the other day i left my moonroof open overnight and tree sap got into my car. the sap dripped onto the stereo/air conditioning control and all of the buttons are now sticky... :(

what is the best method of removing the sap that are deep into the buttons and cracks? i'm thinking about blow drying hot air into it for about 30 minutes to let it melt away? has anyone experienced similiar situations? please help....

thank you,

 

I've never had to deal with tree sap in the stereo controls, but my wife has splashed soda and sugary coffee onto the controls a few times, which has about the same effect.

I wouldn't try melting the sap away. At best, it won't work - at worst, it'll just run down into even more-inaccessible nooks & crannies or it will harden/crystallize into something you'll never get out.

Try using some isopropyl alcohol and a stiff short-bristled brush to get into the crevices. The IPA won't hurt the plastic, and it will evaporate away without leaving any residue of its own. Clean off the brush frequently with fresh IPA to get rid of the sap residue, or else you'll just end up pushing it around.

 

I would try a cloth towel, "damp" in hot water. The hot water should soften the sap, and being just "damp" would prevent water from soaking into the controls.

 

As a home brewer, calling isopropyl alcohol, IPA, just doesn't seem right! Everyone knows that IPA is India Pale Ale! Don't put it on your radio controls though!

Try vegetable oil. I haven't used it on plastic, but it gets tree sap off of my hands. Then use isopropyl alcohol to get the oil off.

Dave

 

Really, the only sure way to get it off/out of the buttons is to take the radio and ventilation panels out an disassemble the buttons from the panel. It's honestly not that hard to pull them out nor disassemble them. Elsewhere on this site are How-Tos to take the downtubes and related items apart.

I had sticky buttons, too, until changing the LEDs in the dash, which obviously required opening everything up. I'm guessing Mom and/or Pop had a soda spray all over. The touchable parts of the buttons were clean, but the dried soda was all over inside the buttons. I pulled them all apart and cleaned each and every one, including the bezels.

Oh, and don't leave your sunroof open anymore.