Steering Wheel Maintenance

[foldpages]

Hi all

I'm about to hit 10k miles and I'm starting to get some shiny spots on the leather. Before taking it to a detailer I wanted to try a few DIY steps first.

I purchased the Swissvax Leather Kit and I think it works great on the red leather seats. It really takes away all the dirt and shine and after the product is completely dry it looks almost factory new.

However I'm struggling a bit with the steering wheel. I don't think the Swissvax product does that great a job on the steering wheel and especially after applying the Leather Milk it feels sticky and still keeps some of the shine.

I did a lot of research and I know there are numerous threads out there for leather maintenance but I just wanted to see if anybody here has any good recommendations for cleaning the steering wheel and getting it back to that matte factory look?

I read that baby wipes are supposed to do a great job. My detailer recommended steam cleaning the entire interior but that just seems overkill after 10k miles. Magic eraser also seems to be an option but I'm a bit concerned that the product is too harsh for leather.

Interested to hear your thoughts or recommendations.

Thanks

[dkhm3]

I would note that leather maintenance is a thing you need to do when the car is new, and maintain it as you go. That is a lesson I learned the hard way back on my '99 m3, when my nappa leather cracked at 20k miles.

I would recommend Chemical Guys leather cleaner and conditioner. it does not shine once the leather has been properly cleaned, it is more likely to absorb the conditioner.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=ATVPDKIKX0DER
see video:

[P1]

I have mocha nappa in my X5 and I also use Swissvax Leather Cleaner with great results. However, when it comes to the steering wheel... welcome to the club. Us poor folks in the regular X5 section of this forum have an entire thread on it. None of the leather cleaners will go a good job, and frankly, BMW must have gone cheap on the steering wheel materials because most of us are suffering from premature wear.

What do I personally use? A clean microfiber towel and warm water. It's the only thing that's worked for me.

[foldpages]

Originally Posted by P1et

I have mocha nappa in my X5 and I also use Swissvax Leather Cleaner with great results. However, when it comes to the steering wheel... welcome to the club. Us poor folks in the regular X5 section of this forum have an entire thread on it. None of the leather cleaners will go a good job, and frankly, BMW must have gone cheap on the steering wheel materials because most of us are suffering from premature wear.

What do I personally use? A clean microfiber towel and warm water. It's the only thing that's worked for me.

Thank you! Glad its not only me. The BMW leather steering wheel seems to wear a lot quicker than other manufacturers.

I actually just tried using baby wipes and it did a pretty good job. It's no where near the factory look but it definitely took a lot of the shine and grime away.

[P1]

Originally Posted by foldpages

Thank you! Glad its not only me. The BMW leather steering wheel seems to wear a lot quicker than other manufacturers.

I actually just tried using baby wipes and it did a pretty good job. It's no where near the factory look but it definitely took a lot of the shine and grime away.

Nice. The steering wheels used to be a lot better. My wife's old 2011 135i looked brand new after years and years of usage, and never having to clean it. She has a 6-series now, and although it's not driven much, seems to be suffering from the same wear the X5 is. Quite frustrating. Makes me want to yank them both out and get alcantara.

[Skyracer]

Please don't use baby wipes and for God's sake don't use magic eraser - it's an abrasive!

Leather care is a pet peeve of mine. Here's a controversial statement: the majority of leather care products on the market will actually harm your leather in the long term.

Why? Most are oil based. Modern automotive leather is urethane coated. The coating is impermeable to oil, so any oil based product will sit on the surface and attract dirt and more oil, the very things that wreck the coating. Don't ask me why the industry persists with oil based products - the days of uncoated leather are decades gone - I guess they are still making a lot of money off snake oil! Any claims that leather needs to 'absorb' product, be 'conditioned' or be 'fed' are marketing garbage and have absolutely no basis in reality.

Your leather needs regular, mild cleaning with a damp, non abrasive cloth. A water based protectant (there aren't many out there) with UV inhibitors is critical to minimize the need for deeper cleaning. A water based cleaner can be used sparingly on an as needed basis, but barring a spill or some other disaster, properly maintained leather shouldn't need a lot of chemical cleaning. I use LTT (I am not affiliated with the company in any way). Since I started using their products about 10 years ago, I have noticed a dramatic difference in the way my leather ages, or more accurately, does not age.

As for the sticky, shiny steering wheel, you can try a water based cleaner but it's probably too far gone. All the leather care in the world isn't going to stand up to a combination of oil based 'care' and sweaty palms, unfortunately. I try to wear gloves, at least in the cooler parts of the year.

[pachieh]

I am a Griots Garage Guy, they have a few products for leather care, all are excellent. They do have a leather rejuvenator prospect, I've never used it, but use their normal Leather Care all the time.

[pglover19]

I just purchased a used 2015 X5M and the leather on the steering wheel has wear. The leather is shiny. Is it possible to rewrap the steering wheel or do I need to replace the entire steering wheel? I am wondering if this is cover under the manufacturer's warranty?

[Googone20]

Best way to care for the steering wheels I have found, is to clean them regularly and make sure your hands are always clean when driving. I use an interior leather brush I think I bought from Swisswax. This along with hot water and some mild degreaser does a great job of cleaning the interior grease and grime off of leather surfaces. I agitate tgesurface to a light foam, and then dab the surface with a microfiber to remove the dirt. The end result is a clean matte finish much like brand new leather. Any lotion, soaps, etc, are going to cause that shines greasey buildup on your leather over time. If you clean your leather once a month with this method, your interior should always remain looking mint. I will occasionally use a conditioner to keep the leather soft and protected, but note that these can also add to the greasey look and create a sticky surface.

[atxgt3]

I had my X5M professionally detailed inside and out when I got it. Paint correction, coating, leather protectant, everything. And I've had my detailer do every single wash on a mobile basis since then. At 35k my steering wheel still looks like new, so it's definitely possible to maintain it and avoid premature wear.

[pglover19]

I think at this point, the steering wheel leather is too far gone. So what can I do now?

[Violator]

Replace it

[pglover19]

Originally Posted by Violator

Replace it

Can you provide more details.. Part number and installation instructions.

[Violator]

There are some pictures on the last page of this thread, it’s a pretty simple process.
https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...1403501&page=6

As for a part number, it depends on what you want. I upgraded to the alcantara wheel.
M Performance steering wheel - 32 30 2 344 150

[pglover19]

Originally Posted by Violator

There are some pictures on the last page of this thread, it’s a pretty simple process.
https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...1403501&page=6

As for a part number, it depends on what you want. I upgraded to the alcantara wheel.
M Performance steering wheel - 32 30 2 344 150

I want the original steering wheel for a 2015 X5M.

[P1]

Does it look as bad as mine?



BMW steering wheels, at least on the X5, is of atrocious quality.

[Violator]

Originally Posted by pglover19

I want the original steering wheel for a 2015 X5M.

Look up the part number and buy it, pretty easy.

[pglover19]

Originally Posted by P1et

Does it look as bad as mine?



BMW steering wheels, at least on the X5, is of atrocious quality.

No.. But not too far off....

[Skyracer]

Originally Posted by P1et

BMW steering wheels, at least on the X5, is of atrocious quality.

Why do you say that?

[P1]

Originally Posted by Skyracer

Why do you say that?

You didn’t see my picture?

[Skyracer]

Sure I saw the picture. Why does your example warrant a blanket statement about all X5 steering wheels?

[Violator]

Yeah! We demand that your coorborate/substantiate your claims at once! or else