Climate panel refurbishment - soft touch buttons and more

bento

Member
Hi there,

As I want to install heated seats I needed to get a climate panel with the rolling switches. It was not an easy hunting as my car equipped with double DIN radio, RNS-D.
Finally I got one from a Norwegian breaker, do me the favor not to ask how much it was at the end of the day... and it was definitely not a clean piece.
I started to make my usual research on the topic, I read some dozen dozen articles, posts, saw many videos. It turned out that the only way which gives satisfying result is the painting, that is to remove the panel, take it apart, clean the buttons and facia, get masking stickers with the pictograms and apply them, paint and do these backwards. Sound easy.
First I had to get the masking stuff, which I got from a Bulgarian guy who's name I read on A2OC, Borislav Rumenov Petrov. I purchased 2 sets, was 35 euros to have them at home.
20201229_160858.jpg
The second problem was the paint. There is no consensus about it, so after reading about so many paints I choose Tamiya TS82 black rubber spray.
I removed the panel, took it apart. Not big deal, but you need a torx screwdriver no3 (as I remember) which is quite small, not obvious that you have one at home. Unscrew the facia then pull carefully (you have to pull out the vent motor's connector that's why need to pull it carefully but with minimum force, take care of the cable as well), then need to unscrew the electronic panel from the facia. After this from the backside of the facia you can push out the buttons carefully with some wood wand like the handle of a small brush. But before that take a good photo of the front and the back!!
20210221_104338.jpg
(Don't forget to remove the vent itself too, because you have to clean it, just see my pics...)
20210221_150548.jpg20210221_101759.jpg20210221_101819.jpg20210221_102359.jpg
I removed the rest of the paint with the rubbing side of a sponge and with my nails in warm water+ dish soap, 2-3 minutes per button. Rinsed them and dry. I did the same to the facia too but don't forget that you can not clean it to white as the buttons because the facia is black in its material, you only have some white where the seat heating pictogram is. So you need to look at thoroughly if all the black soft touch paint removed yet.
20210221_141030.jpg20210221_180353.jpg
Then you apply the stickers... I'm a patient guy but it blew my mind! Took more than 2 hours and have to do it very carefully. First you pull off the frame of the pictogram and if you have tiny pieces inside the pictogram you need to pull them off too. This is very nerve-wracking mainly with the complicated pictograms like seat heating. I used a precision modeling knife and tweezers.
20210221_193734.jpg
Then take piece of transparent tape, push it on the pictogram and pull it off with the pictogram on its sticky side. Pull it over the right button (to find out which goes where use you photos taken) align it and push on the tape with the pictogram then gently pull off only the tape. Sounds easy? You'll see man...
20210221_202904.jpg
This is where I'm now. Come back after painting and removing the masking stickers, I'm very curious about the result, how the colour matches with the radio and the dash itself. :)
 
Hi there,

As I want to install heated seats I needed to get a climate panel with the rolling switches. It was not an easy hunting as my car equipped with double DIN radio, RNS-D.
Finally I got one from a Norwegian breaker, do me the favor not to ask how much it was at the end of the day... and it was definitely not a clean piece.
I started to make my usual research on the topic, I read some dozen dozen articles, posts, saw many videos. It turned out that the only way which gives satisfying result is the painting, that is to remove the panel, take it apart, clean the buttons and facia, get masking stickers with the pictograms and apply them, paint and do these backwards. Sound easy.
First I had to get the masking stuff, which I got from a Bulgarian guy who's name I read on A2OC, Borislav Rumenov Petrov. I purchased 2 sets, was 35 euros to have them at home.
View attachment 77019
The second problem was the paint. There is no consensus about it, so after reading about so many paints I choose Tamiya TS82 black rubber spray.
I removed the panel, took it apart. Not big deal, but you need a torx screwdriver no3 (as I remember) which is quite small, not obvious that you have one at home. Unscrew the facia then pull carefully (you have to pull out the vent motor's connector that's why need to pull it carefully but with minimum force, take care of the cable as well), then need to unscrew the electronic panel from the facia. After this from the backside of the facia you can push out the buttons carefully with some wood wand like the handle of a small brush. But before that take a good photo of the front and the back!!
View attachment 77014
(Don't forget to remove the vent itself too, because you have to clean it, just see my pics...)
View attachment 77020View attachment 77015View attachment 77016View attachment 77017
I removed the rest of the paint with the rubbing side of a sponge and with my nails in warm water+ dish soap, 2-3 minutes per button. Rinsed them and dry. I did the same to the facia too but don't forget that you can not clean it to white as the buttons because the facia is black in its material, you only have some white where the seat heating pictogram is. So you need to look at thoroughly if all the black soft touch paint removed yet.
View attachment 77018View attachment 77021
Then you apply the stickers... I'm a patient guy but it blew my mind! Took more than 2 hours and have to do it very carefully. First you pull off the frame of the pictogram and if you have tiny pieces inside the pictogram you need to pull them off too. This is very nerve-wracking mainly with the complicated pictograms like seat heating. I used a precision modeling knife and tweezers.
View attachment 77022
Then take piece of transparent tape, push it on the pictogram and pull it off with the pictogram on its sticky side. Pull it over the right button (to find out which goes where use you photos taken) align it and push on the tape with the pictogram then gently pull off only the tape. Sounds easy? You'll see man...
View attachment 77023
This is where I'm now. Come back after painting and removing the masking stickers, I'm very curious about the result, how the colour matches with the radio and the dash itself. :)
Terriffic work. I have considered these but not had the nerve to try them. I await your next installment!

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk
 
This is one type of refurbishment that I’m sure EVERY member would be interested in. Would coating any ‘soft touch’ buttons in Matt lacquer affect the look and longevity?
 
We will see how this tamiya paint gonna work. If it's a disappointment at the next try I'm gonna use some kind of matt acryl.
 
Hi Ian,

You mean the seat heating? I need to order the loom (this week's task) and need the "green" connector under the seat or something instead.
For the wiring I need to remove lots of trims, not an easy job, waiting for nice weather as I have no garage. And need some more research about the trim removal because I don't want to make any harm to the plastic parts.

George
 
Hi Ian,

You mean the seat heating? I need to order the loom (this week's task) and need the "green" connector under the seat or something instead.
For the wiring I need to remove lots of trims, not an easy job, waiting for nice weather as I have no garage. And need some more research about the trim removal because I don't want to make any harm to the plastic parts.

George
Ok, give me a shout if you need any help. You will need to remove the whole centre section under the hand brake and the lower dash board panel, but it’s straight forward really.
 
I actually offer a refurbishment service for those without the patience or dexterity to do it themselves.
I use a matt acrylic paint but then use a satin lacquer top coat to give a hard touch finish.
Prices attached.
James
 

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I actually offer a refurbishment service for those without the patience or dexterity to do it themselves.
I use a matt acrylic paint but then use a satin lacquer top coat to give a hard touch finish.
Prices attached.
James
What's your waiting list like at the moment for a climate without heated seat rollers?
 
Hi,
The current waiting list is 8 weeks. I can add your name and contact you when you're in the top 5 if you want.
James
 
Just wonedered, any update on how the Tamiya paint worked out, is it a good match?
Thanks for the question! It makes me clear that the my project literally stopped at the point you see above somewhere... I hope I can go on with the painting the next few weeks and promise I will come back with the experiences as I got any. :)
 
I actually offer a refurbishment service for those without the patience or dexterity to do it themselves.
I use a matt acrylic paint but then use a satin lacquer top coat to give a hard touch finish.
Prices attached.
James
Very nice job James, hats off! I encourage everybody who are not very patient to do the process at James! I'm gonna get to the end of mine but sure not to do the same again. :)
 
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