Repair Question

[mikejack5]

I'm guessing because of the scorching heat that is being experienced in the Northeast part of the country (Its been 100 degrees the past two days), one of the radio buttons on my car came off and another two are loose. I have a 1998 Camry, four cylinder.

How would I go about attaching the button? Would I just use some superglue on the edges and put it back on or would something like silicon be needed? I'm open to any and all suggestions. Thanks.

[abew330]

factory radio?

i would think make some kinda of clip(inside the button) that holds the button?

[93celicaconv]

Factory Toyota radio buttons are held in by very small tabs on the button itself, which hold them into the faceplate. If you took the faceplate off of the radio, then took the circuit board out of the faceplate, the buttons would all fall out towards the inside of the radio (nothing holding them from falling in).

In your case, the buttons may have warped ever so slightly from the heat that the tabs aren't spread out far enough to hold the button from falling out of the faceplate. Or the faceplate has some cracks in it allowing the buttons to fall out.

[mikejack5]

Ok, so what can I do? Would super gluing the tabs to the faceplate work?

[93celicaconv]

I'm assuming you need to push the buttons at times, so if you superglue them, they wouldn't be very functional. Do you know if your tabs are breaking off your radio buttons (like both on the one that fell out, and one tab on your lose buttons)?

What numbers are on the faceplate of your Toyote OEM radio? Or, better yet, remove the radio and tell me what the model/part number is on the sticker on the body of the radio chassis. Perhaps I can find you a complete new faceplate you can use to replace your existing one. Or check on eBay for someone auctioning the same radio you already have. You could either use the new radio, or swap faceplates when you get it.

[mikejack5]

Hey thanks for the replies 93celicaconv.

Here is a picture of the button that fell off:




Both of the tabs at the bottom of the button are intact and are fine.

Now you don't think i could use some like blue rtv silicone and use a toothpick to apply it to the tabs and then stick it back gently into here:



It seems like blue rtv silicone would allow it to be firmly in place, but pliable enough to be functional.


Let me know what you think.

[93celicaconv]

I think, in looking at your pictures, the tabs at the bottom of the button (they are + shaped) are used to depress the grey buttons within the faceplate (the contacts for this button). Those tabs don't hold the button in. I think the small little tabs about the + shaped tabs are the ones intended to hold the button within the faceplate. I can't tell if those tabs are completely intact, or if the ends of those tabs are broken off.

[mikejack5]

Gotcha. So I wouldn't want to apply the blue rtv silicone to the + shaped tabs?

What about applying it to the bottom under the + tabs and along the sides of the button?

Thanks a lot for the help.