oh wow Dave..those buttons are just slopped mess. what gets so hot under there that would melt it like that?

 

Does anyone know the part number for this button. I can't find it nor can the parts folks at 2 different Lexus dealers I have visited. The rubber buttons have melted on both my car and my brother's. Both are 04 models and neither have been abused.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

When I replaced the rear plate lights with LED's I realized that too.

But that button comes out as a separate piece. So I'm sure you can buy it from any part dealer.


Found it On South Alanta.

http://www.lexussouthatlantaparts.co...driveLine=8086

Looks like it's part number 8494450010. And it's only $7 bucks.

There are a couple nuts that will give you a hard time while removing the plastic covering piece with the silver chrome stripe on it. Just take your time and use the right tools.

 

I had it coming up as $57.93

http://www.lexussouthatlantaparts.co...494550010.html

EDIT: Actually I think you are right King911 - I quoted the entire switch assembly, you quoted for the rubber cover which I guess is the only part that needs to be replaced. You just saved me $50! Thanks.

 

Happy to help, man!

 

Hold on, lol, I wasn't even aware we had a release button. Where exactly is it located?

I don't have smartkey, if that makes a difference.

 

Ok. I bought part 8494450010. It turns out that it is a hard plastic piece that may be used to fill the spot if you remove the switch. It is not the rubber cover for the existing switch. I guess I will have to buy the entire switch for around $60 and hope it comes with a new rubber cover.

 

Not sure if it's there on non-smartkey trunks, but on my ride it's about 8 inches to the right of center under the ledge that runs just above the license plate. And 8 inches to the left of center is a key slot.. I think, which the valet key won't open.

AN

 

did you change the LED's in the trunk? i have burn marks on mine from using a higher power LED.

 

Shoot, sorry to misguide you. Looking at the diagram I was more than positive that it was the rubber piece you were talking about.

Have you thought of replacing the rubber piece with the plastic piece that came in?

Care to snap a pic of the part you ordered?

 

I went ahead and ordered the switch on Fleabay. Best price I could find was $52 with shipping. Local dealer wanted $114. Way above list price. A pic of the plastic part follows.

 

I appear to have been the latest victim of the melting trunk button.

Had some time this week so I wanted to try and see if there was a fix for the existing button, figured if there wasn't I'd order the new part. Good news is that I was able to fix the existing button.

My guess is that the exposure to the elements caused the breakdown of the rubber used but where it was protected by the body the rubber wasn't sticky and appeared to be like new.

Attached is a PDF with some shots of what I found and did. After taking off the trunk lid cover there were two 10mm nuts (needed a deep well socket) holding the button on along with a snap on connector. From there the button came apart (thin plastic shims helped pry it open where it snapped together) 6 pieces total and all looked to be in great shape (with the exception of the melted piece). Cleaned the ick off the switch then put it back together. Had some PlastiDip spray in the garage, thought it would work well to keep out any road spray that could make its way up there (mine was gray, I'd have preferred black but nbd). Sprayed a few coats of PlastiDip on thin letting them build up till it formed a skin over everything and honestly - it feels close enough to the original! Put it all back together and it works like new, button springs out when pushed and I have a working trunk again!

 

I like melted cheese

 

I used a thin plastic-y sheet. It was a packaging for some cellphone accessory I had in stock. Anywho, I cut up a square or rectangle piece off, a little bigger than the button itself. Then I put the cut-out about center of the mushy substance. Tucked in all four side, it stays in place, maybe cause of the sticky, tucking, or both.... but I don't feel the sticky stuff anymore. Cheap fix.

 

Very interesting that no one has been able to determine the cause.

I find it hard to believe that it is heat alone that is doing it. There are a ton of Lexus' in the heat-belt of desert from California to Texas, yet there doesn't seem to be any increase of this button problem in the Southwest. Someone mentioned that there may have been a few bad batches from the part manufacturer where the chemical composition was off, making it more susceptible to heat. That theory seems plausible to me. But, if that were the case, you'd think they could find a pattern attributable to manufacturing dates and sources.

After reading this thread, my theory is that there is an auto-care product in the national chain stores that has a chemical in it that is corrosive to whatever type of rubber/latex is on the button cover. Maybe some type of wax or detailing dressing/lubricant, such as ArmorAll, etc., or wax remover, or a cleaner. This would explain the random instances, since it would happen only to those who are using that particular product.

No idea what it would be though . . .