Sticky radio knobs

[heliguy]

Do any of you have sticky or gummy radio knobs? I sent them off to a guy I grew up with who owns a company called stickynomore. They came back better than new.

https://stickynomore.com/index.html

[WhipE350]

Kewl! thank you. I have a 987 and the Temp and Fan knobs are a mess. Just what I was looking for.

[Mark_T]

There have been a few solutions to this problem posted over the years. I went with the Plastidip method.

[Porsche9]

Glad to hear this work for you. Common issue with these. Ars.

Maybe you can put in a word for me. I emailed them a few weeks back in hopes that they could help with redoing the backrest seat adjustment cover. Thanks.

[jakeru]

I also removed, cleaned, and plasti-dip black sprayed my radio knobs. It leaves a seemingly good factory color matching finish with the soft, stretchy, rubbery feel of the original radio knobs.

Cleaning the old guminess off the knobs was the hardest part of the job, but overall it was pretty easy. The knobs just pull straight off, and push straight on.

[Deserion]

I had cleaned the radio knobs not long after I bought mine (6+ years ago). I can't recall if I used mineral spirits or acetone to clean them, but the stickiness hasn't returned.

[steved0x]

I used denatured alcohol on mine in 2013, stickiness has stayed gone since then.

[heliguy]

Originally Posted by WhipE350

Kewl! thank you. I have a 987 and the Temp and Fan knobs are a mess. Just what I was looking for.

Robbie will fix you right up.

[Dave80GTSi]

... which I have just completed. You certainly do not need to pay anyone else to do this simple job for you.

These knobs are made of a white plastic, with a rubber base coating, and then with a secondary rubberized outer coating. It is this second outer coating which turns gummy, presumably due to an unforeseen plasticizer incompatibility with the base rubber coating (the often cited "sun tan lotion" theory does not hold up for me).

If you remove this defective outer gummy coating, you are left with the base rubber covering over the plastic knob, which is perfectly suitable.

To remove this outer coating:

Remove both knobs from the radio and place them in a small glass jar with a screw lid - an old baby food jar is perfect.

Go to your local drug store and buy a small bottle of isopropyl alcohol, which should cost you less than a dollar.

Pour the alcohol into the jar, covering both knobs, and let the jar sit overnight.

The next day the outer sticky coating should be able to be wiped away with a soft cloth.

If you do not accomplish the total removal on the first day, simply pour out the old alcohol (since it is so cheap) and replace with fresh, and then let another 24 hours pass. Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

The alcohol has no effect on the base rubber coating, and so once this base covering is exposed, you have a permanent, non-sticky solution for this common problem.

Hope this helps - DM

[WhipE350]

Thanks Dave!

[MotoFanatic]

Nothing like reviving an old thread! First, I'd like to thank Dave for posting a detailed explanation. I didn't realize there were two layers to the button when I was dong this.

The only thing I'd like to add is that the solution could all be done literally for FREE! Admittedly isopropyl alcohol is pretty cheap but if you didn't have any, this is the way to go.

1. I pulled off the knobs by using my fingers to grab all sides of the knob and pulled the knob straight out. It took little effort. The reason I add this comment is because when I was researching buying new knobs, I found the following statement on one of the vendor's site:

Note: Professional installation recommended. Risk of damaged to the CDR 24 is possible when removing the control knob with an incorrect force or tool, and damaged to the circuit board is possible if too much force is used during the installation.

Don't let this scare you! It's really easy.

2. With the knobs off, I just used my thumb and started rubbing off the secondary rubber coating. You can use a wet cloth to remove the sticky stuff off your thumb. Otherwise you'll just end up spreading it back on the knob. It took all about 15 minutes if that. Just be careful not to use your nails. Stickiness is all gone.

I hopes this helps others that have this problem. Unfortunately, I don't have a before picture but this is the after.

[jaykay]

Alcohol didn't work for me perhaps south of the border you have high test stuff in the drug store

[1PorscheBoxster986]

You can try using nail polish remover instead of isopropyl alcohol to remove the sticky residue.

[PaulE]

I swear I used denatured alcohol on my radio knobs and they came out fine as bare black rubber and are still fine a few years later. But I posted that on one of the Facebook Boxster groups and someone cursed me out because he said that just made his knobs worse and ruined them.

[jaykay]

Yeah it can have that effect....as it for me. Perhaps it's the early cars that suffer