I posted this in 2nd gen. My bad. Does anyone know if you can use the RC car electric cleaner to clean the switches? My ECT switch is all gummed up, it still works though but I would like to clean it..Thank you

 

If I may go on a little tangent...

My project car, a Datsun 240z, was a daily driver to a fun-loving stoner for 28 years and sat outside for another 12 years. All of my switches were either gummed up or full of dust.

I say be daring and take the switch apart. The best way to clean anything with moving parts is ti fully disassemble it. I used parts wash (brake cleaner) and did some very light sanding to getrid of any corrosion and rust (if I remember correctly, your ECT switch is on the center console and probably has coffee or coke spilled on it in the past).

Use parts wash some more and dry it off. Then reassemble it. I would recommend this for a lot of switches. Dirty or corroded switches cause resistance, which may cause electrical devices to not work at their highest efficiency. If its REALLY bad, wires can become extremely hot and start melting and even cause fires. Fuses only pop because of shorts, not necessarily resistance and won't help in such a case.

 

As long as the cleaner is plastic safe then there shouldn't be any problems but it would be better if you took the switch apart and gave it a thorough cleaning.

 

You guys will think im crazy, but the switches in the last 4Runner i owned were so gummed up with dirt and soda that you could hardly move them, i pulled them all out and washed them all out with warm water and let them dry for about a week (i was still working on the interior) when i put them back in they all worked like new.