The "Snowball Effect" of a DYI Sticky Removal | FerrariChat

The "Snowball Effect" of a DYI Sticky Removal

Discussion in '360/430' started by BlacktopRacing, Oct 15, 2017.

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  1. BlacktopRacing

    BlacktopRacing Formula Junior

    Sep 18, 2016
    912
    Pittsburgh
    Full Name:
    Dale
    Well, here's my summary about how a minor job snowballed into a day-long ordeal.

    I started the morning with the intention of removing the stickiness from just the passenger-side power window switch. The plan was to send the driver-side one out, since I accidentally removed a tiny portion of black coating around the icon. I was very pleased with how the passenger-side switch turned out, so I decided to give the driver-side switch a try, especially since I was going to send it out anyway. What could it hurt? To my surprise, the icon didn't continue to worsen, and I was able to fix it up pretty nice using an ultra fine flat black paint marker. You can't tell from sitting in the car, but I'll probably end up sending it out some day since I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

    Since I had things apart, the next thing I knew I was removing the climate controls console and removing the stickiness from the recirculation and air conditioning system "OFF" buttons. Well, that led to doing the sweeps for the three rotary dials too. Just prior to all this, I had done both passenger and driver side door handles, surrounds, and levers (just not the "LOCK" part). Six-plus hours later, I'm very happy how everything turned out. I think I'll keep going whenever parts get bad enough to the point it bothers me. :)

    I even managed to get a lunch in, play a game with my daughter, and fix up the roof of my Subaru where the wind blew the basketball hoop down onto it - all before tidying up the F430 in time for dinner!
     
  2. 02360spider

    02360spider Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    May 27, 2015
    1,724
    Dartmouth
    Full Name:
    Richard oliveira
    Where are the pictures lol

    Sent from my FRD-L14 using Tapatalk
     
  3. Bob in Texas

    Bob in Texas F1 Rookie

    Apr 23, 2012
    2,665
    Just East of Weird
    Full Name:
    Bob
    What product did you use?


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
     
  4. BlacktopRacing

    BlacktopRacing Formula Junior

    Sep 18, 2016
    912
    Pittsburgh
    Full Name:
    Dale
    whatheheck likes this.
  5. BlacktopRacing

    BlacktopRacing Formula Junior

    Sep 18, 2016
    912
    Pittsburgh
    Full Name:
    Dale
    I used acetone on parts molded in black, because it's quicker and easier. I used Goo-Gone on parts molded in white because it's easier to control.
     
  6. BlacktopRacing

    BlacktopRacing Formula Junior

    Sep 18, 2016
    912
    Pittsburgh
    Full Name:
    Dale
    What surprises me is that I bought my F430 with 9256 miles on it, and it has spent all it's life in the northeast... an area not known for high temperatures, even in the dead of summer. Grant it, the stickiness issue wasn't horrible, like many southern car owners experience. I would expect there to be almost no issue at all in my case. It befuddles me that a company like Ferrari would continue to use the coating in so many vehicles over decades.
     
  7. mkzhang

    mkzhang Formula Junior

    Oct 5, 2009
    535
    Philadelphia
    Full Name:
    Mike
    I think the NE humidity has a lot to do with it too
     
  8. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,985
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    Affirmative, It is humidity, not temperature, that seems to do the most damage. Coating is apparently water soluble to some extent.
     
  9. Dave rocks

    Dave rocks F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Nov 23, 2012
    16,047
    Orchard Park, NY
    Full Name:
    Dave Lelonek
    The coating failure is a result of time, temperature, UV exposure, humidity and chemicals. Keep in mind - these parts are produced by many different suppliers who use different methods and different soft touch coatings. Some are better than others. We refinish parts from plenty of colder / dryer climates equally as those from TX and the south such as FL. Many brand new parts, stored in climate controlled warehouses, in boxes and not exposed to the sun or chemicals, are sticky in the box. My Rotel home theater remote has never seen humidity (AC on all the time in my house) and it's tar ;)
     
  10. LorenzoOO

    LorenzoOO Formula Junior

    Sep 21, 2017
    783
    Italia, US NE
    Full Name:
    Lorenzo LaMattina
    I cleaned all my sticky parts with acetone and they came as new


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
     
  11. Dave rocks

    Dave rocks F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Nov 23, 2012
    16,047
    Orchard Park, NY
    Full Name:
    Dave Lelonek
    I'm sorry but "cleaning parts" does not make them as new. If that was true, the factory would have never applied soft touch coatings to the plastic. The reality is, as mold parts do not look remotely as good as parts with coatings. Furthermore, many parts has black softtouch over white plastic - when you clean them you are left with no graphics and a white part.
     
  12. Ghostdiver

    Ghostdiver Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 18, 2005
    1,326
    Southeast Texas
    Full Name:
    Wally Hollar
    Just wait until your steering column surround starts to get sticky.....that was fun cleaning that part!
     
  13. Shinigami

    Shinigami Formula Junior
    Owner

    Aug 2, 2005
    465
    Gland Switzerland
    Full Name:
    Heikki
    I simply removed the coating on my window switches, and they look ok with the glossy plastic since it's similar to the radio's plastic. However, the door unlock lever is really getting into me, and I think I really out to send it to Sticky RX, I don't think I can go another year with that scratched up horribly looking mess that I now have :(
     
  14. I'm 360 Canuck

    I'm 360 Canuck Formula 3

    Nov 21, 2015
    1,911
    Ontario, The Real One in Canada
    Full Name:
    Lars!
    I have some olympic barbell plates that the rubberized coating is literally dripping off.
    Obviously always have been in a moderate indoor climate, minimal UV.
     

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