How to remove aircon buttons and dials

Im slowly sorting out all the stickies and im up to the aircon buttons.

How do I remove them safely ?

There is a crack I need to repair on the centre dial.

Thanks
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Thanks for the info.

I managed to remove all the gunk. Repair the crack dial.

Airbrush the dials black, then airbrush a clear coat.

Came out just fine.
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Im about to go to sleep, i will do a writeup tomorrow to help others.

Im a keen hobbyist and build many models, so im comfortable working with plastics.

I even print my own decals, so can easily replace ones that come off.

This isnt difficult at all if you use the right products. And i have found you can do this without using some of the harsh oven cleaners and chemicals people are using.

Heres some more
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Im trying to sell and exhaust, i might be keen on the grill once the exhaust is sold.

Wont you be using the grill ?

 

Here is my guide to cleaning all this sticky crap and goo. Broken down into stages

General Comments

I have noticed there are 2 types of goo.

1. Black sticky goo - This comes off quiet easily, especially if it’s already
melting off. Nearly all the parts have this type of goo.

2. Clear sticky goo - I only found this type of goo on the HVAC controls. Whilst it
was very sticky, it hadn’t melted off like the black goo and was more challenging to
remove.

Removing the goo is only half the job, do not stop there. To get a great looking
finish the plastic must be painted and/or clear coated, which makes a massive
difference to the final appearance.

The plastic parts are not the best of quality and will require some sanding, filling
and polishing. It’s amazing how much of this is hidden by the thick layer of goo.

Parts need to be removed, they need to be painted and this will not work whilst they
are installed in the car. There are many useful threads on this site on how to
remove parts.

Take your time, do not take too many parts out. Working on individual items will
allow for a better finish, be patient. The process can take a while but is
rewarding.



Goo Removal -Items required (Pic 1)

Hand Sanitiser
Mr Hobby Lacquer Thinner
Swissvax Plastic Wash
Swissvax Plastic restorer
Roles of Paper Towel
Q Tips
Cotton Wipes

For the black sticky goo, I found the best removal to be hand sanitiser with paper
towels, simply apply small amounts of sanitiser on the part, smearing it over the
part with your finger then keep rubbing with the towel. The sanitiser will allow the
towel to slide, once the paper is shredding fibres, it’s time to apply more
sanitiser. This process can be mundane, best to do in front of the TV.

Keep using clean towels, and cotton swipes. In awkward and hard to get areas , apply
sanitiser on the tip of a Q Tip and rub.

The best thing about this sanitiser is it also has moisturiser so I get to moisturise
my hands whilst removing all the goo. Bonus !

Once the goo is removed and no more black is coming off the paper towel, it’s time
to clean the plastic to remove paper fibres from the towels and cotton q tips.

I find the Swissvax Plastic Wash excellent for this, shake the bottle well, spray on
a microfiber cloth and wipe down the part well, the plastic should feel clean, be
free of any stickiness and fingerprints.

I then apply some Swissvax Plastic restorer to the part. This step isn’t required,
however I like to nourish the plastic with this product, but this step is optional.



Plastic repair - Plastex Plastic Repair Kit

PLASTEX PLASTIC REPAIR KITS

Its highly likely that as parts are removed and cleaned, brittle tabs will break
off, or there will be other cracks etc. I bought this Plastic repair kit and it is
unbelievable for repairing broken tabs and other plastic pieces. I cannot recommend
it highly enough. I purchased the black repair kit, as most parts are black. The
instructional video shows how this works, it’s very easy to learn.

I have successfully repaired a broken aircon dial, some broken tabs on various bits
and pieces. And I even repaired a large part of broken plastic in the centre ashtray
that would not allow my lid to close properly. This product is a must if you’re
going to undertake this job, broken tabs are a thing of the past !



Plastic Preparation - Items Required (Pic 2)

Tamiya 320 Grit Sand Paper
Tamiya Rubbing sticks 320 and 150 Grit
Tamiya Polish Fine Finish Polish Compound
Tamiya Polish Final Finish Polish Compound
3200-12000 Wet sanding pads
Dremel with polishing pads (optional)


It’s very likely when the goo is removed there will be parts of the plastic that are
not even, have scratches, other grooves and gouges that look unsightly.

If I need sand to smooth things down I will spray some water on the plastic (wet
sanding) and gently rub with the Tamiya 320 grit sand paper. Don’t apply too much
pressure, you don’t want to damage the plastic further or remove too much. Keep the
part wet, and keep sanding until the desired result is reached. For difficult to
reach places use the rubbing sticks. They are great when sanding around curves.

To polish out the plastic, I either continue wet sanding starting with the 3200 pad,
and progressively working through the pads until I hit the 12000grit. When this is
complete the plastic should be very smooth.

Another option that works as well is to use the Tamiya polishing compounds, these
will work with Q tips or a micro fibre cloth. For larger pieces I will use the
Dremel to save me time.

When the part is nice and smooth, and free from scratches and other defects, I use
the Swissvax Plastic wash to give the part a thorough clean. Spray this stuff on
directly or onto a microfiber towel, it’s important to really wash away all the dust
and polishing compound to prepare for painting.

Painting - Items Required (Pic 3)

Tamiya Masking tape
Tamiya Semi-Gloss Black X-18
Tamiya X20a Acrylic Thinner

Tamiya Gloss X-22
Tamiya Flat Base X-21
or
Tamiya Semi Gloss X-35

Before Painting make sure the part is clean, I can’t stress this enough. Swissvax
Plastic Wash is your friend.

As part of my hobby building, I airbrush (Pic 4) a fair bit. For those not familiar with
this, you can buy the spray can equivalents if that helps

There will be times you will need to mask items before painting, I can’t go past
Tamiya masking tape, this product is expensive but is well worth the cost. The tape
is not too sticky so will not cause damage, it removes easily without leaving any
residue. It stays on ! unlike cheaper tapes that start to fall off, and lastly the
tape is flexible so you can shape it using toothpicks around curves etc.

In terms of colour, for me, I like the Tamiya X-18 Semi-gloss Black. A full gloss is
way to shiny, a full flat is far too rough and easily scratched. This XF-18 is just
prefect, in colour, texture and reflection.

If you’re going to airbrush this, Tamiya paints need to be heavily thinned to flow
freely, XF-18 is a very easy colour to work with, it’s very forgiving. I use a ratio
of 50% Paint : 50-60% Thinner. If the weather is warm ill add that extra amount of
thinner which has a retarding agent to stop the paint drying too quickly and
clogging up the airbrush. Every airbrush and compressor combo is different. I spray
using a .3mm needle and about 20-25 PSI.

If none of the above paragraph makes sense, just buy the Tamiya Black in spray can
form. Shake well and spray in a dust free area.

I should point out the plastic bits are very porous, when the paint is applied via
airbrush, a quick burst of air dries the paint straight away, you can’t over spray
these parts. The Tamiya paint is very thin and the plastic seems to absorb it. They
are very easy to paint, and there is no need to wait hours or days for this type of
paint to dry.

Once the black is finished, I immediately move onto the clear coat. You don’t need a
clear coat, however I like that extra layer of clear protection on the part.

I use Tamiya clear and just add my own amount of flat base to create a semi-gloss.
If you’re not comfortable with this approach, just use the Tamiya Semi-Gloss.
Prepare and spray this one as per the steps above.

COMING IN THE NEXT INSTALMENT - HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN DECALS AND REAPPLY THEM.

Stay Tuned..
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all depends on what you would be content with.

Just removing the sticky stuff, or going that little bit extra for a nicer finish.

 

Not at all. I use quite afew items, but it doesnt take long at all.

Then again im an experienced modeller, and working with plastics is my thing.