Tidying up radio/aircon

[pbarlow0032]

Hi All,

My car is 9 years old with a little over 100k miles on the clock. Some of the buttons have worn away (radio, + - on aircon etc). Other than getting a B7 aircon unit (which I think is a little complicated to fit?) and replacing my stereo with a new one, is there any way to make the buttons look a bit better? I'm pretty certain you can't just buy buttons, so has anyone used a specific type of paint or pen to make them look a bit better?



Just looking for a cheap and easy fix if anyone has one?

Thanks all, and Merry Xmas!

 

[Neilb1]

i honestly dont think there is a way really the vw and audi trim is crap in my opinion they have a rubber coating on everything and over time it wears of just like your has, as well as mine nit as back as your but it is on it's way

 

[Andi25th]

Unfortunately replacements are the only easy fix.

 

[demus]

i honestly dont think there is a way really the vw and audi trim is crap in my opinion they have a rubber coating on everything and over time it wears of just like your has, as well as mine nit as back as your but it is on it's way

Not as quickly as it will in a BMW I've noticed a few times...

You could maybe find some decent second hand units on Fleabay and swap buttons, mine arn't too bad at 100k, female finger nails are the culprits....

 

[pbarlow0032]

Yes I'd read it's female fingernails that do the damage! I'm sure I'd read somewhere that you can't just replace buttons, maybe I'm getting confused and its just that you can't buy individual buttons....

nobody have a clue what they use for the outside coating?

 

[simon.m]

it can be fixed if you dont mind taking the buttons off i did a few before take the buttons out and sand them down so you can see no old paint on it. poor a bit into a lid then just lightly dip the button in it then when dry you can use a small flat head screewdriver to re do the lines i can give you the paint colour i used if you like picked it up from crafts

 

[Mike.M]

I just bought another cheap unit and swapped the buttons I needed. Others are in the garage as spares

 

[VagCabby]

Shame I just sold my mint condition concert radio on eBay afew weeks ago after my rns-e retrofit, only got £45 for it, would have been a bargain for you.

 

[Neilb1]

now that sounds a lot of hard work and fiddley

 

[dpbayly]

Just spotted these, shame there's no pics of a set fitted....

Audi A4 B6 8E climate control peeling buttons clima button repair restore | eBay

 

[stu_m]

Very interesting I might buy a set of those and be the guinea pig

 

[pbarlow0032]

Thanks for that link, might be exactly what I need. Does say its not compatible with the cabriolet, but I've emailed the guy to check, and stu_m if you get them, will you post up pics/quick review as to whether they are any good please?

shame I missed that cheap concert stereo :-(

 

[Neilb1]

i will be interested to see if these look ok

 

[Turkster]

i got my newer buttons off other units, ebay mate,

 

[demus]

Very interesting I might buy a set of those and be the guinea pig

Post some photo's if you do mate and wouldn't mind, be interesting to see how good they look...

 

[stu_m]

well I will be getting a set I have just made an offer so if it gets accepted then I will have a set on the way

 

[pbarlow0032]

Hi stu, did the stickers arrive? Do they look any good?

 

[stu_m]

Not received them yet

they are been shipped from abroad

 

[tbs]

My am button was scratched up.... so I fine brush painted it with the Halfords matt black plastic bumper paint. 3 coats. ( spray into the lid and then dip the brush in that) Obviously no am type to see now but for 3 minutes work it looks fine and less obvious.

 

[stu_m]

so received these buttons the other day and fitted them

They are pretty good and do look OEM but yep there's always a but! they are not big enough to cover the full button

If you clean all the black off like the instructions suggest then you are left with white edges! but I think a black marker pen or paint will soon sort that out

also the front and rear screen stickers are really small and the centre part of the sticker is a ****** to get in!

I was a bit cack handed and one or two arent very straight!

 

[stu_m]

Heres a pic

note the auto button has been left

 

[Neilb1]

hmmm look ok wonder what they would stick like if you had not removed the black

 

[stu_m]

I think they would show any imperfections up through them so if you had an edge where the black stopped I think it would show!

 

[cruisinbeatz]

They look good but what if the buttons were sprayed matt black first then the stickers stuck over the top? or even plastidip?

 

[Mike.M]

Not to my taste but ok as a temporary fix

 

[VagCabby]

if it were mine I would have stripped the unit down, maskup the face of the buttons with a 1mm gap to the edge then spray matt black as said above , remove the masking then apply the sticker, that way you don't get the white edges and they look more OEM. I assume that when the lights are on all the edges glow red due to there being no paint on the edges.

 

[stu_m]

if it were mine I would have stripped the unit down, maskup the face of the buttons with a 1mm gap to the edge then spray matt black as said above , remove the masking then apply the sticker, that way you don't get the white edges and they look more OEM. I assume that when the lights are on all the edges glow red due to there being no paint on the edges.

Yeah that is what I would advise to do

I have been meaning to get a marker pen and just touch it up

when the lights are on the edges glow white and to be honest they don't look too bad the hot and cold buttons actually look great with the red and blue showing around the edge!