Sticky Situation

Hello All!
I have an issue perhaps someone has the answer to. Over the summer, my son spilled some syrup on my center console and the AC button was sticky for awhile. I cleaned it to the best of my ability with alcohol and thought it was the end of the issue. However, now that winter has hit the Midwest, it is an issue. Whenever I warm my car and turn the defrost on the AC pops on, and seems like its 'gummy' inside of the button area. Am I able to pop the button off and clean behind there or do I have to buy what looks like a $800 part and replace the whole heating/cooling center? Thanks in advance!

This is normal behavior. The A/C system is turned on to dehumidify the air, which causes the windshield to defog.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=400164

My issue is when I press the button to turn it off, it does not want to disengage...how can I correct this. Im sure the syrup and cold weather has caused it to not shut off when I press the button

Mentioning the year and model may get you some answers. Also. blaming your son does not help

I will continue to blame the culprit lol! He had to have French toast sticks that day! Its is a 2010 Jetta. I will get other specs...not sure at the moment

Alcohol or pretty much any other solvent won't cut the sugar in the syrup. Water is your friend here. It's just about the only thing that will dissolve the sugar and warm water would be best. You really need to get it apart if possible to get to where the sticky actually is. I have actually ran keyboards through the dishwasher before to get coke out of them after someone spilled it in there.
jb

Thank you alco_539t. Im hoping that I can just pop the button off and clean in there good. Just frightened that I may ruin it attempting that.

This is a picture of the console. Does anyone know if I am able to just pop the button off and clean the area and pop the button back into place?

in order to defrost, your AC must be on. its normal. no need to throw money at no problem at all.

I want to be able to turn it off without pressing it several times is my concern actually

Sorry,
I don't know if it just pops out and then goes back together easily or not. I have a 2015 and it's designed a little bit differently. I suspect that it can be dissembled but I am not positive. I had on 02 Jetta and I had the same issue with it. It came right apart to clean and went right back together. That was a poor design with the cup holder above the radio and A/C controls. You hit a big bump and whatever sticky thing you were drinking went all down the front making all the buttons sticky...

You will probably need a new control head. It is a solid state electronic device, and likely is not easy to take apart, and even if you could, the only thing that would clean it would be warm water, and THAT may damage it just the same.

You can take the center stack apart and take the control head out and see if you can get it apart, clips or screws, but it may be a case of it is put together in such a way as it does not come apart.

Those control units are not cheap. If I looked it up correctly, yours is 3C8-907-336-AH-ZJU and they are about $350. Good news is, they rarely fail, so you may be able to source a used one.

Try this if you can't get it apart...
1. Disconnect the battery.
2. Get a generic spray bottle and fill it with warm water.
3. Get a shop vac ready.
4. Spray the button while working it and vacuuming the water out at the same time
5. Once it seems to work properly again dry it out the best you can with the vac.
6. Put a fan on it and let it dry out good for a day or 2.
7. Reconnect battery and see if all is well.
If you end up having to replace it anyway what do you have to lose?
Water won't hurt the electronics IF you disconnect the power first and make sure everything is completely dry BEFORE you power it back up. Like I stated earlier I have ran keyboards through the dishwasher. I have also washed out large electric motors. I even took a large commercial power amp that had been through a building fire to a car wash one time to wash the smoke and and nasty firefighter water out of it. We let it dry out for about a week. That thing actually still worked too but boy did it look sad!

I think you can try the warm water and see what happens, however, I also think it's just the way it works based on your words of how it's acting.
I would use warm water and a vacuum as started earlier, or another dry rag to absorb the water. Those electronics aren't that sensitive to water.

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There is a processor inside the control head, and they are most certainly very sensitive to getting wet.