6500RPM

My steering wheel air bag cover has a gummy melted feel to it. When I wipe it with a microfiber cloth the lint sticks all over it! The car stays in the garage so it's never in direct sunlight but it does get extremely hot in Texas. I called GM and they said I would have to replace the whole air bag assembly $$$ if I wanted to replace it. I've used Blue Coral leather/vinyl cleaner multiple times in the past so I'm starting to wonder if that product caused this over time. Has anyone else had this problem and if so how did you fix it? Any suggestions?

Jewjenk

Do you lotion your hands up a lot and then rest them in that area while driving...............?

It could be the lotion in the chemicals reacting with the material. I ask this because my wife's Mercedes has the same gunked up gooey feel on the center console rest area and a small section on the drivers where she rests her other hand sometimes. This is an assumption............

I would like to know the proper answer too.

c5BlackBeauty

I think this may be a good guess but send a PM to
Forum Vendor Killrwheels or at Killrwheels @Autogeek.net. Extremely knowledgeable on car care with access to a lot of great products. He is always on the Car Care Forum.......

hotwheels57

Others have posted about this in the past, but I can't figure out the right keywords to find those past threads. The past threads were in C5 Tech if I remember correctly.

It's probably the vinyl reacting to some chemical that's been applied to it sometime in it's lifetime.

I've used only a light application of ZAINO leather protectant on my car and haven't experienced the problem.

Maybe this is why only a damp cloth is suggested...

garage-ghost

That has been a problem with older Corvettes for years. It has been blamed on Armor All but who really knows. We found that a good washing with something like simple green usually removes it.

JerG

Heat, chemicals, lotions ... it could be any or all of them. Hope you get an answer, I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with my sister's Audi...the finish is rubbing off on the rubber-like plastic buttons. Audi couldn't figure it out, they just gave up on the new cars and eliminated this finish on the buttons.

$$$frumnuttin'

Well, vinyls are quite resistant to most common solvents, so I would guess it could be plasticizer migration to the surface due to environmental conditions of high heat. The one solvent that attacks it readily is what the plumbers use to put PVC pipe together to form a leakproof joint. But, it is very strange to find that chemical in any other common products...if I remember correctly it is tetrahydrofuran....MEK is also present in the formulation, methylethylketone...hope this sheds some light for you.

Jerry
(the forum's resident materials engineer)

vettespur

The people that owned our 01 prior to us use to use Armour it all the time. Ours was sticky as well. I think all the Armour screwed it up. I have cleaned it with soap and water and now only use the Zaino products on it.

madmatt9471

Got any pictures?

Thanks,Matt

6500RPM

I have never used lotion on my hands before driving and I never really touch the airbag part of the steering wheel unless I'm cleaning it. I would like to try cleaning it with a soapy sponge and water but I'm afraid to ruin it more since it's so gummy feeling. I might try it out very gently. If I take pictures of it to post here the gummy texture wouldn't really come out since it still has a luster. The reason I have stuck with using only Blue Coral Vinyl/Leather cleaner is because it gives the interior a natural look instead of greasy. I guess I have tried a few other brands at least once but still liked the natural look of the Blue Coral cleaner.

GHL4505

I put one part dish soap and five parts water in a small bucket. Used one microfiber cloth to apply the soap mixture and used another to quickly wipe the mixture off. Turn the drying cloth often and wipe off the mixture before it dries. It workrd for me. I wiped down the dash, door panels and steering wheel airbag. I like the matte black better than the shiny greasy look. Now, it looks factory fresh.

MSG C5

Didn't Armour All fix that problem a few years ago by changing the chemical compound in their formula? I know the product has a bad reputation among auto detailing enthusiasts, however I've used it on all my tires as well as the dash/trim areas of my daily driver and our family hauler. I have found it to be very good at preventing (Florida) sun damage and it does provide a nice coat of protection against scuffs and other kid-friendly accidents.

I've been using the Adams VRT on the dash/trim of my Corvette, however to be honest, sometimes I can't even tell if I've applied it.

$$$frumnuttin'

If you park in a way that the sun shines directly on it you could reach well over 150 degrees, which will cause the plasticizers to come to the surface....I'm still betting that is it noting you live in Houston.

hotwheels57

ARMORALL changed it's product to water base several ago...

http://www.armorall.com/faq/interior.php

jcorina

My 2003 Z06 is doing the same thing. The steering wheel cover (nowhere else) has a very sticky feel to it. I tried Armour All, soap and water, etc. You can take your fingernail and make deep grooves in it. My car lives in the garage and I never touch the surface unless I'm honking the horn. This is really weird.

jrose7004

I'll bet that the problem is the cleaner/treatment that you've put on it.

ztheusa

Some plastics degrade even when they have never been touched by anything. I think it might have been in a bad batch from the factory.

levimoran79

Everybody Talks about the cause!!!! How can we solve this problem?
Nothing helps?

debo2k3

Goo Gone would work on this problem.

RSchleder

The reason everyone talks about the CAUSE is because if you stop doing the CAUSE, you won't have anything to fix!