aar0n

This is a weird question...

I have an '09 MDX with Tech Package (Navi). While cleaning the interior, some chemical spilled behind the radio/HVAC control display (the one right below the air vents, not the nav screen). Unfortunately I used too much, and some of it seeped under the cover and dried there. In my infinite wisdom, I later tried to blow some of it out with canned air and that made it worse (some flakes of it blew upward onto the display itself).

I found instructions on the net on how to remove the dashboard trim in order to pull out the whole stack unit. I was hoping that with the trim off, I'd be able to lift the cover off the display by the edges and clean behind it. But when I got to that point, the cover wasn't budging with some moderate pressure, and I didn't want to break it or make things worse if it was on there with glue or something. (It's entirely possible that you just have to pull harder, but again, lacking instructions on how to remove the cover, I was worried about damaging it.)

The parts counter at my dealer claims you cannot order this part separately from the whole unit, and the technician I talked to says they don't ever need to service the display itself. But unfortunately, since the whole thing is not sealed, liquids can get under there and hurt the optics.

It's minor in the grand scheme of things but I'll like to fix it if there's a DIY solution. Thanks!

007Acura

i don't know if this will help but did you try blowing steam behind it?

aar0n

Interesting idea, I don't have anything that generates steam except a clothes iron though. I guess the steam may be able to lift the tiny particles off the display through the cracks? Now that everything is dry I may try blowing air into it again, but with an air compressor or something more powerful than the canned air.

Thanks for the tip.

josephle

Have you found a solution? I have the same problem on my MDX.

aar0n

So luckily most of the gunk was stuck in the lower portion along the bottom edge. I was actually able to fold the corner of a piece of paper, slip it through the crack above the HVAC buttons, and rub it around, to unstick most of it. What's left just looks like dust under the display, and you really only notice when the sun is shining on it.

I'm afraid I don't have any solution other than that. I got shy about trying the steam thing, since I solved 90% of the problem with the paper. I'm happy enough with the result that I don't want to risk making it worse by trying to make it perfect.