Help! The Exploding Ginger Ale Saga

blue · July 1, 2004

That should read, GINGER ale saga.

I've got a 2002 ES300. Not to be too dramatic, but I had a ginger ale mishap in my car and am now going crazy. I opened the bottle of ginger ale (Vernors) with too much pressure and it soaked my dash. Namely, my radio and environment controls. I tried immediately cleaning a couple of different ways.

Unfortunately, starting the next day and ever since then (this has been a couple of months), many of the buttons stick. I had hoped that the residue would wear off eventually, but that has not happened. Can't tell you how frustrating it is to try to push a button that should be smooth as silk only to have to make it go "CLICK".

I imagine the only way to address this is to take the dash off and clean each individual button... so (AT LONG LAST, MY QUESTION) how do I take the dash off? I'm reasonably mechanically able, other than the handling of gingle ale bottles, and should be able to follow directions. I simply have no idea how to get the dash off.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

SKperformance · July 1, 2004

tooth pick with spray nine and about 4 huors of time maybe less then use compressed air in a can to remove the rest

bdonkersgoed · July 1, 2004

Man, that sucks SOOO bad! What an unfortunate incident! I would be so *BLEEP*ed off at myself if I did something like that, especially to a 2002! :wacko:

My sympathies!

Bryan

blue · July 1, 2004

I can't even describe how annoyed I was. But, oh well.

Having it still happen has me annoyed to the point of buying a manual for the vehicle to figure out how to get the dash off. Hence the posting here (have you seen how expensive the service manuals are ?!)

steviej · July 1, 2004

That should read, GINGER ale saga.

I fixed it for you.

sj

mburnickas · July 1, 2004

Don't feel bad, I did the same thing when I was a kid to my fathers brand new truck with a cola can in the Massachusetts winter! Did the same thing when I had my truck that first winter with a can of beer! Nothing like cleaning beer off the headliner at 5:30 am...I can laugh now...

bdonkersgoed · July 2, 2004

Don't feel bad, I did the same thing when I was a kid to my fathers brand new truck with a cola can in the Massachusetts winter! Did the same thing when I had my truck that first winter with a can of beer! Nothing like cleaning beer off the headliner at 5:30 am...I can laugh now...

Now, what is an open can of beer doing in your truck in the first place? :P Just joking :)

Bryan

steviej · July 2, 2004

not to mention at 5:30am.

just kidding, too.

sj

mburnickas · July 2, 2004

:D sure.... kick the guy...kidding.

I went out to go to work and then open the door and BAM, smells weird in here....Then the sucky part comes. ..No I have OCD when I leave my car thanks to that day. :P

Lexusfreak · July 3, 2004

That is why I only allow bottled water in my ES lol B) Last week, I phoned my wife from work & she spilled the whole glass of cranberry juice on my Vista 350 phone ($350 phone with all the toy's back in the day) & pooched the thing! :chairshot: I feel your pain! All programmed numbers (50 of em) are gone & half of these people don't have e-mail nor did I memorize their numbers lol. Now I have to e-mail as many people as I can to get their numbers again :rolleyes: