Sticky button surface

[Raistlin]

The buttons in the centre console om my XF have become sticky over time. I understand it's to do with the button surface.

Can anybody say what's best to get rid of the sticky without destroying the buttons please

[Jon Hyde]

Hi Paul,

I’d give WD40 a go - it seems to do everything else!
 

Cheers,

Jon

[Patch58]

Try make up removal wipes

[PaulT]

I have read elsewhere that there is no solution apart from replacing the buttons.

[Tomato]

Would not use wd40. Would get some internal detailer from Maguires or something similar with lint cloth. Helps

[Raistlin]

Thanks for the ideas chaps 😊

I have to admit that replacement did seem like a Good, if expensive option if nothing else did the job, but I'll try the suggestion given.

 

[Raistlin]

As feedback and thanks for the answers. I tried make up remover wipes and they seem to have done a very good job.

Clearly, long term might be different but so far...

[Tomato]

Might try it myself, thanks 😀 

[Jimbov8]

20 minutes ago, Tomato said:

Might try it myself, thanks 😀 

Many people I have seen report a marked improvement by using face wipes on the soft buttons in the car.

[Coolcity]

Any good internal car cleaner should do it. It will only be residue from sweat from hands etc. that's built up over time. Mine was the same when I first got it, I originally thought they had worn and faded but I bought an interior cleaner, cleaned them up and now they look like new. It also worked well on the headlining so it looks like a good all rounder, can't say for sure because I knocked the bottle over after that and the top was loose so I lost most of it, but it was good enough for me to order it again. Just waiting for the new bottle now.

This was the stuff I bought: 

DiamondBrite Car Interior Cleaner Trigger Car Detergent, Rubber Spray Cleaner 696535269250 | eBay

[Raistlin]

I'm not sure about these buttons now. After a successful cleaning I was pleased but then the gunge re-appears within 48 hours whether the switch is touched or not.

 

[Coolcity]

Sounds to me as though you're only removing the top surface. If it's years of ground in dirt and skin oils etc. you need a proper deep cleaner.

[Jimbov8]

2 minutes ago, Coolcity said:

Sounds to me as though you're only removing the top surface. If it's years of ground in dirt and skin oils etc. you need a proper deep cleaner.

I would tend to agree.

[PaulT]

From what I have read that when they go bad there is no way of restoring them.

[Raistlin]

Somewhat concerned about damaging the surface with too much effort.

[Tomato]

Anyone look up cost to replace. Mine are actually OK but curious now 😃

[Jimbov8]

4 minutes ago, Tomato said:

Anyone look up cost to replace. Mine are actually OK but curious now 😃

Anything from £20 upwards on the eBay for the steering wheel buttons.

[PaulT]

The problem buying secondhand is when will they go sticky.

[Raistlin]

This wasn't a problem in my pre-facelift XF. So far, it's the only criticism on the facelift car.

[Coolcity]

Well I'm usually wary about recommending stuff but all I can say is the stuff I mentioned earlier was recommended to me and it worked for me, and my car is 12 years old and apart from a quick so-called valet from the dealer it didn't look as though it had been cleaned since the day it left the showroom. Even if it doesn't work on the buttons, you've got a large bottle of decent interior cleaner for £6 delivered. Surely it's worth a punt? 

[Robboxf]

A few ideas in this pistonheads thread to try

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=235&t=1919722
 

[Finch]

I've had this problem on my 2014 XKR. It affected the buttons on the steering wheel, doors and centre console. All started at about the same time, when the car was 5 years old. It is not about dirt or sweat. The thin rubber soft-touch compound begins to degenerate after a time. Sometimes the process is accelerated by exposure to UV but on many cars it occurs even if the car is always under cover. You'll see the same thing happen on binoculars etc. It cannot be cured by covering it up or by converting it. The only method that works, short of replacing the part, is by removing the affected layer. If you are lucky, there will be good rubber underneath, or another hard surface which you can live with. On my car, I was lucky that my method worked without removing the white lettering on the buttons, but that is a risk you can't avoid. The method which worked for me was to take a cleaning cloth (one with a bit of nap works best), then apply isopropyl alcohol to it and rub until you feel and see the bad rubber start to bead up just as if you were getting rid of old gum residue. Citrus gum remover also works. Makeup remover, mentioned by some others, probably does the same thing, but it will still require physical removal. I wouldn't try acetone, but was tempted to after 30 minutes on one section.

The removed rubber will smear across to adjoining parts so keep moving to clean cloth and pick up he bits. For fiddly bits I used cotton buds, but it's difficult to get enough force on them to work, as this process is mainly physical, not chemical. You'll feel it has worked (or not) when the surface doesn't feel sticky when you rub dry cloth across it. You have to take care with buttons (don't break them) and corners (you may break through to underlying material) so it's a slow process. To finsh off, I used a little armour-all, in the hop that this might slow any repeat degeneration, but it's not really needed.

Hope this has helped.

[Coolcity]

Well this is how mine turned out after cleaning with the stuff above on a 12 year old car. At first I thought the same, that they were too far gone (and I'm not saying yours are not) but I didn't think they were recoverable. I was really surprised at the results - sorry, I'm not the best photographer: