My understanding is that Armor All is destructive to vinyl because of
the silicon that is a component of it.  What you want to find is a
vinyl cleaner/protectant that does not use silicon.

I would recommend Meguiars.  Outstanding stuff.  They have both a
consumer line and a professional line.  It's pricey, but I use it for
everything, including wax, polish, interior cleaners, etc.

<disclaimer>I am not affiliated with Meguiars.</disclaimer>

On 2/9/06, Robert Fisher <refisher@mchsi.com> wrote:
> I was told once that Armor All would accelerate the process of the oils in
> upholstery wicking/evaporating if you applied it and then stopped using it.
> Supposedly if you kept using it you would be ok. I have no way to know if
> any of this is true, but I've heard several anecdotes like yours so who
> knows? I agree that a thick layer of grime is probably the best dash
> protection. : )
> I read in Consumer Reports or someplace like that many years ago that STP
> made the most effective upholstery treatment at that time.
>
> On another note, I was also told by a DCman while I was in the Navy that
> they were no longer allowed to use WD-40 in their preventive maintenance, in
> that the Navy had done extensive tests and determined that the WD-40 was the
> cause for a number of repeated instances of premature failure of various
> kinds of machinery. Again, I don't have any way of knowing if it's true that
> it is harmful in that way but ever since then I've always thought of that
> whenever I see a can.
>
> Cya,
> Robert
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <JordanVw@AOL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 9:02 AM
> Subject: Re: Speaking of dashes...is "Armor All" destructive to vinyl?
>
>
> > In a message dated 2/9/06 11:40:57 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> > dshowers@CPDS.NET writes:
> >
> >
> >> Also, has anyone removed the padding bar from the sheet metal of the dash
> >> and replaced it with something else?  My "friend" did me a "favor" and
> >> put
> >> armor all on it and it is now crap.
> >>
> >>
> >
> > yes, there is just dead space under there, so if you carefully drilled 2
> > holes with a big  hole cutting bit on a drill, then you could maybe slide
> > some PVC
> > pipe inserts down in there to house cups.
> >
> > ps, what did the Armor All do to the dash??
> >
> > i had my dash in my Audi crack after years of armor all use.   my mom, who
> > never cleaned her dash, never had a problem, and her Audi sat ungaraged
> > for
> > years in the elements.
> >
> > is armor all destructive to vinyl??
> >
> > ps, i have  nice brown or black dashpads if anyone needs them..no cracks..
> > chris
>