2024 Ford Escape:

A friend (really!) was eating a Tootsie Pop and placed the unwrapped Pop on the center console where it rested against the rotary gear selector.

It was a hot day and the Pop melted and found its way around the selector knob seeping into the space under the knob.

Maybe one of those thin wires used to check baking items in the oven might work to remove the Pop goo. I have some brass shim stock that might also work. If nothing works, it looks like a trip to the Ford dealer. A YouTube video shows how to remove the knob from an earlier Escape. It requires removing some console trim pieces and a few screws. Her husband might be able to do the job.

If the Pop goo isn't removed, it might harden during the winter and make rotating the knob difficult or impossible.

Too bad most car makers replaced the perfectly adequate shifter lever with that stupid knob.

Any suggestions?