Anyone else having an issue with some plastic trim pieces becoming sticky and gummy? Like paddle shifters and some of the bezels around air vents? My Start Button was completely deteriorated and I found a Youtube video that helped me replace it with a spanking new one. But I'm disappointed in my sticky bits. Anyone find a reasonably affordable fix?

 

oh..there’s a couple threads on this issue with lots of suggestions on how to resolve the issue.

 

As long as the pandemic remains in force and we all must isolate, you will have plenty of time to clean the sticky coatings off your 'soft-touch' interior trim.

SEARCH the X152 forum or look on YouTube for various methods.
Here's a sample: (Edited)

 

There are some folks who have had success in cleaning them. I chose to replace the side aircon vents (was fairly easy). Try this thread and their are a few others if you do a search

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...peices-222215/

 

Oh yes. Disgusting sticky surfaces on door switches, starter button, dash switches, etc, etc. Appalling for a car in Jaguars price range, in fact any price bracket. An otherwise excellent car let down by some Jaguar interior designer or bean counter living in Birmingham, who thinks that a hot day is what he experiences in Clacton.. Here in Florida, the nasty coating on all those touch points just melts. I had everything affected replaced under warranty and the new components are of a different plastic. Obviously Jaguar is well aware of the issue, but chooses to deny it unless their back is to the wall. Way to improve market share JLR.

 

Tried it all - the hand cream rub method (but not alone in a Target parking lot like I found in a search on the forum here), fret board cleaner, Neutrogena make up remover wipes - you name it. Never worked for me on soft touch controls or surfaces.

So what I have done is hopped online on a site like Ft. Myers Jag, find the parts you need and start ordering and replacing with newer model year pieces that are made to last without the soft touch. The only pieces I have successfully cleaned and removed the goo from have been the ignus paddle shifters and side air vents using the fret cleaner soak method.

In the last year I have replaced the door handle surrounds, door handles, steering wheel surrounds and control buttons, the shifter park button and start button (only due to wear) - and will be working on putting in an order for the shifter console controls next as they have not quite turned towards the dark side. Window controls/bezels may follow shortly, but not really all that sticky yet.

 

Yes, the stickiness, mostly produced by heat and sun, is unfortunate. But the knee-jerk reaction of assuming that this is a sign of poor quality is simply wrong. Other luxury manufacturers had exactly the same issue of the "soft touch" button surfaces turning sticky. Don't believe me? Check out the Maserati, Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes...forums. The "sticky button" problem is there on every one....so regarding "bean counters" and their choices, I think it can be assumed that a soft-coated finish costs more, not less, than a hard surface on controls.

For the record, no sign whatever of a sticky finish in my F-Type, but then, I don't let it bake in the sun.

 

What’s a good resource to pick up replacement trim? Website or dealership?

 

I'm not convinced that heat is the only component. Some owners who live in various areas have complained about the coatings getting sticky and garage their cars. IMO, I think it has more to do with specific lotions (whether hand or sun lotions). I recall one time jumping into my car and putting my hand on the steering wheel. It immediately felt a little sticky. I don't recall what lotion I had used, but I did have some on my hands (I typically wash my hands after applying any sun lotion or similar). My car was cold and in the garage. I think the fact that this issue happens with cars in sunny locations is possible to be more related to higher use of skin protection lotions.

 

Wow. That's a stretch. It is inferior quality components where the plasticizers leach out when exposed to high ambients. I'm betting that JRL never did any product testing in climates hotter than Cornwall. You can be sure that Hyundai or Kia never have these problems, or my previous BMWs come to that. And to blame it on hand lotions is well...
My Dealer in Tampa told me that the only way they could remove the sticky surface layer is to tediously remove it with m ake up remover alcohol pads. The alcohol will dissolve the goop. But fortunately they replaced all my dash components under warranty. Note that the newer cars, say 2020 F type has a totally different plastic material.

 

You might well be right about this, and it is probably a combination of factors that causes the problem (which, as I wrote above, is by no means a "Jaguar problem" - virtually every luxury car manufacturer has found the same issue, and all because they thought they were providing a better, not cheaper, finish).
The other problem that some find with the controls on the F-Type -particularly the stop/start switch, is caused by drivers repeatedly hitting the control with the edge of their nail rather than the pad of the finger - and then there is the occasional complaint about the wear to the leather on the driver's seat bolster - there was a recent thread on this in which the wear was attributed to Jaguar using poor quality leather (they do not) instead of putting the blame where it should be put: the driver sliding against the bolster repeatedly on getting in and out of the car. This damage is common to every make of premium car with leather trim because it has little or nothing to do with the leather and everything to do with the way the leather is abused. One responder even said that if Jaguar had used vinyl on the bolster the problem would not exist (!!!). Oy....

And a simple google search turns up interesting things. Just enter "Mercedes problem:leather (or Bentley, or Audi, or...) and read what comes up; you will find complaints about cracking, fading, seat bolster wear...in the end it is a combination of factors, sun, heat, lack of conditioner use, carelessness...which governs how the leather looks after a decade or two or in the case of my 1966 Mk 2 Jaguar, more than 5 decades.
Do our cars have problems? Of course they do and so do Bugattis and Bentleys. They are machines subject to manufacturing defects and very often abuse, either active (sliding acoss the bolster, hitting the buttons with the edge of the finger nail) or passive, not using a leather conditioner, leaving the car in the sun, neglecting oil changes...). The frequent rush to blame the manufacturer is often unwarranted.

 

I dunno.
For years now I was happy that I had zero sticky plastic bits. Scratched P button and Start button yes (from the previous owners) which I replaced with new, but no sticky bits anywhere. I put it down to the car rarely if ever sitting out in the sun (putting aside driving on a sunny day).
But a few weeks ago I noticed that the steering wheel top cover piece had become a bit sticky but only on the left side right by the steering wheel. I thought it must be due to touching it with my grubby mitts and leaving secretions, but then I realised I never touch that part anyway. And it was in mid winter so nothing to do with getting hot.
It's a mystery!

 

Women will hit buttons with their finger nails. That is an issue to be addressed by auto manufacturers, not a criticism of their customers. But that tends to be an old British attitude. Sinilarly, the leather in my F type is of lower quality than my other cars and shows cracking on the edge of the driver's seat at 7,000 miles. And I am super careful with all my cars. The Jaguar leather quality is no where near, say Lexus, BMW or Mercedes. Seems that is another of their cost cutting areas. Such a shame, Callum designs an awesome looking car, installs a beast of a V8S, and then is let down by Marmite covered touch points and cracked leather.

 

The Jag dealer said that they use small alcohol soaked pads (I think they may be makeup remover, or band aid prep pads) and laboriously scrub the sticky off the surface. Hope that helps.

 

You seem insistent on the notion of "cost cutting" and inferior quality materials. To the long list of premium car manufacturers with the sticky button issue, you can add Porsche and Lamborghini...unless you want to believe that Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes, Bentley, Lexus, Volvo, Porsche and Lamborghini are cutting corners too (because all of them have the same sticky-button issue) you have to accept that they all used the soft-touch finish because it was considered a premium finish, not a cheap solution. And Jaguar leather (especially the Windsor leather) is first grade - Jaguar has always used premium leathers in its cars - soft and supple, with the very best used in it top-line models. German cars tend to use a more heavily grained leather, different, but not better. So if your F-type leather is showing any deterioration, I have to ask which leather conditioner you are using?

 

Try this one.
https://www.suburbanautoparts.com/v-...s--5-0l-v8-gas

 

Well, I didn't realize that all these manufacturers you mentioned have the same issue as my F type. So it sounds like we shouldn't be critical of Jaguar after all and consider this normal for more expensive cars. Live and learn I guess.

 

My buddies 2018 portofino already has the melty goeyness of sticky bits! Gorgeous Italian redhead, slumming with interior trim!

 

Exactly right. But one thing to be learned is that leather, including the leather used in modern cars needs to be regularly conditioned with a non-silicone formula conditioner (and there are a numbervof good conditioners of this type. My favourite for the F-Type leathervis the AutoGlym Leather Balm, but I also use Lexol). The point is the keep the leather surface soft and supple to prevent cracking and to hep prevent abrasion of the colour surface. Some of the formulas use microdroplets, which despite statements to the contrary, can be absorbed by the keather through the colour surface. The sticky buttons? No advice on prevention except to sayvthat heat seems to be one possible cause and, quite possibly, any sort of lotion we might have on our hands. But time might be a factor too.

 

Personally, I just think whatever plasticized or rubberized compound they came up with started to deteriorate much more rapidly than they expected it to. I've seen this happen on lots of cars, but typically they're much older (think early/mid 2000's crown vic steering wheel radio controls). I'd also be willing to bet that UV and heat just accelerate that process.

Anyone that's been successful in cleaning the buttons, has it removed any of the markings from them? As in, when you finally get the sticky stuff off, does it damage the image of the exhaust pipes or the autostart logo on those buttons below the shifter?

If those graphics are embedded in the plastic of the control and removing the soft touch coating doesn't touch them, I'd go at it with Goo Gone or something like that rather than fiddling with makeup removers or anything else. Just don't go too aggressive on the adhesive removers to something like TarX or it'll wreck the plastic too.