JCtx

Call me ****, but I want to remove the darn airbag stickers from the sunvisors. However, I won't attempt to do it unless I can remove the visors and do it calmly while watching TV or something.

I noticed a little tab on both visors, which I'm sure it needs to be removed, but need to know exactly how so I don't marr the finish. One end is pointing towards the visor's metal rod, and the other away from it. Please be specific which end needs to be pried out, or pushed in and lifted out. After it's removed, what's next? Is there a screw? I need to order the service manual asap. By the way, the cheapest way is directly thru the publisher: www.helminc.com.

As far as the sticker removal, it should be fairly easy on vinyl, once heated up with a hair drier. Adhesive residue on vinyl is a piece of cake with WD40. I used 'Goo Gone' on my vette, which was cloth (and took forever), so it might try it first since it smells much nicer and it's not oily.

Hopefully one of the very few guys here who are mechanically inclined will pitch in. I'll be an 'expert' in a few weeks as well, especially after I get the service manual.

Thanks in advance.

JC

loflin

I removed the stickers (both mirror side and vinyl side) with Goof Off with the visors in place. Had top down to work easier, and a large towel covering dash board to seat to catch the little pieces. Not clear the stickers are really vinyl stickers. It seemed more like "painted" on. It came off the hard plastic mirror assembly fairly easy. On the vinyl side took much more work. From rubbing, the vinyl was left a little "stretched" at first, but over a few days it pulled back.

However probably due to the process and pressure used to apply the "stickers" on the vinyl side I was left with a kind of "shadow" indention with it a little more pronounced along the bottom of where the sticker was.

Took about 30 to 45 minutes for both visors.

Anyway, still looks much better than the horribly ugly red, white and yellow sticker.

tfischer

I also used Goof Off to remove the stickers. I used Goof Off because I read it here quite some time ago, and I found a can at the Home Depot in the paint department.

It took a little time, but I think it is easier to do it in place than to try to remove and reinstall the visors.

Warming things up with a hair dryer seems to speed the process, but it's not necessary, as I recall.

Putting the top down for the job also keeps you from getting loopy from the fumes.

JCtx

Whew!! Glad I'm not the only lunatic who wants to remove the stupid stickers <he he>.

Okay, you convinced me: will do it with visors in place. I'll try the 'Goo gone' first, because I remember the 'goof off' smelling like paint thinner (the former has a pleasant citrus smell). I really appreciate your advice, and will try to minimize the rubbing, even if it takes longer; can do it over a period of a few days.

Take care.

tfischer

I don't think Goo Gone will do the trick. Goo Gone is pretty mild.

You will probably need the Goof Off, which is pretty strong stuff but, more importantly, is the correct solvent for whatever they use to apply that sticker.

JCtx

Oh man, my wife threw that stuff away. Would nail polish remover work?

I can always get another can at Home Depot, but I'd like to contemplate visor removal again; it smells awful.

Thanks buddy.

1NICESC430

Tim ....

GoofOff is usually used to remove adhesive *after* the adhered material is already removed. Are you saying that you simply *began* with GoofOff ?

Looking forward to getting loopy.

elp_jc .... you are not alone - I don't like signs, stickers, etc etc on any of my stuff. I never wear clothes with anyone's logo and I don't purchase clothes with logos unless it's possible to remove them without destroying the fabric.

tfischer

Yes, the only thing I used was the Goof Off. The "sticker" is a very thin film which will more or less just dissolve when you wipe on the Goof Off. Give it a few minutes, and just keep wiping with a terrycloth rag, and it's gone (eventually).

Good luck, and enjoy your trip.

JCtx

Okay guys, here's the deal with the stickers on the vinyl: just heat them up real good with your wife's hair dryer and work one of the corners first. Keep heating it up while pulling on the sticker a little bit at a time. Work your way so you can have a small portion of the entire width of the sticker lifted off. After that, it's a piece of cake. It took me about 10 minutes, and the sticker came out in one piece.

The one which is a b*tch is the one on the mirror door, so I guess it's time for a Home Depot trip. Glad to hear it can be dissolved with the Goof Off, because I was taking forever to heat it up and remove a bit with my fingernail at a time. And it has to be heated up REAL GOOD, or your fingernail just don't 'bite' it.

One question: after removing the vinyl sticker, I noticed like a contour, all around the sticker. Tried everything, but it doesn't seem to be adhesive. It's not noticeable at all unless the light hits it just right.
Were you able to remove that 'line', or is it there to stay? Maybe the factory melted the vinyl around the sticker while being applied. Haven't tried Goof Off, but tried the Goo Gone and WD40 without positive results. I can't feel anything even with my fingernails.

I bet many more guys will attempt sticker removal after this post. Car looks waaaay better without them, especially with the top down, where that fugly (and HUGE) sticker stood out.

Hey 1niceSC430, I'm with you brother. I'll post pics of my car debadged in the evening. Looks fantastic without the 'L' in the front, and I also removed the 'lexus' and 'sc430' from the back. Had to leave the 'L' in the back since it has the oval outline formed into the sheetmetal (and also has holes, I understand), but doesn't look that bad. I also removed the ugly yellow stickers from the door sills (look ugly man), and only left the one with the tire information on the driver's side, but when I open the passenger door, the entire door sill is free of crap. I might even remove the gray sticker if it only has tire pressure info, like if it wasn't in the manual (if it has other stuff, I might just paste it on the manual). The one that has to stay is the one with the manufacturing date, but it's on the door itself, and doesn't bother me.
I also remove ALL stickers from my motorcycles (transfer the important ones under the seat), and stupid labels from my gear (when sewed in place), especially the inside, which is always cluttered with huge stickers.

Good evening guys.

JCtx

Man, it was a piece of cake with that 'Goof off' thing. Hey, beware of a milder version in a spray bottle: IT WON'T WORK. Get the (smelly) little yellow can.

As I previously said, I removed the vinyl-side stickers with a hair drier and a lot of patience; don't do it that way! Use the Goof Off stuff; it literally dissolves the stickers, just like it was said in a prior message. I tried to remove the 'ghost' perimeter marks to no avail. It's somehow etched into the vinyl, but it's hardly noticeable. As somebody said here, it's better than the darn stickers.

I damaged the plastic part when removing a small area with my fingernails, since I had to heat up the thing a lot and softened the plastic enough to make marks with my fingernails. Oh well. The driver's side was removed without a trace.

More patient guys can learn from us, huh? The little project will take you 1/2 on hour tops. Just put your top down, disengage the visors from the retainers, and work on them positioned like if you were blocking the sun from the sides, while you stand outside with the doors closed. You can flip them to work on either side. Not a single piece fell on my seats, but I put a towel just in case. Just use different parts of your rag with every square inch to make the job easier.

Later.

LexPro

Did you take the VIN tags off of the body panels?

JCtx

No, Lexpro; there wasn't any on my door sills. They're for theft prevention purposes buddy, so why would it be one right in your face of a NON-removable body part, which is identified by the VIN under the dash? Doesn't make sense to me. I bet you were referring to the 'illegality' to remove them, but no other automaker I know uses those tags, so it seems to be more of a 'feature', like window etching and such. My guess is they're there for insurance rate purposes, which is a good thing.

I just removed a yellow sticker from each side, and the tire information one on the driver's side, which is duplicated in the owner's manual. Other than the side window stickers and the visor ones, all other stickers, such as all underhood, build date and GVWR info on driver's door, as well as all VIN tags, are in place. They're out of sight and don't bother me.

Cheers.

gregdugas

In following up on the initial question - can someone provide instructions on how to remove the sunvisors? My hope is to reinstall a replacement visor capable of the extending down a telescopic pivot arm much like those of the LS430. In this way, the visor once is in the open position and parallel to the door can be extended to travel up or down the visor arm.

tony woo

This site doesn't carry Lexus manuals.