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From start to finish it pretty much looked like this. The front edge of the defrost vent shrunk to the point where it couldn’t be be tucked under the vent.
I still think the aftermarket companies are missing the boat here when it comes to the defroster vent. They need to make a new plastic vent that has a wider lip that fits up over the leather & hides the edge of the leather as it shrinks & retreats back.
‘Here’s what a new dash looks like. Notice how much more material they added under the vent and speaker.
Update:
Making an attempt at stretching the leather back. Trying a combination of leather conditioners like mink oil, etc. It has stretched about 3/4” so far. My plan is to take it to an upholstery shop eventually and have it glued and stapled. I’ll either keep it as a spare or put it on the market.
Last edited by stevettec7; Sep 18, 2023 at 03:21 AM.
2015 ZO6 3LZ. Loose around defroster vent, around HUD I used this method ( retired RN so I had a few syringes and 25 gauge needles, they're smaller) I'm happy with results. Thx for posting this method
I still think the aftermarket companies are missing the boat here when it comes to the defroster vent. They need to make a new plastic vent that has a wider lip that fits up over the leather & hides the edge of the leather as it shrinks & retreats back.
Waiting for someone here with a 3D printer, and the ability to 3D scan in the original part and modify the design with a wider lip...
Hey I just did this to my 2014 3LT Stingray, bought the stuff you recommended on Amazon. Easy! Just be patient. May have went a little heavy on the glue on one side but the squeegee pushed it all out a corner seam. Looks great and nice and flat. Even if I have to do it now and then, re-glue, not a big deal. No more puffy dash board! Thank you for the hack! PS the glue drives quickly and would clog the syringe. No biggie, they came in a pack of like 20 with the needles, so I just loaded up 3 syringes for different sections that needed gluing and throw them away as I went. Prob took about 30min taking my time. 😊❤️
The fourth dash in my 3LT is shrinking at both the defroster vent and the main passenger side. It is now my observation that ir is not the heat causing the issue, it is the cold. When I leave my garage, there is a noticeable air bubble on the passenger side covering the air bag. If I park it outside in the heat the leather seems to expand and the air bubble disappears. I am tempted to remove the speaker grille and put glue under the leather there as that is where the bubble is largest when it is cool.
The fourth dash in my 3LT is shrinking at both the defroster vent and the main passenger side. It is now my observation that ir is not the heat causing the issue, it is the cold. When I leave my garage, there is a noticeable air bubble on the passenger side covering the air bag. If I park it outside in the heat the leather seems to expand and the air bubble disappears. I am tempted to remove the speaker grille and put glue under the leather there as that is where the bubble is largest when it is cool.
That’s good info. Thankfully I have HVAC in my garage and always like 72F and won’t be driving this when it’s cold, it’s really just a toy. But the glue hack worked really well for now. It’s all nice and smooth and flat like it should be. But mine wasn’t too bad, just a couple small spots and easy to get to with the glue syringe.
I have a touch of lift by the defrost vent, on the passenger side but the rest of the dash is fine, at this point I don;t think it will get much worse so other than occasionally tucking back in the leather I just leave mine be. I've had a tinted (70%) windshield and since the second year and the car was always garaged (and I live in Michigan its cold half the year.
My 4LT C6 dash also had issues with this but not as bad as the wavy things I see on here (it was worse than my C7 slightly, but poking a few holes in leather to let the heat "escape" helped).
The fourth dash in my 3LT is shrinking at both the defroster vent and the main passenger side. It is now my observation that ir is not the heat causing the issue, it is the cold. When I leave my garage, there is a noticeable air bubble on the passenger side covering the air bag. If I park it outside in the heat the leather seems to expand and the air bubble disappears. I am tempted to remove the speaker grille and put glue under the leather there as that is where the bubble is largest when it is cool.
Great observation!
I have a small bubble on on my passenger side and a bit of lifting at the vent. The delam has been stable and has not grown over the last 2-1/2 years of my ownership.
My observation is the same. During the winter the bubble is larger and during the summer the bubble relaxes and flattens back down to the normal contour. Since it's not growing I just leave it alone.
Has anyone been able to purchase a new 3LT dash from GM? So frustrating - from some crazy reason my 2014 Z51 3LT, Adrenaline Red Interior, the VIN does not show I have the HUD either which just makes them go in circles trying to find the right part number.
I've used the glue method for a small area around the defroster vent.
It works great, but be aware - that glue dries white, as opposed to clear, so if you have any leaking out, you will see it.
A small amount of mine is barely showing, but I had no choice, since the leather around the edge was not long enough to cover the tiny gap that I glued down.
Anyone else have the leather delaminate on the door? Right above the handle? Mine is just kinda “loose”
Not sure I’ll mess with it as the hole for glue may be as bad as leaving it…I’ll get some pics next week when home….
Anyone else have the leather delaminate on the door? Right above the handle? Mine is just kinda “loose”
Not sure I’ll mess with it as the hole for glue may be as bad as leaving it…I’ll get some pics next week when home….
You won’t see the hole if you do if you put in the little needle in where the stitches are. It’s a little bitty needle.
