Removing visor airbag stickers
#1
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
![Default](https://www.audiworld.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Search didn't find much info for the A8 and it seems every manufacturer is different in how they put those damned things on. Denatured alcohol works on a Porsche but it's been a while since I did it on a Audi.
What works best to dissolve or remove them on a A8, '06 in my case...
What works best to dissolve or remove them on a A8, '06 in my case...
#4
AudiWorld Super User
![](https://www.audiworld.com/forums/images/ranks/guru2.jpg)
![Default](https://www.audiworld.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/26081/visor_picture_1.jpg"></center><p>First I tried picking at it (upper right corner of where sticker was--the material is a tiny bit rougher but you have to be staring right at it). Just couldn't get it--no more than about 1/4 square inch at a time. Then tried heat. No go.
Solution: liberal application of garden variety isopropyl rubbing alcohol--I used the high test/100% stuff. I put it on with a rag soaked in it and let it get into the alcantara material at the edge of the sticker and also tried to soak it into the sticker face each time. I usually went about a minute from application to peel attempt. More patience--maybe a five minute full sticker soak might have worked best. I could sometimes get a square inch or more, and now it peeled evenly most of the time without feeling like I might mess up the fabric. The sticker material was nasty, often resticking to my fingers.
Once I removed it, I simply opened sunroof and windows and let it air dry overnight. Liquid darkens the alcantara a bit when wet, but it was obvious right away it wasn't stripping any color/dye and no obvious adhesive was left behind so I figured it would dry fine. I can confirm there is no appearance of any liquid stain whatsoever. Medicine smell was completely gone overnight.
If you look carefully you can just see the sticker outline. I peeled it about a week ago, the car is a 2006 with a build date of May 2005 and a delivery date of August 2005, so it has about two years of general upholstery fade. In practice you don't see the sticker border mark in everyday use. I took this picture at 8MB originally with a flash on a Canon SLR.
Now that I got the general technique down, I would say it is about 30-45 minutes per sticker to do a reasonable job.
Solution: liberal application of garden variety isopropyl rubbing alcohol--I used the high test/100% stuff. I put it on with a rag soaked in it and let it get into the alcantara material at the edge of the sticker and also tried to soak it into the sticker face each time. I usually went about a minute from application to peel attempt. More patience--maybe a five minute full sticker soak might have worked best. I could sometimes get a square inch or more, and now it peeled evenly most of the time without feeling like I might mess up the fabric. The sticker material was nasty, often resticking to my fingers.
Once I removed it, I simply opened sunroof and windows and let it air dry overnight. Liquid darkens the alcantara a bit when wet, but it was obvious right away it wasn't stripping any color/dye and no obvious adhesive was left behind so I figured it would dry fine. I can confirm there is no appearance of any liquid stain whatsoever. Medicine smell was completely gone overnight.
If you look carefully you can just see the sticker outline. I peeled it about a week ago, the car is a 2006 with a build date of May 2005 and a delivery date of August 2005, so it has about two years of general upholstery fade. In practice you don't see the sticker border mark in everyday use. I took this picture at 8MB originally with a flash on a Canon SLR.
Now that I got the general technique down, I would say it is about 30-45 minutes per sticker to do a reasonable job.
Trending Topics
#9
AudiWorld Super User
![](https://www.audiworld.com/forums/images/ranks/guru2.jpg)
![Default](https://www.audiworld.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
as long as it didn't stain or snag the fabric big time. It worked out fine.
I also took off the big yellow doorjamb stickers that seem like way overkill--the French translation for Canada makes it doubly visually painful, especially on a black exterior car. They are an easy removal and come off in one piece. Then I noticed the car also has smaller and more tasteful silver stickers in the doorjamb/fender area that have much more a factory look. I left those be.
I also took off the big yellow doorjamb stickers that seem like way overkill--the French translation for Canada makes it doubly visually painful, especially on a black exterior car. They are an easy removal and come off in one piece. Then I noticed the car also has smaller and more tasteful silver stickers in the doorjamb/fender area that have much more a factory look. I left those be.
#10
AudiWorld Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Northern California, USA
Posts: 461
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
![Default](https://www.audiworld.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Thanks to MP4.2+6.0 for the sticker removal tips. It's worked great so far.
I did the two long thin stickers on the non-mirror sides of both visors using 70% isopropyl alcohol (only percentage I had) and cotton ***** (about 7 or 8 per sticker). I used a insignificant amount of the isoproply in the process.
At certain angles, you can make out a very slight ghosting in the texture of the alcantara at the edges of where the stickers used to be. I used a suede brush to rub the uncovered fabric a few times after the visors dried and that might of helped but I don't think it is necessary.
My alcantara is amaretto as well. There is no discoloration that I can perceive. My girlfriend agrees and said that it looked much better without the stickers.
Tomorrow, I will try for the two big rectangular ones on mirror side of both visors. I will take pics after it's all done and try to remember to take some during the removal as well.
I did the two long thin stickers on the non-mirror sides of both visors using 70% isopropyl alcohol (only percentage I had) and cotton ***** (about 7 or 8 per sticker). I used a insignificant amount of the isoproply in the process.
At certain angles, you can make out a very slight ghosting in the texture of the alcantara at the edges of where the stickers used to be. I used a suede brush to rub the uncovered fabric a few times after the visors dried and that might of helped but I don't think it is necessary.
My alcantara is amaretto as well. There is no discoloration that I can perceive. My girlfriend agrees and said that it looked much better without the stickers.
Tomorrow, I will try for the two big rectangular ones on mirror side of both visors. I will take pics after it's all done and try to remember to take some during the removal as well.