Best way to remove climate control buttons

A2 Louis

A2 Louis

Banned
Hi everyone as you may know climate control buttons are a pain to change unless you take the whole unit apart

Today while I was trying to get my buttons out I thought to myself if I make a small hole in the worn buttons I’m replacing and then if I put a small screwdriver in the hole and prise the buttons upwards it would come out way easier and guess what. They come out a treat

The best bit about it too is you don’t damage the side of the climate control and you don’t swear at the climate control buttons for a hour wondering the easiest way to get them out without damaging your climate control with prise marks down the side of it

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I used the end of a sharp knife to make a little hole in the button

I’m sure you guys know what I’m trying to get across :)

If you are wondering how I got the new buttons out of the donor unit I took the donor unit to bits and pressed the buttons out with my fingers :)


Before
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The finished product ?

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Hi Louis had a look at my hard touch cc from a 1998 a4 today and don't understand how to push the buttons out from the back? Do you have to cut the plastic switch housing with the metal contacts off first? Dremel? Cheers
 

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Hi nod get a flat head screwdriver in the hole I have circled and slowly pop it out

Don’t try and pop it out in the centre as the screw driver will make a hole in the plastic button ? ?

If you need anymore help just ask ?

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Thanks ?
 
Sharp veg knife slide down the side of the buttons and lever to one side,pop straight out,no messing no mess ( unless you cut your self ha)
 
P stamp said:
Sharp veg knife slide down the side of the buttons and lever to one side,pop straight out,no messing no mess ( unless you cut your self ha)
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The only problem if you do it that way is you get marks down the side of the climate control face where you try to prise the buttons off :( ?
 
You won't get any marks in the climate panel,using my method it's a lot easier nothing gets destroyed.Just be careful young lads playing with knives ha
 
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A2 Louis said:
Did you use my method?
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I already had the front panel off. I used a long Allen key with t handle to push the buttons out from the back. Some were really tight and did crack one by not being careful enough, due to the angle of the Allen key edge, not a problem as I just pushed the plastic back down. But next time I'd put a bit of duct tape or something on the end. It was pretty easy. Cheers
 
nod said:
I already had the front panel off. I used a long Allen key with t handle to push the buttons out from the back. Some were really tight and did crack one by not being careful enough, due to the angle of the Allen key edge, not a problem as I just pushed the plastic back down. But next time I'd put a bit of duct tape or something on the end. It was pretty easy. Cheers
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I forgot to also say if you put small bits of paper in there you can cushion it so you don’t crack buttons ?
 
A2 Louis said:
I forgot to also say if you put small bits of paper in there you can cushion it so you don’t crack buttons ?
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Hi Louis,

I do not want to be negative but that is exactly what you have done! You have cracked three buttons at the corner of the night illumination windows, I can see hair line cracks that were not there before (picture on another thread). This on top of the two buttons deformed with high spots!

More to say but battery about to die, maybe later.

Andy
 
Andrew said:
Hi Louis,

I do not want to be negative but that is exactly what you have done! You have cracked three buttons at the corner of the night illumination windows, I can see hair line cracks that were not there before (picture on another thread). This on top of the two buttons deformed with high spots!

More to say but battery about to die, maybe later.

Andy
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Hi Andy I removed the climate control buttons on the donor unit @P stamp’s way with a sharp knife ? Doing it my way I never have cracked them (popping them out from the back) ??
 
Rubber end of a pencil gently pushed from the back. Works every time with no panel or button damage.
 
Personally, I've only ever removed the climate control buttons by removing the fascia, then removing the circuit board and pushing the buttons out from behind with a blunt object. It means there's no chance of ruining the buttons or the fascia. On the photo below, originally posted above, you can clearly see the gouge marks in the fascia where the buttons have been prised out. I would not be a happy boy if that'd happened to my climate control panel.

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Whilst the method I describe is unquestionably more effort, I think it's worth doing.

Cheers,

Tom
 
timmus said:
Personally, I've only ever removed the climate control buttons by removing the fascia, then removing the circuit board and pushing the buttons out from behind with a blunt object. It means there's no chance of ruining the buttons or the fascia. On the photo below, originally posted above, you can clearly see the gouge marks in the fascia where the buttons have been prised out. I would not be a happy boy if that'd happened to my climate control panel.

index.php


Whilst the method I describe is unquestionably more effort, I think it's worth doing.

Cheers,

Tom
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Hi Tom I was in a rush at the time and now I wish I would of waited and took the unit out and done it your way as it would of saved the teeth marks down the side of the fascia :) :rolleyes:

If anyone wants there buttons replacing I will take the unit out of the car and pop them out from the back to save teeth marks :)
 
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