Knobs, Buttons, O My

majoraward · #1 (**permalink**) 01-22-09, 02:13 AM

I know there have been threads on here about the dreaded buttons and knobs being relieved of their coatings and leaving the white showing through, but I am wondering if there is a quick fix. The dealership fix was to tell me today that it would cost $1300.00 to replace the radio, and by the way, your warranty is over so you would have to foot the bill. It will be a cold day in hell when I spend that much for something like that.

It makes an otherwise beautiful car look cheap.

Has anyone found a way to fix this?

The specifics are that it is a 2005 CTS-V. It is the two knobs marked PWR/VOL & TUNE/SEL and 2 of the 6 buttons on the right above the TUNE/SEL knob, although it probably will be all of them soon. All of these are black.

Thanks,
Steve

UnsafeAtAnySpd · #2 (**permalink**) 01-22-09, 02:23 AM

You can buy just the buttons. Hit up Luke at Lindsey Cadillac. Also, currently replacement billet knobs for the big ones are available.

majoraward · #3 (**permalink**) 01-22-09, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnsafeAtAnySpd

You can buy just the buttons. Hit up Luke at Lindsey Cadillac. Also, currently replacement billet knobs for the big ones are available.

Thanks for the info.

Is it difficult to replace the knobs and buttons? It looks like the whole unit needs to be removed to replace the buttons.

I was hoping for a really easy fix like touch up paint or something like that.

pveomett · #4 (**permalink**) 01-22-09, 09:46 AM

The round knobs just pull off. The shaft that goes into the knob is D shaped, and its a little tight. Just line them up, and push them on. As for the buttons, I haven't replaced them yet. I would check www.cadillacfaq.com to see if there's a write up on that, but I would guess you just need to pop the dash off and you could leave the nav unit in place. IMO touchup paint would look even cheaper than the white showing through...

OldRoadDawg · #5 (**permalink**) 01-22-09, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by majoraward

I am wondering if there is a quick fix.

A black Sharpie pen

Quote:

Originally Posted by majoraward

Is it difficult to replace the knobs and buttons? It looks like the whole unit needs to be removed to replace the buttons.

See #26 on this thread:

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...o-buttons.html

NIK · #6 (**permalink**) 01-22-09, 11:14 AM

[quote=OldRoadDawg;1742485]A black Sharpie pen

Yep - What he said ...... can't even tell they were touched up (of course you can't wait until they're entirely white.

benb870 · #7 (**permalink**) 01-22-09, 04:05 PM

major, how bad are you radio knobs? I just replaced mine with the billet, so if you want my 2 radio knobs let me know. (free) They are in fairly good shape. I think 1 of them has a very tiny small white showing but you can only see it at night with the lights on. Just give me your address and their yours! no cost.
ben

ctsv-mjf · #8 (**permalink**) 01-22-09, 09:46 PM

Anyone try covering the buttons with a clear coat? What would you use? I'm assuming something brush-on like nail polish so you don't have to mask the whole radio.

Just wondering if there is a way to coat a fresh, unchipped button and keep it unchipped.

majoraward · #9 (**permalink**) 01-23-09, 01:19 AM

Thanks for all of the replies.

I just happened to have a black Sharpie Pen and it actually worked great! Let's see, $1300.00 versus a used Sharpie Pen - Sharpie is a winner!

Of course it is probably temporary, but it will give me time to find some new buttons and knobs.

ewill3rd · #10 (**permalink**) 01-23-09, 07:41 AM

The knobs are available through GM at any dealer.
The buttons no one seems to know how to get except us, you can always get in touch with Luke and get what you need. I am not sure on the pricing, last I heard they were $16 a piece. Kind of pricey for a button, but cheaper than the whole radio for sure.
It isn't hard, you just have to be careful. It does require removal of the radio and partial disassembly.
I have been meaning to take pictures but....
Actually the guy next to me did one yesterday.
Oh and you need a 3.2 mm nut driver. Those seem to be hard to come by.
I bought one, it cost me like $10 but I use it a lot so...

LUVMY04V · #11 (**permalink**) 01-23-09, 09:13 AM

someone needs to make a stecncil with the button names then we could fix the problem and even paint it different colors if we choose (aka gloss black flat black etc)

majoraward · #12 (**permalink**) 01-24-09, 12:24 AM

This clears up a misunderstanding I have had with the dealership. I had ordered the knobs awhile back, and the V was still under full factory warranty, but had to cancel my appointment for that day. Now it has been several weeks later and I mentioned the buttons and the knobs this time, before I hadn't mentioned the buttons because they had not started peeling so they had not mentioned the added cost of replacing the radio because it didn't need to be replaced, since I had just mentioned the knobs, and now of course it is not under full factory warranty.

So I had assumed that they were trying to rip me off, I'm glad I kept this to myself and did not act in haste.

I did purchase an additional 50,000 mile warranty from the dealership I bought the V from, and they had led me to believe that it was an addition to the original warranty, as in GM, but it isn't. They won't cover the radio replacement, although they are covering a radiator replacement 100%. So if all of this is confusing...a Sharpie Pen is not :-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewill3rd

The knobs are available through GM at any dealer.
The buttons no one seems to know how to get except us, you can always get in touch with Luke and get what you need. I am not sure on the pricing, last I heard they were $16 a piece. Kind of pricey for a button, but cheaper than the whole radio for sure.
It isn't hard, you just have to be careful. It does require removal of the radio and partial disassembly.
I have been meaning to take pictures but....
Actually the guy next to me did one yesterday.
Oh and you need a 3.2 mm nut driver. Those seem to be hard to come by.
I bought one, it cost me like $10 but I use it a lot so...

DRKSIDE · #13 (**permalink**) 01-24-09, 02:29 AM

I pulled my knobs off and hit them with a few coats of flat black paint. I can't tell the difference. As long as the coats are smooth it looks as good as the crappy stuff they covered them with. Probably more durable over time too. As for the buttons, I have not tried to stencil/tape that one off but only because mine are not that bad. Sharpie works for now. For the time spent and the money involved, I just could see spending $40 for GM knobs that would eventually do the same thing when I could spend less than $5 and 30 minutes to get a better result.

Don't know that I would go through removing the whole unit just to get to the buttons but it might take just as long to cover the entire inside of the vehicle to paint a couple of buttons. Not to mention having to cover the little white dots that you do want to stay white for visibility at night. Perhaps a steady hand and a good touch up paint would work. They make them with pen tips now so it might turn out ok if you took your time.

majoraward · #14 (**permalink**) 01-24-09, 05:01 PM

It almost boggles the mind to think that they created this really awesome vehicle that will do 165 mph, has luxury items up to the hilt and yet they created these cheap things like the knob and button coatings. The garage button on the visor does not seem to fit correctly, like someone took a modeling knife to the visor and hacked out a hole, and then the cheap wiring above on the passenger side window, and the wiring for the mirror. One other item I can think of is the center arm rest compartment, not sure what they were trying to accomplish by making it close with the gap.

Wow, that sounds negative. Okay, this is the sweetest piece of machinery I have ever owned and the second to the best car I have ever owned. The first has to be my 1963 Chevy Impala Super Sport, you never forget your first time – lol.