[mijd44]

I've only owned my GT for a few months and know the detailer at the dealership where I bought my Pontiac. He swears he didn't use any type of cleaner that would cause this problem, however the surface on the top of the steering column is sticky as if caused by a chemical reaction. Nothing will clean it, so I was thinking of maybe sealing the surface? I seen this happen on mid to late 2000's Lexus sedan dashboards. No repairing this, the entire dashboard has to be replaced. This isn't so much a function problem but it looks bad with cloth threads and shop towel pieces stuck to it. Anyone else notice this or maybe it was the detailer's fault after all. Thanks for sharing

 

[INDY86]

Hard to give an answer since I have no idea how and what the detailer did . I suggest cleaning with armoral cleaning wipes first and then finish with their leather wipes . I hope this works for you .

 

[dxG6]

If the wheel is leather you can clean it.
If it's plastic, yes, some rubbery plastics will deteriorate and become sticky. Nothing will 'clean' that. Not the detailer's fault. You can take the wheel off and spray it with plasti-dip. But it's easier to just get a replacement from eBay.

 

[Sean McLaughlin]

I recently rented a car that had this problem. Everything on the dash was sticky. It might be some kind of sanitizing spray or wipe due to covid-19 sanitizing. The car i rented had it all over the dash, the steering wheel, and all the windows and windshield. It was almost impossible to see out the glass and to clean it off. Just a thought.

 

[jtapoling]

Whatever you do try in small out of site areas first. Use a product like Goo Gone (not Goof Off) or Isopropyl Alcohol to try and remove whatever is sticky. If after using that you still have a sticky surface then more than likely the surface stickiness is a chemical reaction and can't be fixed. I spent many years detailing cars and don't recall a detail specific cleaner that would turn plastic into a sticky mess. I have however seen products like brake cleaner, throttle body cleaner and paint thinner totally rip through plastics making them do exactly as you are describing. Once used, the plastic is ruined and replacement is the only remedy.

 

[mijd44]

I recently rented a car that had this problem. Everything on the dash was sticky. It might be some kind of sanitizing spray or wipe due to covid-19 sanitizing. The car i rented had it all over the dash, the steering wheel, and all the windows and windshield. It was almost impossible to see out the glass and to clean it off. Just a thought.

My company rents moving trucks on the side. At the start of the pandamic, the main office sent out memos and bottles of disinfectant to all their agents. Some agents used it as like lysol spray instead of a cleaner that should be diluted and/or wipe rinsed afterwards. This resulted in spots on the inside windshield and left a sticky residue on dashboards, seats, etc. The cleaner actual etched plastic trim and some mirrors. Total mess.

 

[mijd44]

If the wheel is leather you can clean it.
If it's plastic, yes, some rubbery plastics will deteriorate and become sticky. Nothing will 'clean' that. Not the detailer's fault. You can take the wheel off and spray it with plasti-dip. But it's easier to just get a replacement from eBay.

Thanks for your reply. The wheel itself is leather and has not been affected. It's the plastic piece that covers the airbag that has the Pontiac logo in the middle. I was wondering if I could replace this piece without the airbag expanding or triggering?

 

[mijd44]

Whatever you do try in small out of site areas first. Use a product like Goo Gone (not Goof Off) or Isopropyl Alcohol to try and remove whatever is sticky. If after using that you still have a sticky surface then more than likely the surface stickiness is a chemical reaction and can't be fixed. I spent many years detailing cars and don't recall a detail specific cleaner that would turn plastic into a sticky mess. I have however seen products like brake cleaner, throttle body cleaner and paint thinner totally rip through plastics making them do exactly as you are describing. Once used, the plastic is ruined and replacement is the only remedy.

Thanks for your answers. I'll try the Goo Gone and acetone to see if those work and if not, I'll replace the cover.