Steering Wheel Covers Doing More Harm

3rd February 2008

You just bought you a new car with a leather steering wheel and are wanting to keep it in tip top shape, so you go to your local automotive store and go shopping. You look for a cool looking steering wheel cover, find one, take it home, put it on and think you’ve done a good thing by saving you’re steering wheel from major abuse for the next few years. Wrong…really what you’ve done is more harm then good. Steering wheel covers and leather don’t mix, the oils in the leather grab any little piece of dust, dirt or grime and keeps it there tucked nicely between your steering wheel covers backing and your nice leather wrapped steering wheel. The grime is now stuck which eats into the dye of the leather and creates a sticky goo that is almost impossible to remove when the cover is removed for resale, and in some cases removes the dye altogether. The covers also do damage in other ways as well, they can discolor the dye and leave a brown ring around the rim of the steering wheel. I’ve seen in some instances where the cover will leave an imprint in the wheel itself which can only be repaired by replacing the wheel itself. I repair and resurface a lot of leather steering wheels that have been damaged by covers. Most of the car dealers I do work for want the covers removed due to fact when a customer sees a cover they think “cover-up”, so it hurts the sale right off. I’m asked to remove them, I see the damage, and then the repair begins. My recommendation to you is to leave the cover for when your leather wrapped steering wheel does wear out and theres no other option but to replace the wheel or put a cover on it. Believe it or not your leather wheel is more durable then you think. By keeping it clean and conditioned your wheel will last you for years to come. If they do start wearing then have it resurfaced by a professional and stay away from the “steering wheel cover”.

Tags: steering wheel cover damage, steering wheel covers, steering wheel damage

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This entry was posted on Sunday, February 3rd, 2008 at 1:31 am and is filed under Leather Steering Wheels. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On December 14th, 2008, John Mangiapane said:

Thank you for this article. I have a small problem. I bought a 2008 Tundra and the day i bought it, a guy at the dealership jumped out of the car after detailing it and I noticed his hands were really dirty. When i sat in the truck, I put my steering hand on the top of the steering wheel and noticed that the steering wheel was sticky. No problem, I will just go home and clean it right? Wrong, I went home tried to clean it with none damaging cleaner (simple green) and it was still sticky. I tried goo gone, and it still remained sticky. I even tried 303 cleaner and it still did not work. I have spent nearly 50 bucks on cleaner and cannot seem to get my brand new truck’s steering wheel to be smooth again. I took it to the dealer and of course, I’m told that I would have to buy another steering wheel and there is nothing they can do for me. I beg you for any advice you can give me.

I thought about buying this cover, becuase I don’t want some piece of junk on my steering wheel and do not want to make my steering wheel any thicker. Tell me what you think.

http://www.autoanything.com/steeringwheel-covers/60A3792A0A0.aspx

Thanks in advance for your help,

John

2 On December 15th, 2008, Mike-TIG said:

John,
Man would I be mad….You would think the dealer would take a little more responsibility then that.
It almost sounds like maybe he had something caustic on his hands and the cleaners your putting on there are caustic also. What we need to do is neutralize the area. One thing you could do is to rub baking soda on the area, this should neutralize anything that was put on there and should smooth out the leather and give it a soft feel again. If that doesn’t work then resurfacing the wheel is the only option other then putting a cover over it.
As you can see from my article I’m not a real big fan of the steering wheel covers, to me they just look cheap and really do harm the wheel. But in a situation where the steering wheel is to far gone then a cover can save a wheel from falling apart completely. The cover you found would be ok, they look better then most when installed but they still look like a cover has been put on and don’t really have a factory look.
If you can, try getting your steering wheel re-dyed. This will eliminate the sticky problem and give you the look I think your wanting.
If your in the area give me a call, I’d be glad to fix it for you. Cost wise it would cost you as much to re-dye it then it would be to purchase that cover your looking at. Or see if the dealer you got the rig from would be willing to set you up with their interior repair pro.
Well I hope I could help.

Talk to ya soon,
Mike “TIG”

3 On December 16th, 2008, John Mangiapane said:

Hey Mike,

Thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate you taking the time. I am in San Jose California and just realized you are in Missouri, so bringing it by wont be an option. Just to be clear, using the baking soda would neutralize the area and smooth out the surface? Otherwise a resurface would be needed. Correct? Would anything else need to be done after I scrub it with the baking soda? How would you recommend applying it. Possibly with a tooth brush? What do you think about the Mr. Clean Eraser product? I have read amazing things on this product and it can be used on all surfaces. I read that it has helped many people with this problem, but I am skeptical. I feel much safer using baking soda if that will possibly get rid of my problem.

The area in which the wheel is effected is only located at the 12′oclock position and the 5 o’clock position. The same places your hands would be if you drive like most people at 12′oclock (with the left) and with the right elbow resting on the arm rest and holding the wheel at 5 o’clock. Making it clear to me that someone had something on their hands.

It almost seems like the “clear coat” of the steering wheel has been worn off in these areas. Lately (since it has become pretty cold outside), it is not really sticky anymore, but its not a smooth surface like the rest of the steering wheel and it drives me crazy, because it is in the area I normally hold the wheel.

In any case Mike, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I feel I finally have answers, from someone who knows what they are talking about. The forums on some of these enthusiast sites.. are full of things that can really do some harm to the inside of a car.

Thanks again Mike.

John

4 On December 16th, 2008, Mike-TIG said:

John,
My thought with the baking soda was to neutralize the area that had been cleaned at the same time getting rid of the stickyness with the powder. Just apply it mixed with a little water and rub it on with a wash cloth, then dry with a clean towel, you might even take a little dry and rub on there. Or even a little baby powder. Just trying to soak up what is in the leather and make it soft feeling again.
The clear is probably gone like you said, the chemicals that have been used are probably in the leather which is making it sticky. What you put on leather stays in leather. For future reference always use a neutral cleaner to clean any leather, Lexol ph Cleaner is the best for all leather stuffs, any harsher you run the risk of stripping the leather of it’s top coat.
One of my suppliers is located in Stockton, California, the name of the company is Fiztgerald’s Restoration. They probably would have a tech in your area. Fitzgerald’s number is (800) 441-3326, ask for Randy and tell him I sent you, he’s a great guy and would be more then happy to send you a local pro.
Well John it’s been my pleasure helping you with your problem steering wheel, I hope you find a leather pro in your area to redye the wheel. If there’s anything else you need don’t hesitate to get a hold of me, that’s what I’m here for. One thing though let me know what you do find out.

Talk to ya soon,
Mike “TIG”

5 On December 17th, 2008, John Mangiapane said: