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Foggy radio display screen

6K views 24 replies 19 participants last post by  deanwoolsey 
#1 ·
My radio display screen gets a white foggy substance over the front outside surface. I can clean it with Mcguires clear plastic cleaner. But it will come back in cold wet weather or after a month or two. How do you stop this or has someone found a better cleaner?
 
#3 ·
I use denatured alcohol. It lasts until I wash the bike and then the plastic seems to absorb the residue from the detergent.
 
#4 ·
There are several cleaners including the alchohol mentioned. I have used Stoner's Invisible Glass with excellent results. I then took clear package sealing tape and put it over the display and used an Xacto knife to trim the excess. In spite of many washings and several rain storms, the display remains clear.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for all the suggestions I will try them all and may post the best results I find down the road. It would seem that BMW would have a solution for this in their new production models. As it seems to be an historic problem
 
#6 ·
paulcbrowne said:
There are several cleaners including the alchohol mentioned. I have used Stoner's Invisible Glass with excellent results. I then took clear package sealing tape and put it over the display and used an Xacto knife to trim the excess. In spite of many washings and several rain storms, the display remains clear.
Now, that's a good suggestion! Thanks Paul.
 
#8 ·
paulcbrowne said:
There are several cleaners including the alchohol mentioned. I have used Stoner's Invisible Glass with excellent results. I then took clear package sealing tape and put it over the display and used an Xacto knife to trim the excess. In spite of many washings and several rain storms, the display remains clear.
Where does one find this, Stoner's Invisible Glass? or denatured alchohol? Hope I do not sound too stupid. :) Never heard of this stuff and my display is bad.
 
#9 ·
You can pick up the denatured alchohol up at most any hardware store or the local Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. Check back in the paint department around the thinners and other type cleaners. I'm pretty sure I've bought it in the hardware section of Wal-mart before as well. Usually in a metal can.
 
#11 ·
Dezrae said:
Has any body had any joy in replacing the screen it self.
im seriously thinking about doing this. it is cracked all over the place and doesnt look good at all.
It's called a control Element. According to Chicago BMW it lists for 607.50 without Navigator prep and 657.50 with Navigator prep - PN 65147681021 or 65147685617
 
#12 ·
paulcbrowne said:
There are several cleaners including the alchohol mentioned. I have used Stoner's Invisible Glass with excellent results. I then took clear package sealing tape and put it over the display and used an Xacto knife to trim the excess. In spite of many washings and several rain storms, the display remains clear.

Ok, Thank you for the tips. I went to ACE hardware, they had the denatural alchohol, also the wax and sealing tape. We will see, so far so go, looks great. I forgot to mention that when I first had read this post I had bought rubbing alchohol instead of the denatural ooooooops, but the denatural cleared up. Thanks again.
 
#14 ·
billyboyblu said:
I just like to know how to remove the foggy radio display from the bike.
New owner...Billy Ross Oakville Ontario.
bross14@cogeco.ca
And what would you put in its place?
 
#16 ·
Doh! I guess I need to brush up on my Canadian... :D
 
#19 ·
BMW_forever said:
Denatured Alchool as suggested here DOES NOT work. At least it didn't work for me.

I tried it today, it cleared the display nicely at first then it turned white with milky substance on it. Further application did not clear it.

It is Worse now than before.
When ole Toad first exhibited the foggy radio screen, I used WD-40 on a clean cotton rag and rubbed/rubbed/rubbed until I figgered all the moisture wuz gone. Then I visited a local pharmacy and talked to the head man - he gave me some Denatured Alcohol from the back - said I wouldn't find it on the shelf in the store - and I used very little of that stuff on a rag and the screen fogginess went away. Then I overlayed the screen with some clear packing tape and cut away the excess. Stayed clear from then on. I did later replace the packing tape with some of the vinyl paint protection film, cut to shape, and that's how it is today - 9 years later. Clear and readable. JM2C,
 
#20 ·
I've tried a variety of nostrums, none of which were effective. Upon closer inspection i observed that the display suffers from pitting. When I use 99% denatured alcohol, dunk a Q-tip into it, and then keep rubbing back and forth across the dispaly, after 10 or so Q-tips I can sort of make out what the display says.

In a few days the opiety returns. Since I only use the radio for audio I feed into it via a cassette adapter I really do not need to see what the display says. If for some reasin I do need to read the display I spit on it and rub the spit over the display. That allows me to briefely read a rough outline on the display.

Guess the next step would be very fine polishing paper to get a flat surface and then plastic polic to take the scratches out?

Best from Tucson
Bob
 
#21 ·
I cleaned mine with denatured alcohol years ago and put scotch tape over it. The trick is to use as little alcohol as possible. I used a cotton ball slightly moistened, and swiped across the display only once. The denatured alcohol very aggressively attacks the display. I could see if a person uses a lot of alcohol it could ruin the display. The alcohol also attacks the surface around the display, changing it from flat black to a glossy black.
 
#24 ·
Bill wants to actually remove the display....For the rest of you guys, there is a simple answer: toothpaste "A little dab will do ya". Simply put a dab of toothpaste on a wet finger, rub the outside of the plastic display, wipe it clean. The display will be as clear as when it was new, and actually stay that way for quite awhile. It worked great on my '99 LT. Toothpaste contains a very fine polish that will clean it right up. They say it works on headlights as well, though I haven't tried it.
 
#25 ·
You can scuff it with a scotch pad and then coat it with automotive clear as in basecoat/clearcoat. Did mine three years ago and it's still perfect. Just taped it off and took it to a local body shop and asked them to hit it with a single coat on their next job. It's a lot more work but it is a permanent solution.
 
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