Closer and more UV bulb or LED wattage will cure faster, but further distance and/or lower wattage will cure eventually. Direct, unfiltered sunlight will also cure eventually, but at a much slower rate. I set mine box up for unattended full screen coverage and had my UV LED bulb far enough away from the screen to cover all of it. I also lined my box with aluminum foil for reflection (being careful not to allow the foil to get near the bulb socket). Full cure (as far as I know) was a total of about 12 hours with this setup. I will find out for sure if it was fully cured next summer when it warms up. If the yellow returns, I will cure it some more.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
DIY UV Treatment for Yellowed MCU Screen
- Thread starter ucmndd
- Start date
dgpcolorado
high altitude member
When I mentioned that I was thinking about a DIY UV treatment someday, my mobile service tech said that he thought that the first UV treatment at a service center was free, even for out-of-warranty cars. For me, the hassle of going to the service center 300 miles from home isn't worth it unless I have another reason to pay them a visit. (My brown edge on the MCU is fairly mild and doesn't bother me much, so I won't be treating it anytime soon. It appeared after my car sat out in freezing temperatures for four days, which I thought was odd.)
I previously tried this technique with a box that held the light 9 inches from the screen for 12 hours. That very subtly faded parts of the yellow lines. So I made a smaller box that covers only about 1/4 of the screen, and positions the light about 2 inches above the screen. I left that running for 16 hours. The yellow for the direct coverage area is completely gone. So it’s going to take 4-6 days to remove all the yellowing. But still glad to ha e this option in case it returns in the future.
Mobile service is not likely to buy you a light on amazon and rig a box up for you, no.
I had the same thing, after the first treatment, the yellowing was way worse. I then changed my setup and put the light way closer to the screen and left it for 12 hours and it was 100% better. This is working a whole lot slower than others have posted but after more tries it is gone on some parts of the screen and much lighter on others. I think after a few more long treatments moving the light around the edges, it will be back to normal. My advice is to keep trying and as others have mentioned, put the light really close to the screen.
I can report that the XICHEN UV "Nail Dryer" that Blue X90 posted about using (on Dec. 28 '19) works! Unfortunately it's currently listed as unavailable on Amazon.
I can also report that I first purchased this 60W LED light that looks virtually identical to some that are said here to have worked, but it did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for me. I don't believe the wavelength spectrum is short enough, but I don't see anything about the spectrum for the nail dryers, except that they must use the same spectrum required here.
Just FWIW. It might save you from having to return one of these party lights back to Amazon, which is what I'm now doing.
I can also report that I first purchased this 60W LED light that looks virtually identical to some that are said here to have worked, but it did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for me. I don't believe the wavelength spectrum is short enough, but I don't see anything about the spectrum for the nail dryers, except that they must use the same spectrum required here.
Just FWIW. It might save you from having to return one of these party lights back to Amazon, which is what I'm now doing.
Addendum: I now see the fluorescent tubes in the nail dryer that is effective are labeled as being 365nm (though that was not found in the product description). The party lights are typically 380-405nm. I think that's the problem with them; they're too high.
Be careful with 365nm, though. It's not eye safe.
Be careful with 365nm, though. It's not eye safe.
Christran12
Member
Is it me or does this happen to MCU2 screens more often than MCU1? Mine is a MCU1 and doesn’t have it, my buddy’s the same. But I’ve driven three loaners, all with MCU2s and every single one has the yellowing borders...
whitex
Well-Known Member
Yep. I've had 3 MS with MCU1 with no yellow screen (owned for 1,2, and 5 years), and 1 MCU2 car which yellowed within a year.
A lot of MCU1 screens leaked and formed bubbles between the display and touch panel.
It's less a matter of MCU1 vs MCU2 and more pre- vs. post-2016 refresh. The nosecone MCU 1 cars (before April 2016) have the screen that bubbles and leaks goo. The refresh MCU 1 cars (after April 2016) have the updated screen that yellows.
RichieB
Collaborator
Is the root cause of the yellow colouring known? Since it is only on the sides I kinda assumed it is the glue that holds the glass to the screen that is not UV-resistant enough.
SucreTease
Teslarian
The problem has been cited as incomplete curing of the adhesive during manufacture, leading to yellowing over time with exposure to oxygen. Additional curing with UV light eliminates the yellowing.
Yes, it is the liquid optically clear adhesive (LOCA) that cures through an electrochemical reaction with specific wavelengths of UV light. There are different brands and types of LOCA that cure differently, have different shelf lives, and have different additives to prevent discoloration. Not sure which of those specifically led to the yellowing of MCU touch screens, but may have been lack of initial or incorrect UV cure, old LOCA, lack of proper additive, or a combination.
Similar threads
