Is Your Malibu Screen Leaking a Sticky Substance Over Your Dash? Here's How to Remove It

By MTC Screens
4 min read
Glue leaking and vinyl delamination on a Malibu 12 inch Medallion Viper 2 screen dash

Notice a sticky, oily substance oozing out from around your Malibu touch screen and running down the dash? That is glue from the screen itself, and it points to a delaminating 12 inch Medallion Viper 2 display. Here is how to safely clean the glue off your dash, why it happens, and how we fix the screen for good.

In this guide

See the 12 inch Medallion Viper 2 repair →

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What Is Leaking on Your Dash?

That sticky film is adhesive escaping from a failing screen.

The sticky, oily substance pooling on your dash is the optical bonding adhesive from inside your touch screen. On the 12 inch Medallion Viper 2 display, a layer of glue bonds the glass and touch layer to the LCD. As that bond breaks down, the glue turns soft and liquid and weeps out from the edges of the screen, running down onto the vinyl.

If you look closely at the display, you will usually also see bubbling, cloudy patches, or dark blotches. That is delamination, and the leaking glue is a symptom of the same failure.

This affects the 12" Medallion Viper 2 II

6913-00551-0139620643962064.1

3962064.1 Touch Screen Display, 12", Updated PCB, Viper 2, REV 1, 18-19

Affected boats: 2015 to 2019 Malibu boats, Sea Ray, Scarab jet boats, and many others, including Chaparral, Monterey, Four Winns, Premier, Ranger Reatta, and Silver Wave.

Glue leaking and vinyl delamination from a Malibu 12 inch Medallion Viper 2 touch screen 6913-00551-01 3962064
A delaminating 12 inch Medallion Viper 2 display, the source of the leaking glue.
Glue leaking from a delaminated Malibu Medallion Viper 2 12 inch screen onto the dash 6913-00551-01
Close-up of sticky glue leaking from a delaminated Malibu Medallion Viper 2 screen 3962064
More of the same boat: the sticky glue runs from the screen down onto the dash.
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Why the Glue Leaks

It is a defect in the original OEM bonding, not something you did.

The adhesive the factory used to bond these screens was not built to hold up to years of marine heat and UV. Over time it breaks down, lets go of the glass, and liquefies. That is what causes the bubbling and dark spots on the display, and it is the same glue that ends up leaking out onto your dash.

In other words, the leak is the result of an OEM defect in the original screen. Wiping the dash clean does not stop it, because the glue keeps escaping as the screen continues to delaminate.

Sticky glue leaking onto the dash vinyl from a delaminated Malibu Medallion Viper 2 screen
Glue leaking from a delaminated Medallion Viper 2 screen onto the dash.
⚠️ Heads up: The glue can keep seeping for as long as the screen is in the dash. Cleaning helps, but the screen itself is the source and will need to be addressed.
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How to Remove the Sticky Glue From Your Dash

A bit of isopropyl alcohol and a couple of microfiber towels.

  1. 1Spot test first. Dab a small amount of isopropyl alcohol on an inconspicuous area of the vinyl to check for color fastness before you treat the visible dash.
  2. 2Dissolve the glue. Put a bit of isopropyl alcohol on a clean microfiber towel and gently wipe the sticky area in light passes. The glue will start to dissolve and lift.
  3. 3Wipe with water. Once the glue dissolves, wipe the area with another clean microfiber dampened with water to remove the alcohol and any residue.
  4. 4Protect the vinyl. Follow up with Armor All or a similar vinyl protectant to condition and protect the dash.
ℹ️ Tip: Work in a ventilated area, use light pressure, and go slow. The spot test in step 1 is the important part, since some finishes can react to alcohol.
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Cleaning Is Only Temporary

The dash is the symptom. The screen is the cause.

Cleaning the glue handles the mess on your dash, but it does not stop the leak. As long as the delaminating screen stays in the boat, the glue will keep weeping out and the display will keep getting worse, with more bubbling, dark spots, and eventually unresponsive touch.

The permanent fix is to address the screen itself. That is exactly what our 12 inch Medallion Viper 2 mail-in repair service does.

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What Our Repair Includes

An updated anti-delamination design, all brand new parts.

We replace the delaminated, defective OEM components with our updated anti-delamination design, all brand new parts. That resolves the glue leak at its source so it does not return.

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Updated anti-delamination designWe replace the defective OEM bonding with brand new parts built to hold up to marine heat and UV.
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No more glue leakThe new screen will not weep adhesive onto your dash the way the failing OEM unit does.
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Crisp, responsive displayA clear image and accurate touch again, like new.
Leaking delaminated Malibu 12 inch Medallion Viper 2 screen 6913-00551-01 3962064 that our repair replaces with new anti-delamination parts
The kind of leaking, delaminated 12 inch Viper 2 we replace with our updated anti-delamination design.
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2 Ways to Fix Your Screen

Pick the option that fits your timeline.

⭐ Most Popular

Mail-In Repair

Send us your 12 inch Medallion Viper 2 display and we replace the delaminated, defective OEM components with brand new parts, then ship it back.

3 days or lessFast turnaround

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🔨 DIY Kit

DIY Repair Kit

Prefer to do it yourself? The 12 inch DIY kit lets you fix the screen at home while keeping your original in the boat.

Install it yourselfShips to your door

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Stop the Glue Leak at Its Source

Clean the dash today, then fix the screen for good with our 12 inch Medallion Viper 2 mail-in repair, 3 days or less turnaround.

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