infinitely less visible when resting between carpet fibers. And, the dashboard cover can be vacuumed clean at the same time you do the rest of your interior.

Sunlight

Sunlight may seem harmless, but it's constantly working against your dash. After just a few years of prolonged exposure to the Ultra Violet rays blasting through your windshield, your dash will fade enough to clash with the rest of your interior. However, a dash cover creates a barrier that keeps interior color looking fresh.

Heat

Heat Heat sometimes causes freeways to buckle. Think your dash stands a chance without some help? Forget about it! Soaring temperatures eventually cause the air molecules in your dash to expand, rupturing the surface into a sad Grand Canyon diorama. Fear not—a dash cover disperses the heat across its carpeted surface, shielding the dashboard and keeping things cool.

A quick reference to the heat reduction powers of a dash cover

If you ever navigate the side-roads of Surprise, Arizona and put your hand on the dash, you're in for another kind of surprise. It's called a second-degree burn. Blisters, too.

Your dash is a conduit for heat–like an ant beneath the magnifying glass of your windshield. That extreme heat radiates throughout your vehicle, making steering wheels singe, belt buckles burn and seat covers into sweat stations. But, with the right soft dash cover, you can cool things off a bit–both the inside of your cab and your palm!

A carpeted dash cover is a much less reflective surface with many layers of material. The incoming heat rays from your windshield dissipate throughout the cover, radiating less heat throughout your car than one semi-smooth surface would. Your vehicle is once again suitable for human use.

AutoAnything's Top 5 Ways to Wreck your Dash

We offer our top 5 dash destruction methods to you, either as a precautionary tale or for a story you can identify with. If one of these has happened to you, a dash cover takes care of the problem easily. If your dash has escaped unscathed so far, a dash cover is the right barrier for future protection. Here they are:

Cleaning with the wrong product–using the same cleaner for your dash and your tires can do more than simply crack or discolor it. Over time, the combination of harmful compounds and heat can put actual gaping fault lines into the surface.
Drumming a little too hard–it's more common than you might think. When Queen's "We Will Rock You" blasts out of your speakers, the urge to bang on the dash all day is hard to resist. Pound those imaginary cymbals with too much force, and you're looking at a cracked dash.
Using it as a desk–press a little too hard when writing that grocery list, and "12 limes" will be forever engraved in the impressionable surface of your dash.
Taking out some stress–miss your chance to call in and win? Did your favorite team blow their game-winning field goal in overtime of the playoffs? Just see your kid's report card? Scream "Serenity Now!" instead–dashes may seem strong, but they bust much easier than you'd think. And good luck explaining the fist-shaped hole as anything but an anger management issue.
The drink holder–you might think you're lucky to have a flat place on your dash for drinks. But, if you move that soda can or "World's greatest…" coffee mug from its three-month resting spot, you'll notice a decorative discolored ring, plus random sticky schmutz.

Dash covers and the path to improved looks: the basics

A custom dash cover has a multi-phased plan of attack against the axis of bland or damaged dash evil. Even if your dash looks as fresh and clean as the day you bought it, a custom dash cover does a lot to dress it up.

Covering-up cracks, marks and fading

Discolored, cracked, marked or otherwise damaged dashes can take refuge beneath the comfy, consistent look of a dash cover. It may sound too simple, but it's one of the easiest, quickest ways to spruce-up the interior of your vehicle. And, nobody needs to know what lies beneath.

A quick shot of color

Don't forget about colors–AutoAnything's dash mats come in a wide array of shades to suit your taste. Fall in line with a dash cover that closely matches the color of your interior, or step out a bit with another look. One of the up to 10 colors we offer is bound to be right with what you had in mind, from restoring the look of a faded dash to making a statement.

A quick word on the feel of a custom dash cover

Most stock dashes just aren't nice to touch. They can be sticky. Gritty. Rough. AutoAnything's dash covers, though, are quite the opposite. Their plush layers of carpet are strokably soft—like a small piece of home comfort for your commute. Pick from (Carpet Dash Covers), (Velour Dash Covers), or (Suede Dash Covers) for accenting the feel of your interior.

Dash covers and their custom fit: a brief guide

AutoAnything's custom dash covers have a sneaky talent of knowing the exact curves, lines and shapes of your vehicle's dash. Such care is taken to create an exact fit that our dash covers fit much like a plush protective skin over stock surfaces. They lay exactly in place without any trimming, sewing or other modification.

Beyond just the shape, AutoAnything's custom dash covers take into account all of your in-dash components, too. Air vents, speakers, compass sensors and more are accommodated by precision-cut openings that allow everything to function as normal. This includes in-dash airbags, whose full capabilities can be critical in an accident.

A fast tutorial on dash cover installation

No holes to drill, no clumsy glue issues. Our carpeted dash covers install much easier than most other accessories for your vehicle. As preparation, clean off your dash with a lint-free shop towel (use warm water and a mild detergent if necessary). Lay the dash mat out in place for a few days, giving it time to settle into shape from being packed for shipping. Then, use the included adhesive Velcro squares, placed strategically around your dash, to mount your dashboard cover in place. The entire operation should take less than half an hour from start to finish, unless you have a pile of "dashboard trash" to deal with.

Which dash cover is right for my vehicle?

Picking a dash cover or dash mat for your vehicle is relatively easy. Most people know the right one when they see it. Get a good visual idea of what you want in your vehicle, then consider the following choices:

The material of the dash cover or dash mat you would prefer
Which color is right for your interior and/or personal taste

Which dash cover material would I prefer for my vehicle?

Currently, AutoAnything has two sharp choices in dash cover material. First is the smooth feel of non-shrink needlepoint carpet used on the Ultimate dash mat. Or, for a luscious dash surface, go with one of our velour dash mats, which are aptly named Velour dash mats. The choice is based purely on your personal preference.

If you want a basic, smooth carpeted cover for your dash, go with a needlepoint carpeted Ultimate dash mat.
For a richer, softer feel, select a Velour dash mat.

What color shade is best for my interior looks and personal taste?

When it comes to color selection, it all depends on what makes you happy. Thankfully, each of our dash covers come in at least 8 colors. You can stay within the lines of your original interior tone, or break the mold with a different color statement. Once again, the choice is yours.

For a look that blends with your original interior and dash color, select the dash cover that most closely matches your vehicle
To depart from the look of a monotone vehicle interior, go with whichever dash cover color makes you happiest

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Ask the Expert
This page is maintained by Nathan at AutoAnything. If you have any Dashboard Cover questions, leave a comment below.