OEM Steering Wheel Issue UPDATED

[KevinGS]

Originally Posted by Naz24

Theyll replace under warranty

Really? Please report back, OP, if your dealer covers this under warranty.

[Naz24]

Originally Posted by KevinGS

Really? Please report back, OP, if your dealer covers this under warranty.

My friend had same problem in his e92... They replaced.

[cwhands]

I see these M steering wheels coming back on lease returns all the time and they look similar or worse. Guess most people just don't care.

Fact of the matter is they're really soft leather and pretty high maintenance if your hands are not clean. If you eat greasy food without washing your hands forget about it..

Buy some Cockpit Premium from 1Z and go at it for a bit. It'll probably look just like new. I have hyperhidrosis so my hands sweat 24/7 and even my steering wheel doesn't look like that - I don't wear gloves in the summer the heat is unbearable. The trick is to stay on top of it...it takes much less to clean if you do it once a week give or take instead of letting it get to this sort of condition first.

Good luck!

[M_DRlVER]

This is from dirty hands, and not being routinely cleaned. I clean my wheel once every two months, if not more. It looks brand new every time.

[Fast4d]

palm sweat is acidic. depends on the person

my motorcycle gloves would fall apart after 2 years if I dont wash it once a year. it will rot.

however I dont think the steering wheel should get that bad in a year or two

[FSHNGRY]

Originally Posted by KevinGS

Really? Please report back, OP, if your dealer covers this under warranty.

Update reported.

[Desborough]

Originally Posted by BRCHP

Update reported.

Sounds like BS to me. If you still want mine PM me I will let it go cheap. Really sucks for the cost of the vehicle they don't stand behind this :

[FSHNGRY]

So in response to everyones questions and inquiries- I was able to get the new M Performance V2 steering wheel at 50% cost as the "warranty replacement" I didn't want another OEM wheel that would probably do the same thing again. So far, I have zero issues with the V2 steering wheel.

[YianniM3]

How hard are you guys squeezing damn

[allinon72]

Originally Posted by YianniM3

How hard are you guys squeezing damn

That's what I was thinking.....lets see the rest of the interior and we can determine if it's really the wheel that's at fault.

[mrduder]

I fixed mine myself. Looks like new. Bought some dye that is BMW's black merino and it matches perfectly. Was super easy to do and was only like $50 or so

[mqfx]

This happened on my previous 2014 335ix. The dealer replaced it for free as a courtesy although they did "politely" suggest it was from some sort of lotion or residue on hands and not a manufacturer defect. Either way they replaced it with no real fight. I just mentioned it during a scheduled maintenance visit.

[chmsalman]

Yep, mine looked like that too. BMW Canada replaced it. Looked the same 8 months later, like it had been worn for 10 years.

I bought Leatherique rejuvenator and cleaner. It's actually magic. Massage it on with your hands with a good amount of pressure, 10 minutes later that exact wheel will look brand new.

Yes, mine looked EXACTLY like yours.

[rjd598]

there's a really good chance this falls on the side of "you didn't maintain it properly". i've had an m steering from almost brand new (8k miles on the car when i bought it) and it looked brand new six years later. i wiped it down maybe once a month pretty much whenever i would wash the car. op did say he washes his hands more than normal, but even then sweat/lotions/grease will do that to your steering wheel. i think the dealer was very generous in giving you 50% off an m performance steering wheel.

for anyone wondering sonax leather cleaner is a very good product for cleaning leather. 1z cockpit is great for everything else in your interior.

[FSHNGRY]

Originally Posted by rjd598

there's a really good chance this falls on the side of "you didn't maintain it properly". i've had an m steering from almost brand new (8k miles on the car when i bought it) and it looked brand new six years later. i wiped it down maybe once a month pretty much whenever i would wash the car. op did say he washes his hands more than normal, but even then sweat/lotions/grease will do that to your steering wheel. i think the dealer was very generous in giving you 50% off an m performance steering wheel.

for anyone wondering sonax leather cleaner is a very good product for cleaning leather. 1z cockpit is great for everything else in your interior.

In response to the resurrection of this thread-

I use "Adam's Interior detailer" on my seats, dash, and steering wheel every 10 days to 2 weeks (or when I wash my car. Weather permitting). I never eat in my car. I don't smoke. I dont keep open fluids besides a bottle of water. Since having my dealer generously give me the replacement steering wheel- I also use a sun visor daily anywhere I park for more than an hour at a time (South Florida UV/heat is no joke). This is my third BMW and my first M car- all of which have been carefully maintained. This issue never occured on any other car I have owned. I'm the kind of person who can't think straight during a meal if I get a stain on my shirt...if you can understand what kind of neat freak and detail oriented guy I am.

My SA told me that a number of reasons could've resulted in the fading and unusual wear and tear on my first steering wheel- but since the replacement (2+ years ago) I have virtually no issues with the leather and alcantara on the V2 wheel.

Who knows, maybe it was defected? Maybe a lotion/soap of some sort accelerated the deterioration? Maybe the direct sunlight and lack of a visor did it? All I know is, it's gone, it doesn't exist now, and I'm happy as a pig in shit (terrible analogy for a neat person-but you get it)

Happy to give more insight where I can!

[Alpine_F82]

Originally Posted by hyperspeed

Actually i dont think your steering wheel is deteriorating, i think it's just dirty.

I suggest taking wet wipes (baby wipes) and start going at it. You'll notice a significant improvement afterwards (pretty much back to brand new)

The baby wipe thing actually worked it looks brand new no joke mine was so bad I was about to buy a new wheel but it actually looks brand new. It also works for all the leather in the car too

[Blancofire]

This is after using chemical guys leather cleaner

[Alpine_F82]

Originally Posted by Blancofire

This is after using chemical guys leather cleaner

Mine looked the same with baby wipes I was suprised

[behindthen0thing]

that looks like the leather dye coming off

[shay2nak]

Originally Posted by behindthen0thing

that looks like the leather dye coming off

+1 I wanted to say no way that is dirt accumulated on the wheel.

[behindthen0thing]

Originally Posted by shay2nak

+1 I wanted to say no way that is dirt accumulated on the wheel.

I guess it's possible if you're a diesel mechanic and you didn't wash your hands everyday after work for a week.

[rjd598]

Originally Posted by behindthen0thing

I guess it's possible if you're a diesel mechanic and you didn't wash your hands everyday after work for a week.

high paid mechanics to afford this car