When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I found a pristine one on Ebay , the seller said it was black but looked like mine in the picture on Ebay so I pulled the trigger. I received it and it was pristine, looked brand new. It came out of an E320. I compared it to mine, it was a bit darker but actually matches perfect with the interior of my car. Got lucky I guess.
I used goo gone and about a dozen q-tips to remove the tacky finish from my light switch. And it's still good to go. Goo Gone is much cheaper and easier then replacing the light switch.
I used goo gone and about a dozen q-tips to remove the tacky finish from my light switch. And it's still good to go. Goo Gone is much cheaper and easier then replacing the light switch.
Goo Gone didn't work for my switch, so I had to get a replacement. Replacing the switch is pretty simple, 5 minute job.
Lol so did I. Reviving the old thread as well.. will be doing this tonight.. that tacky switch bugs me. For such a great car that one piece really is a downer.
I'm wondering if those that said Goo Gone didn't work were expecting it to be a quick process. I'd expect to spend some time on something the size of the headlight switch panel.
Goo Gone ABSOLUTELY works. Dip a wash cloth in Goo Gone and start gently scrubbing, followed by gently rubbing with clean part of wash cloth and repeat till all gunk is gone. Mine now is as good as new. Don't give up. Q tip is not aggressive enough. Am I happy to get rid of the sticky gunk!
Working now on the steering wheel controls which seem to be a bit more recalcitrant.
Just adding another confirmation that Goo Gone does work with enough time. It seemed like I was getting nowhere at first. But I stuck with it, and sure enough ... the goo is gone. No issues with the white lettering coming off, although I tried to use less pressure in those areas just in case. Thanks for the thread.
I know this is a very old thread, but I'm having the same problem with my 2008 E320 headlight switch and I found this thread during search. This is like déjà vu. I just sold a 2003 VW Jetta TDI. Almost all of the plastics on the dash and doors did the same thing only on a much larger scale. I think the plasticizer comes out over time, especially when the heat builds up inside the car in the summer. Goo Gone worked in that case also, but was a very large task. I ended up buying Chinese plastic replacements I found on Ebay. They were of a very poor quality and difficult to install, but much easier than cleaning of the stickiness and cheap. The sticky plastics must be a German thing. I've never had that problem on another vehicle.
Goo Gone works...Trust me on this one. But it does take time, apply a liberal amount to a Q-tip and massage it in, then wipe with a cloth, and repeat and repeat. It does start coming off eventually. Mine is still good to this day, two years later.
haha.. i thought my hands were nasty and gross and where i touched the light switch over and over.. unless we all are nasty and gross..
Lol. Naaa It's the stupid film that they use or chemical. I've noticed that over the years any type of rubberized soft touch material like what's used on headlight switch gets gummy in gross. I just grabbed an umbrella from our closet and the entire handle was gross because it was a soft grip handle. I had to take goo gone and completely wipe off the entire handle until that coating was completely off. And then I've noticed some of the older mice or keyboards that have a wrist pad or things like that that also have this coating are sticky as well over time.
I honestly think it's just a chemical breakdown, in all reality. It's probably even more amplified since it's in our car with the heat, the cold, and uv/ozone etc. But I firmly believe anything that's in this type of coating will eventually get sticky and gummy.
-Nigel
Last edited by NewShockerGuy; Sep 16, 2021 at 11:34 AM.
Lol. Naaa It's the stupid film that they use or chemical. I've noticed that over the years any type of rubberized soft touch material like what's used on headlight switch gets gummy in gross. I just grabbed an umbrella from our closet in the entire handle was gross because it was a soft grip handle. I had to take googon and completely wipe off the entire handle until that coating was completely off. And then I've noticed some of the older mice or keyboards that have a wrist pad or things like that that also have this coating are sticky as well.
I honestly think it's just a chemical breakdown in all reality It's probably even more amplified since it's in our car with the heat the cold ozone etc. But I firmly believe anything that's in this type of coding will eventually get sticky and gummy.
So just that everyone knows this doesn't seem like it's only a Mercedes problem.
I have JDM s203/s204 black HVAC knobs for my Subaru STi.
I've had these buttons for over 10 years and as I'm redoing things on my car I took everything apart and noticed that when I touched the buttons the same stupid softcoat was coming off and/or making this push buttons look really bad.
I took isopropyl alcohol to rub off the black sticky coating so now the buttons are slightly shiny just like our headlight panel...
Depending on if this does or does not look right once I put the car back together I'll probably order three new pieces. But it seems like manufacturers that use this coating it just breaks down over the years.
You can see a slight shine to it normally this button would be 100% matte black.
So just that everyone knows this doesn't seem like it's only a Mercedes problem.
I have JDM s203/s204 black HVAC knobs for my Subaru STi.
I've had these buttons for over 10 years and as I'm redoing things on my car I took everything apart and noticed that when I touched the buttons the same stupid softcoat was coming off and/or making this push buttons look really bad.
I took isopropyl alcohol to rub off the black sticky coating so now the buttons are slightly shiny just like our headlight panel...
Depending on if this does or does not look right once I put the car back together I'll probably order three new pieces. But it seems like manufacturers that use this coating it just breaks down over the years.
You can see a slight shine to it normally this button would be 100% matte black.
-Nigel
I’ve used Goo Gone and it worked miracles for me several years ago, and still looks good to this day.
W212 M276 DELA 30 ; W211 M113k, W126 M117, W126 OM617, W211 OM642 ; R107 M117 X2, Sierra 1500 LZ0
I unfortunately used rubbing alcohol and it took off the indicator paint as well... I have owned 4 W126s and now own a C107 and all of them had illuminated headlight switchgear that is still perfect.. oh well. Best part about the 107? The headlight switch is a 126/124 switch that is upside down due to the dashboard design. Because of this, the motions are all reversed, they simply reused the switch design and put it upside down!
That is why Goo Gone works so well, as it doesn’t removes the indicator symbols. I dipped a quip in the goo gone and gentle wiped it on the light panel, until the stickiness was gone.
Also Mercedes components were actually better made and last longer on there older cars than they do today.
Last edited by Yuille36; Oct 18, 2021 at 07:54 AM.
I have the same problem on my GL. I thought the previous owner had something attached to it and removed it. Way to go, Mercedes. And no backlight either? Seriously? The light switches on my Mazda Preteges were backlit. And I don't see how putting those separate round lights that are not near the switch positions could be any cheaper for Mercedes than a single backlight.
I have the same problem on my GL. I thought the previous owner had something attached to it and removed it. Way to go, Mercedes. And no backlight either? Seriously? The light switches on my Mazda Preteges were backlit. And I don't see how putting those separate round lights that are not near the switch positions could be any cheaper for Mercedes than a single backlight.
You could also use rubbing alcohol, the higher the percentage the easier the sticky material will come off. I tried the 90%, but it also took off some of the white lettering. Maybe mix a little of the 90% and a low concentration rubbing alcohol, and go easy when rubbing it. This is an option for those with no access to "Goo Gone."
A few weeks ago I noticed the black panel around the headlight switch on my '08 E350 had become very sticky to the touch. I applied Goo Gone to the panel and the gunky coating slowly broke down enough to use a microfiber cloth to rub/wipe it off. Took about 30 minutes of several repeat applications of Goo Gone and light-to-moderate pressure wiping, but eventually it removed all the sticky gunk. All clean and smooth now and the various symbols around the headlight switch look fine.
You really have to wonder why Mercedes' super over-engineers would do this. Maybe it's to encourage people to use the Auto setting?
You really have to wonder why Mercedes' super over-engineers would do this. Maybe it's to encourage people to use the Auto setting?
This was part of the overall soft touch era, pretty much all vehicles during this time period had soft touch coatings. Years later referred to as sticky buttons.
This was part of the overall soft touch era, pretty much all vehicles during this time period had soft touch coatings. Years later referred to as sticky buttons.
Perhaps. But it is the only place in the GL (I know of) where Mercedes treated us to this wonder. And it isn't even on a piece that would involve other than incidental touching. And it ain't exactly soft touch. At least, not anymore.
Perhaps. But it is the only place in the GL (I know of) where Mercedes treated us to this wonder. And it isn't even on a piece that would involve other than incidental touching. And it ain't exactly soft touch. At least, not anymore.
That maybe true, but on other Mercedes models this coating was widely used. And overtime these buttons have become stinky.
On my car only the light switch was this way. But on some C Classes the door switches became stinky.
I have an SL500 as well. I used the alcohol pads used to wipe hands/face and it worked perfect. I purchased them at CVS. They are similar to the pre-shot needle injection wipes used at the Doctors office.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
