Sticky light switch panel on dashboard

[dursleyman]

The piece of trim around the light switch on our 2005 W211 estate has gone "sticky". Is as if the plastic surface seems to be breaking down?
Anyone else had this?

 

[Blobcat]

The piece of trim around the light switch on our 2005 W211 estate has gone "sticky". Is as if the plastic surface seems to be breaking down?
Anyone else had this?

View attachment 77565

Trim and buttons can do that, if y can get it off I’d wash and clean it until the stickiness goes. Might lose those light switch labels though
Grease and oils from your hands can cause it

 

[allan mitchell]

On my W221 the steering wheel buttons had the same issue. I used a rubbing type alcohol here called Isopril, rubbed it on with a fibre cloth, let is soak for a couple of minutes then gently rubbed off the stickiness, couple more repeats and the buttons are like new. No damage to the original item patterns. Good luck.

 

[AnthonyUK]

On my W221 the steering wheel buttons had the same issue. I used a rubbing type alcohol here called Isopril, rubbed it on with a fibre cloth, let is soak for a couple of minutes then gently rubbed off the stickiness, couple more repeats and the buttons are like new. No damage to the original item patterns. Good luck.

Like new but without the rubberised coating

I don’t know if all of these coatings are heat affected but the rubberised paint on a laser thermometer basically melted yesterday in the sun.
There are some dark coloured chairs on our work terrace in the City where around midday the temperature measured 72°c

 

[markben]

On my W221 the steering wheel buttons had the same issue. I used a rubbing type alcohol here called Isopril, rubbed it on with a fibre cloth, let is soak for a couple of minutes then gently rubbed off the stickiness, couple more repeats and the buttons are like new. No damage to the original item patterns. Good luck.

I had the same problem on my w220 (s/wheel buttons & light switch panel). when I first had it. I've read somewhere that the original protective coating on these parts degrades over time and they go irritatingly sticky. Like you allan, I VERY carefully rubbed-off the sticky layer using rubbing alcohol & a soft cloth, working around the white motifs with a cotton wool bud so as not to erase them. It took over an hour, but it worked.

 

[Naraic]

The area around my light switches has gone like this in recent months. Sticky and dirty and yet...I never touch the light switch. Following a suggestion above I've just ordered some rubbing alcohol from Amazon.

 

[00slk]

Yep a common phenomenon with some Mercedes dash parts, my SL and Money Pit are no exceptions.
If you're bored sitting in traffic or waiting for a loved one to arrive back from the shops, carefully scrap said stickiness with your finger nail, this does work, however if you do not have the said finger nails you will have to go to the huge expense of purchasing said rubbing alcohol from an on line sales service

 

[mioba]

i use a very weak solution of washing powder to clean my dash on my car. A wipe using said solution works a treat on those sticky rubberised dash parts.