Sticky Headlight Switch Panel - Fixed
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 314
Likes: 34
Mercedes gl450
My 2011 GL had the infamous sticky switch panel. I thought the previous owner had glued something to it. Turns out this is a common problem caused by the breakdown of the soft touch coating. Mine was pretty sticky and looked it. I used a little bit of Goof Off (essentially the same thing as Goo Gone) on a microfiber cloth. The stickiness came right off and did not affect the labeling at all. This was just about the only actually easy repair/upgrade I have done on the GL.
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 314
Likes: 34
Mercedes gl450
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.
I had thought the "doofus" who owned the vehicle before me has glued something on the panel. Turns out, this goo is the remnants of a soft-touch coating. Apparently, this coating is known to break down over time.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 6,020
Likes: 532
From: Alexandria, VA
07 E63 AMG, 10 C63 AMG, 07 E63 Designo, 07 E350, 09 C300, 07 C230
Then years later the coating became sticky, hence the term sticky buttons.
