restoring bmw m performance steering wheel

[Msparta]

Wanted to share a small diy project in cleaning and restoring an alcantara steering wheel with the small leather ring on the 12 o’clock mark.

A little background:
I have owned a hand full of bmw m performance steering wheels and they are all pretty similar in that they all get badly worn over the course of a year or more…

Step 1:
Disassemble the steering wheel. You want to have it where you can clean every part with precision by hand using a damp small terry or microfiber towel. Gripping and rotating with a good amount of pressure as to pull away dirt and grime and oils. I try to use a light colored cloth so that I can see all the nasty dirt come off and switch over to a clean cloth to continue until the cloth itself no longer is pulling any more grunge.

Step 2.
I dry the wheel with a heat gun keeping constant distance and movement as not to get close nor overheat any part of the wheel. I then put the wheel in the dryer on a platform that keeps it centered un-touched and static inside the dryer. Keep the timer to like 5-10 mins max.

Step 3.
Using sonax alcantara upholstery cleaner and more microfiber cloths go around doing the same spot clean with rotating grip movements as to reinforce removing grunge. The wheel will get wet again with the sonax foam and this time you can let it dry naturally.

Step 4.
Using a small brush, use random motions to bring the alcantara fibers back into free-flow where you can feel the fibers freely and don’t feel stuck to the wheel surface. This may take another application of sonax and another dry cycle and brushing…

Step 5
I am using a leather dye which I was able to match to the light bmw blue used on the leather part of the wheel. I begin by rubbing the old dye with the damp microfiber towel and most will come off… ensure it is dry before using a fine firm brush to apply the new fresh dye to the leather carefully! You do not want any paint on the alcantara! After a while the paint will dry and you can proceed with additional coats… give it all 24hrs before installing the flreshly restored steering wheel and enjoy!

[rotomoto712]

Looks good. I just discovered that Sonax cleaner last year, and when I used it on the M-Performance wheel the results were mind-blowing. The wheel went from feeling like dry plastic to feeling nice and supple again. Total witchcraft!