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Pretty common problem. Some use Goof Off to remove the sticky material. I had success by dampening a cloth with Simple Green then draping it over the airbag cover for about 30 minutes or so. Then I used the cloth to rub off the stickiness. The airbag cover was somewhat dull afterwards, but regained its luster after I applied some Aerospace Protectant 303. That was years ago and it’s been fine since. Check C & S Corvette on YouTube - - they use Lemon Ammonia. If your airbag is shale colored, you’ll probably have to repaint it after you get the stickiness off - - - no problem if it’s black.
Last edited by Mickeyrx70; Nov 18, 2021 at 08:19 PM.
I had this problem and tried all sorts of stuff, including goof off. What ended up working was straight rubbing alcohol and a lot of elbow grease and scrubbing. Took about 45 minutes, but it is as good as new now.
It is my understanding that the stickiness is a breakdown of the factory plastic, for whatever reason. C&S corvettes has a great video on this, and another suggestion on a fix.
The center where the air bag is located it is REAL sticky, any idea on to clean this, is much appreciated.
Thank you all,
Jerry
I also used lemon ammonia and it did not take long to completely fix the problem...it was amazing...then i used the 303 and i am thrilled about how it looks and feels...I suffered for a long time with the sticky ****...i kept puttuing off trying to fix the problem...stupid me ...I keep wondering how long the fix will last......but i am enjoying the hell out of the feel and look so far...
Probably not the best solution, but it worked for me. I wiped mine down with a rag and lacquer thinner. It removed all the stickiness. I then wiped it down with 303 interior restorer which restored the shine without the tackiness.
Probably not the best solution, but it worked for me. I wiped mine down with a rag and lacquer thinner. It removed all the stickiness. I then wiped it down with 303 interior restorer which restored the shine without the tackiness.
you will ruin many interior surfaces if you happen to get lacquer thinner on them...just sayin
Water-based Goof off and sacrifice a few MF towels to remove the residue. The air bag material is more porous than the other interior vinyl so the stick residue is usually a result of years of topical coatings coming out of the surface. Mine was fine until a dealership service department parked my car out in the hot summer Florida sun for two days. That was five years ago and after cleaning off the residue I've applied light coatings of Aerospace 303 protectant with no problems since.
Not only will oxyclean remove the sticky, it actually solves the problem!
Something about the ingredients are the same thing used to solidify the plastic in the first place. I recall that it had to do with oxygenating the plastic.
Mix some oxyclean with a bit of water to make a paste. Use a soft toothbrush to work it into the plastic and get into the crevices. Then use a damp towel to work the surface as needed, then wipe it up. Takes a little elbow grease and a couple of applications, but it works and won’t harm anything in your interior. My wheel and some areas around switches came out like new, and no regression nine months later.
I have had this experience only on the Z06. I suspect it may be a combination of the type of plastic used and some cleaner which someone along the way had used on these cars to cause the gummy outcome. I say this because I hate slippery and greasy teflon injected cleaners which most people use on interiors. I only use water and damp wipe it down and on my 2000 and my 1999 Coupes I have never had this issue. But the problem also exists on my S600 and came with it - and it only affects one area in the car despite the same plastic material being present throughout. Just near the wheel.
That's my conspiracy theory anyway.
But the ammonia and the oxy both sound like good options to try when the time comes.
The center where the air bag is located it is REAL sticky, any idea on to clean this, is much appreciated.
Thank you all, Jerry I just bought my 1 st vette c5 triple black & wiped air bag cover with a cotton rag with ordinary windex mixed with ammonia from ace hardware . It removed all residue but not vynal color . Still sticky free 4 months later!
Jerry
...I keep wondering how long the fix will last...
...but i am enjoying the hell out of the feel and look so far...
