Wear & Tear hvac knobs - door armrest

[Quijote]

Hi, if you want to save money take a butter knife and put it behind the knob edges and pop it out around the edges, you’ll have to do this around each knob.

I soaked them in soapy water, then used a green scotch-brite style pad to get the gummy stuff off. I then sprayed about 3 coats of Rubberized spray, you can use Plastidip but I found that the Rustoleum spray came out in a finer mist and dries very smooth. I did this because after I removed the gunk and re-installed the knobs they had no grip on them and it was annoying to turn on the AC. Now they have grip and actually look stock.

Here’s a photo I took today after spraying them.

Looks nice, but were new knobs cost-prohibitive? Even with outrageous LR pricing I can't imagine being more than a few tens of dollars total.

 

[iconoclast]

exactly. such a nice vehicle deserves the right treatment. we're not talking about a twenty year old sh!tbox here or a teenager's first car with a shoestring budget.

 

[anamorphic]

Looks nice, but were new knobs cost-prohibitive? Even with outrageous LR pricing I can't imagine being more than a few tens of dollars total.

exactly. such a nice vehicle deserves the right treatment. we're not talking about a twenty year old sh!tbox here or a teenager's first car with a shoestring budget.

Do whatever you want, looks great to me so I was just giving you an option. I don’t care if my AC controls have factory rubber coating. If you want to flex your money go buy a new Disco 5.

 

[Frank8]

Hi, if you want to save money take a butter knife and put it behind the knob edges and pop it out around the edges, you’ll have to do this around each knob.

I soaked them in soapy water, then used a green scotch-brite style pad to get the gummy stuff off. I then sprayed about 3 coats of Rubberized spray, you can use Plastidip but I found that the Rustoleum spray came out in a finer mist and dries very smooth. I did this because after I removed the gunk and re-installed the knobs they had no grip on them and it was annoying to turn on the AC. Now they have grip and actually look stock.

Here’s a photo I took today after spraying them.

Thanks! I didn’t know this stuff existed. Duhh.
Perfect for another application. Glad you posted this

Frank[/QUOTE]

 

[Huy Tran]

Do whatever you want, looks great to me so I was just giving you an option. I don’t care if my AC controls have factory rubber coating. If you want to flex your money go buy a new Disco 5.

There's lots to be said about some good old fashion ingenuity and general DIY know how. That's what makes these forums so helpful. Also makes owning these beasts more enjoyable.
As far as knobs, I just left them "raw" after cleaning off the rubber. Easier to clean and don't have to worry about anything peeling ever again. I don't think there is an impact to the overall grip and function.

 

[anamorphic]

There's lots to be said about some good old fashion ingenuity and general DIY know how. That's what makes these forums so helpful. Also makes owning these beasts more enjoyable.
As far as knobs, I just left them "raw" after cleaning off the rubber. Easier to clean and don't have to worry about anything peeling ever again. I don't think there is an impact to the overall grip and function.

Very much agreed! OP asked not to replace the entire console which in my research has been the only way to get new knobs, at a $280 price tag, no need for that.

 

[tester]

Ah - leather on door issue is same one I have. Just this past summer it showed up exactly where my elbow sits and then the side of my hand. Never seen this in a car ever - I do think it's an issue of the car gets hot and then I wonder if maybe something on my arm like suntan lotion caused the leather to "melt".

On fixing - so it sounds like I need to get an entire interior panel replacement -- the area with wear is not a small seperate piece of the interior door trim?

 

[tester]

I had a problem with a sticky streering wheel for a couple of years, it was OK except in hot weather. Eventually used methylated spririts and kitchen tissues with lots of elbow grease to clean it. I decided that handgel was the culprit, used when getting back into the car. I suppose suntan lotion may have the same effect.

 

[Quijote]

Do whatever you want, looks great to me so I was just giving you an option. I don’t care if my AC controls have factory rubber coating. If you want to flex your money go buy a new Disco 5.

Someone is defensive.

Just for the record, you brought up buying a new D5 ($70k+ car) because I suggested the possibility of spending a few tens of dollars on new, factory parts instead of all the work you put in without the guarantee of success. It appears to have turned out well, but you did not know that would be the case.

I am all for solutions and working on my LR4. But if $40 gets me new, OEM knobs, it's a no-brainer, IMO.

Best of luck with your knobs.

I'll tell you as an mechanical design engineer that the paint you sprayed doesn't stand a chance at holding up as well as the factory knobs - not with heat cycles, oils, friction, etc. Hopefully it will last you long enough to have been worthwhile.

So much for trying to be helpful.

 

[Quijote]

Very much agreed! OP asked not to replace the entire console which in my research has been the only way to get new knobs, at a $280 price tag, no need for that.

I simply asked the question of if the knobs could be purchased individually for a few dollars each. If the answer is indeed $280, then clearly his solution is totally worthwhile.

Everybody chill out.