desertwindauh

My CLK has become sicky sticky.

Does anyone have any practical solution to this defect?

Louie D

LOL funny you say that I been trying to get my clean for awhile now. I have tried goo gone with no hellp and some othere stuff with no help.

clydem

I haven't seen it on my wife's 320, but it's a real problem on older Ferrari.
I don't know if these folks handle MB yet, but it's worth a call
http://stickynomore.com/ (no relationship, yada yada)

On a Ferrari, you pop the offending piece.
you can use a product like Greased Lightnin which wipes off the goo (and decals)
spray it with a plasti-dip primer (or the next color will just peel off)
spray it with the final plasti-dip color (usually black). Plasti-dip give the same rubberized surface of the original.

and your good to go.
For that part, looks like you'd also need a decal which would be lost on cleaning.

Rudeney

I've had luck just using a good surface or interior cleaner and rubbing with a microfiber cloth. The ACC knobs on the C240 were big blobs of goo, but this worked. My center vent control on the CLK is gooey, too, so when I get time I intend to try to clean it.

user 823908234

^ +1. As I found in this forum (Gawd, I love this place!), I used mild dish soap on a slightly damp microfiber towel, and got all the sticky right off. I think the original poster used Simple Green. This worked on both our MBZ. My knobs were sticky and the center vent control was like frikkin fly paper, now its smooth and clean. No original rubber feel, but so what.

Key issues:
- don't rub too hard, gently and consistently. You can rub the lettering off if you go crazy.
- keep turning the rag, otherwise you re-deposit the goo back on. Don't ask how I know.
- DON'T let water run into any controls; I kept a shop vac going and kept sucking around the edges.

Rudeney

FYI, for easier cleaning, the center vent control panel snaps out easily - just pry around the edges with a plastic wedge tool:

http://benzbits.com/w209/centerairnozzle.pdf

user 823908234

What the... just when I thought I could contribute something. Well, NOW you tell me!
It really wasn't that tough with it in, but taking it out would have been the nuts.
I swear I will never do anything else without checking with you first!
You, or Glyn. Or both. So, OP, snap it out. There, I contributed!

Glyn M Ruck

All these painted plastic parts like W203 door pulls, HVAC knobs, this panel etc can get sticky with age, oils from skin & sun exposure. They are easily damaged by car deodorants etc. Sometimes a good wash with a strong detergeant/surfactant will fix it & sometimes they are too far gone & need replacement or repainting.

These paints are a special PVA, sometimes mineral loaded, paint for plastics pioneered by the Japanese for old TV set bezels/cases etc.

desertwindauh

Brilliant answers folks, thanks!
I will now try and revert...
Pls standby for results...

mecca281

I know this thread is old but I had the same sticky key buttons when i purchased my car Certified Pre owned.

I used a simple paper business card for the radio button. (just slide in and around the edges) got a lot of the goo out and freed the buttons.

on the center nozzle i did the same with mild detergent and a damp rag... it took a while but its fine now.

Rudeney

I actually got tired of looking at my sticky center vent control, so I cleaned it today. My usual trick of Pledge Multi-Surface cleaner and a microfiber cloth was taking too long, so I tried putting a little bit of fingernail polish remover on the cloth and that did the trick:

Here are the B&A photos:

desertwindauh

BINGO!

desertwindauh

I removed the disgusting goo crap part by using a very thin bladed knife to to pry the part.
Sliding the knife around the edge and gently wiggling it popped open, then rotating around and the part came right out no problem. Just be gentle and careful no too much force is used or needed. Patience is always good. Yo will note that the part is plastic (white) with black painted on the front (cabin facing side) to which the goo is treatment is applied. On the top and bottom border you will notice 2 thin chrome coated plastic trim strips that are stuck on permanently. I decided to leave them and not rick breaking them.
Then using the microfibre, this one was from Armor All (the blue one for cleaning windows) and some Cutex branded nail polish remover and started to remove the gunk and slowly it came off no problem. Once again do NOT become too over zealous as the remover might go through the black painted coat and hit the white plastic behind. You might notice a small white dot on the final image.
In any case, with a bit of gentle rubbing all the goo crap came of and I was left with a lovely pristine surface, which I popped right back in.
This whole process took about 10-15 minutes.
Thank you, Rudeney, for the tip.
I enclose some photos of the whole process here...
http://postimg.org/gallery/5sumqyac/9cf1180a/
Please note that the link to photos may or may not work as I am getting a block by my internet service providor, so I cannot check myself. If so, can someone let me know and I can re-post the photos individually.

desertwindauh

REMOVAL











DISGUSTING GOO CRAP



CLEANING





DONE





BACK IN THE CAR and BETTER THAN NEW

Glyn M Ruck

Wow ~ good call guys!

user 823908234

I would never have tried a solvent! My luck, the entire piece would've melted. Congratulations, and I might try it on the next sticky piece.

Rudeney

I don't think I'd use anything strong, like pure acetone, but I figured fingernail polish remover is mild enough for a lady's fingers, so it should be safe for plastic. Plus, back in my childhood days when I would build model cars, I recall using it to clean up my crappy paint jobs from their plastic parts and it never hurt any of them. I also did this on the cup holder in my center console (mine has the "facelift v.2" console) and it didn't do as well. It wasn't sticky from heat, but it was scratched from fingernails when reaching to open the sliding armrest cover. It was very difficult to remove, and those scratches went through to the underlying plastic. I think I will just replace it - the chrome trim ring is also chipped.

Glyn M Ruck

Rudeney ~ did you use lady's oily acetone or the straight version?

mecca281

Wow good job man! I felt great after I did mine! I wouldn't take out the clip even if I could though... I am scared of MB clips!

I think there should be a balance between making biodegradable parts/saving the planet... And making durable products that aren't flimsy as heck!

At least I was told that was the problem with the fragile parts.

Rudeney

Glyn, I use whatever "the girls" had in the cabinet - it was some store brand of fingernail polish remover - not the industrial metal can of acetone I keep in the garage, so I guess it might have had some oils or something else in it. And it was the "acetone" polish remover - not the "non-acetone" type.


And as for those pesky easily breakable plastic clips, I think it has more to do with break-away safety than biodegradable environmentalism.

mecca281

break away safety on an engine cover? or speaker guard? or door panel? backseat cushion screw covers?

sorry im done venting... wooosaiii

Rudeney

Uh, yes. In a bad accident, any of those parts can become crush devices. Last night, we watched the current episode of Dateline NBC where a woman and her two daughters were left pinned inside their BMW 3 series, when a truck pushed them against and then onto a bride railing. Unless they had told us the car was a BMW, it would have been impossible to tell.


http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/entertainmen...-bridge-rescue


When you see that, you realize how important it is for car parts not to be hard and secure. Both safety and the need to save weight for government-mandated fuel economy have manufacturers using lighter and more easily shed parts. It's why we have chrome-plated plastic grilles instead of metal and plastic clips holding bumpers and trim on instead of nice bit thick bolts. It's why a 5mpg "bumper kiss" ends up costing $2K to repair.


I know you mentioned in another thread with a Toyota you owned, that you had no problems like this with plastic trim and clips. I've owned a few Toyota and Lexus vehicles and they have been quite reliable for the two or three years we kept s them, but the one I had that was about 10 years old started rusting and losing plastic trim pieces and even bolts on body panels were coming loose. On the Lexus, that we had (from new) for only two years, the door checks kept breaking and the rearview mirror would vibrate and eventually fall off the windshield.


The engine bay and the road are harsh conditions. Back to the early days of electronic fuel injection ECUs (on all makes) were failing every couple of years because manufacturers didn't know how to better protect them from the elements. Belts and radiator hoses had to be replaced every few years. If you AC system lasted five years, you were on borrowed time. It's almost impossible to build a great car and make it last trouble-free through the years. It's very easy to build a simple car and make it last, and of course it's very easy to build anything without the intention of longevity. I believe MBZ does a fantastic job of building great vehicles, that with proper attention, will last a long time. I believe Toyota/Lexus does a fantastic job of building very simple, basic cars that also will last a good while. Other makes, well, many of them are building really nice things that have no intention of longevity.

baybarda

thank you so much guys for excellent info about removal of the sticky things on it..

my problem is on the upper chrome part there are some missing chrome parts.. thats why I need a new one do you know the part number of the center control cover? or where can I find? mine is grey colored..

thank you for the contribution together we are strong!

Rudeney

Unfortunately, the chrome trim itself is not a separate part - you have to buy the entire piece to get new chrome.

Louie D

Thanks for the tips guys I ended up using rubbing alcohol and it worked fine. Looks all nice and new now.