Sticky buttons on an arcade stick?

zerotaku1

I spilled some ginger ale on my stick yesterday by accident and now the buttons are sticky. I want to clean the buttons, but I have no idea how. Can you guys help?

EDIT: The stick is a Qanba Q4 RAF and the buttons are Sanwa parts if that helps.

eltrouble

You can try simply cleaning the top of the buttons with an antiseptic wipe, light rubbing alcohol solution, windex and a rag, etc. If that doesn't work, then you'll have to do the following.

Your best is to remove the buttons from your arcade stick. Flip the Qanba upside down, you should see several screws holding the bottom plate in (not the ones on the rubber feet). Remove those screws, the bottom plate should easily pop off, and now you have access to your buttons. I suggest removing the buttons one at a time, by disconnecting the 2 wires going to them (pull on the connector, not the wire, use a flathead screwdriver if you need to), and you push in 2 plastic tabs on sides of the button in order to release it from the case. You might need to push the tabs in together at the same time while GENTLY pushing the button out.

Once you do that, you'll have to remove the button from the case itself. I believe it's another 2 plastic tabs holding it in place, but don't quote me on it, check in the Tech Talk section for more deets on that. But once that's out, you just clean everything with a cleaning solution and rag.

OMG its a duck

I'm convinced Florida has a natural disadvantage at fighting games because when you spill orange juice on something electronic, it's basically dead.

Anyway, just simple rag and water worked fine for my sanwas, but if I had to do it again, I'd take the whole thing apart and clean it that way, so it can be good as new.

fischbs

Dude.  That sucks.  I love Ginger Ale.

Kikuichimonji

Removing the buttons and putting them back together is REALLY easy. Just get a flathead screwdriver and push out the top of the button from underneath via the two tabs (push in one tab, then push in the other). It's only two pieces. Obviously be careful not to damage the microswitch (the pointy thing in the middle of the button.

You don't even need to disconnect the wires from the stick (although obviously unplug it first). You can just leave them on, pop out the buttons, and then pop out the top of the button. I've cleaned the insides of my buttons twice since Vanilla SF4 came out. Dirt and oils from skin accumulates inside the buttons, and it can get pretty gross if you don't clean it out. Then just pop the button back together, and snap it back in place.

The whole thing shouldn't take more than an hour, two max if you have absolutely no idea what you're doing. Twenty minutes is feasible.

ibleedanimeyup

Are the cvs2 forums really wiped out? Fml

aaron_hate

Take the buttons apart, spray some alcohol, and dry them off. Usually will work, used to do it for stuck flight controls on our jets all the time and if it doesn't work replace em.