I wondered why the "parking assist" was always off. I looked down and saw the switch was stuck in the depressed position. I stupidly pushed the stabilitrack switch and now it is stuck in the depressed position.

I am depressed.

I don't have the time or inclination to remove the dash to get to these switches. Is there any spray cleaner, such as plastic-safe contact cleaner, that might be worth trying? I suppose the former owner spilled coke or something there, as it is near the cupholders in the front console and quite low on the dash. Maybe a hair dryer would loosen up the goo?


Internet searches will continue. I saw nothing so far.

Goo gone maybe? Rubbing alcohol?

Might try some CRC Electrical Contact cleaner spray.

Depends.

If you have a dedicated switch for each function, you should be able to clean it with a nonpetroleum based cleaner. (Up to 2006)
If your vehicle has a multiplexer, it may read a collective load that is not prespecified and cause an error or code. (2007 and newer)

Taking the buttons out of the bezel may be your best way to tackle this one. but that would only isolate the switches themselves.
Hopefully you won't have to resort to disassembling the entire assembly.

I'd guess that your truck likely has the multiplexer, as they came into play for General Motors trucks around 2007 and ran the first architecture up to the 2011 model year. 2012+ is more integrated.

Depending on the orientation, you're probably good with rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip or a folded paper towel. Get a little liquid to penetrate the edges and let it run out, wipe it up, and it will dry pretty quickly. Don't pour it on, but dab it enough with a saturated Q-tip or paper towel that a little liquid flows around the edges.

Tell me the make and model of vehicle, and I can probably give you some insight on the difficulty of dash removal. Some are quite easy.

I haven't tried it in your exact application but take a look at DeOxit Fader Lube F5 or similar.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
Depending on the orientation, you're probably good with rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip or a folded paper towel. Get a little liquid to penetrate the edges and let it run out, wipe it up, and it will dry pretty quickly. Don't pour it on, but dab it enough with a saturated Q-tip or paper towel that a little liquid flows around the edges.

^^^^^^^
This

Silicone spray.

Soapwater ( Dawn dishwashing light mixture) on a toothbrush will clean in hard to reach places.

Thanks for the many informed suggestions.

This is my "new" 2007 Suburban LT. Lots of switches, with all the features. Some switches have lost their black original finish. The center stack has these switches, such as the "auto" climate control button which has a yellow undercolor showing.

The steering wheel is also pretty gummy. Leather wrapped, but lots of switches may need some cleaning.

Wow, I never knew this stuff existed! https://caig.com/fader-f-series/

Pre-CFC bans, Radio Shack had the spray which would clean / lube / etc that exact situation. If easy to get, the DeOxit product sounds perfect. Rubbing alcohol, I've used ... in a TRASHED 2000 Acura TL inherited, a vehicle which received no mechanical or cosmetic maintenance for 60k miles. Three days of detail cleaning, hundreds of Q-Tips, a good deal of isopropyl alcohol, one dab and swipe at a time. I'd use a small bowl and discard the alcohol if it became discolored.

Very easy to get that panel off. I emailed you a photo. I’ll post here when I get a chance.

As I said in the email, under two minutes with good pry tools. You DON'T have to remove the radio. The piece with your stuck buttons is on the bottom and comes out first with two 7mm screws. Here's a video on getting the panel out:



Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txO63wh_ddg


Here's another video, that clearly shows the clip locations on the back of the panel, but he's wrong about the 10mm. Those screws have 7mm heads:



Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1uykN24SB0