Not a huge issue but the airbag part of my steering wheel has become very sticky, almost like it's slowly melting. I don't know if this is one of those common c5 issues but I really don't know what to try to somewhat restore it. Putting an interior cleaner on it does nothing. Its always very sticky and kind of gooey if that makes any sense

 

do you leave it parked out in the sun all day?... heat and uv rays are a killer

 

Mine got sticky too and it was a real PITA to remove the goo.

 

After removing the goo , you may want to use a white beach towel to cover the steering wheel when it sets in the sun. I also have a dash cover to do the same. I do not use any protectorates to clean the interior. Just a mild soap and water.

 

Thanks guys sounds like this is pretty common. I will get some cleaner and see what happens. Will check back in with results.

 

Update : stopped at my local Family Dollar and saw some auto cleaner/degreaser that said was safe to use on interior so I grabbed a bottle, it was only $1 so I figured I would give it a try. It took alot of scrubbing but it all ended up coming off. At first it was really dull looking after the scrubbing but after putting some Mother's VLR on it I'm very happy with the results. Here are a few pics.

 

My 2000 Corvette is in SW Florida and kept in the garage. Last month my airbag cover got sticky so I contact my friend who is an Engineer on steering wheels and airbags at an OEM, although not GM.

He said that what I was experiencing was a break down of the paint that GM had the supplier paint the airbag with. He said the severe heat and humidity in Florida breaks it down over time.

Typically airbag covers, and most interior trim parts, are molded in color so once the paint is removed the molded trim color should be very close to the painted color. You should be able to see the molded in color by looking at the back side of the part as the non visible area in typically not painted. Checking might be worth doing as you might see a trim piece is molded in black but is painted a different color on the visible side.

The reason the parts are painted is that the OEM's Design Office wants the airbag cover, or other trim parts, painted in order to meet their exact color and gloss requirements.

To clean my airbag cover I used Goof Off and it worked great to remove the sticky goo but it did require some elbow grease. I then removed the Goof Off with some Dawn in hot water. My friend told me that once the sticky goo and Goof Off are removed to make sure to coat the airbag cover with vinyl protectant and to keep up with it on a regular basis. I coated mine with Mothers VLR and it looks pretty good.

He also said that newer trim materials and paints now being used are less prone to this type of breakdown caused by heat and humidity exposure.