Steering wheel refurbishment. How to paint a leather car steering wheel

Every driver sooner or later has to deal with such a problem as the wear of the steering wheel surface and the loss of the original appearance of the material, especially if this material is leather. A reasonable solution in this case may be the restoration of the steering wheel in a specialized workshop. But what if you do not want to overpay for such services and would like to know how to clean and paint a leather steering wheel with your own hands in order to carry out restoration work in your own garage? This approach to resolving the issue is perhaps more rational, and its implementation is available to every motorist. You just need to have free time, read this article and prepare everything you need for work.

No matter how clean your steering wheel covers are, they will still need to be cleaned over time. Prolonging the life of the leather surface, as well as delaying the need for its restoration and painting, can be done with proper care and timely removal of contaminants. And yet, sooner or later, the number of scuffs and scratches will increase so much that drastic restoration measures will become the only right decision. About what care should be and how to restore the previous appearance of the steering wheel with your own hands, we will describe in more detail below.

Proper care of leather steering wheel

Have you noticed at some point that the steering wheel of your car has lost its appearance, which is why the driving process has become not so pleasant? In this case, appropriate measures must be taken. For example, you can return the surface of the steering wheel to its former state and maintain it in this form through proper and timely care.

If the leather covering is very well preserved, but its appearance has suffered somewhat, then in the process of its restoration, you can limit yourself to using special cleaning compounds. Recognizing when buying in a car cosmetics store is quite simple: the package usually says “skin cleaner” (or something similar) and instructions on how to clean the leather steering wheel from dirt with it. And you may also need a toothbrush and a clean, soft cloth.

Most leather steering wheel cleaners have similar properties, so the following checklist can be used as a one-stop guide:

1. First, spray the product onto the surface to be treated.
2. Wait a few minutes - during this time the liquid will dissolve the dirt.
3. Now you should wipe the surface with a cloth and spray the product again.
4. Next, with a toothbrush, you need to clean all hard-to-reach places from dirt.
5. Finally, dry the steering wheel with a clean cloth.

After cleaning, it is desirable to treat the coating with a special impregnation and conditioner. The first remedy prevents the destruction of the skin under the influence of sweat, dirt and other aggressive factors, and the second ensures the elasticity of the material for a long time. Although you can purchase a cleaning compound that contains the necessary protective components.

For those car owners who are not ready to once again spend money on buying cleaning products in the store, preparing the composition with their own hands will be a good alternative. For this, warm water and car wash shampoo dissolved in it are suitable as ingredients. Just be sure not to add too much shampoo, so that after treatment the surface of the steering wheel does not become sticky. Such a solution should be used in the same way as how to care for a leather steering wheel using store products.

During normal maintenance, it is not necessary to remove the steering wheel. It is only necessary to prevent liquid from getting on the spokes, steering wheel buttons and dashboard. For protection, use a plastic film, securing it with adhesive tape.

Restoration of a leather steering wheel by painting

Properly caring for, you will significantly extend its service life. But even in this case, scuffs and minor scratches appear on the surface over time, which do not have the best effect on the appearance of the steering wheel and, as a result, the aesthetics of the car interior as a whole. Therefore, drivers quite reasonably ask themselves the question: how to restore a leather steering wheel with their own hands, if the usual preventive measures are not enough? This will be discussed further.

Painting a leather steering wheel can also be done at home - there is nothing super complicated here. You just need to select the appropriate materials and follow the recommendations. By the way, if you do not want to dismantle your steering wheel during the restoration, all procedures can be carried out right on the spot. Just take care to protect the instrument panel from paint ingress. And yet it is much more convenient to work with the steering wheel removed, plus the result will be better.

Preparing for painting

Before, you need to prepare the surface. To do this, you will have to buy a kit in a specialized store designed to restore leather products. If there is no such set, you can purchase each component separately, and what to do with it and how to clean the leather steering wheel of a car, we will tell further.

So, in the process of preparatory work, you will need:

• polish-restorer;
• leather cleaner (white spirit or gasoline "Kalosha");
• several types of sandpaper with different grits: 400, 600, 1000 and 1200 units;
• putty for the skin ("liquid" skin);

Surface restoration begins with sanding to remove dirt, grease and old paint residues. In addition, in this way you will improve the adhesion of the fresh coloring composition. First, use P400 or P600 sandpaper to remove the top layer of paint. After that, the skin must be sanded using fine-grained sandpaper (P1000 or P1200).

The next step is puttying. To do this, many specialists and car enthusiasts prefer to use "liquid" skin, although you can hide dents and scratches with a special putty, buying it anywhere where auto cosmetics are sold. Very small flaws are hidden with the help of a restorer polish. After the treatment of the damaged areas is completed, wait 20 minutes and sand the surface where the restorative composition was applied.

Then you need to degrease the surface with white spirit (or other cleaning agent), but keep in mind that after sanding, the skin begins to intensively absorb any cleaning compound. Therefore, wipe the steering wheel with a clean cloth. The final stage of preparation is the protection of the spokes of the steering wheel and the buttons located on it from the ingress of paint particles, using the same plastic film and adhesive tape. Now you can proceed directly to the painting work.

Painting leather steering wheel

Before you paint a leather steering wheel with your own hands, you should decide on the type of paint used. What composition is best? According to experts, it is advisable to use a water-based paint designed for leather - it is suitable for all leather surfaces. For painting one steering wheel, as a rule, no more than 20-30 grams of prepared paint is consumed. As for the shade, it can be selected by mixing different colors.

You can apply paint to the leather covering with a foam swab. But if you have an airbrush, then its use is more preferable, since in this case the paint will lay down in an even layer and be more economical. It is better to put 2-3 layers of paint, and you should not wait until the previous layer dries - apply the next one immediately. This method of painting is called "wet" and allows you to control the process of absorption of paint into the skin. Upon completion of the painting work, it will be useful to apply a layer of varnish, which will ensure the safety of the surface of the leather steering wheel for much longer.

The approximate time that will have to be spent on the restoration of the steering wheel of your car is about 5-6 hours. Despite the fact that the work is simple, do not rush, and be careful when performing each step. And it is also better not to save on high-quality paint and a good restoration kit.

Often, car owners wonder how to paint and how to restore a leather steering wheel. Indeed, during operation, the driver interacts with this structural element most often. At the same time, the steering wheel is gradually wiped off, which is not the best way, affects the appearance of the cabin. Most people do not pay attention to the state of the "steering wheel" until it is completely dilapidated. And only after that they begin to think how to bring her appearance back to normal. Moreover, the option of buying a new steering wheel is not considered, because this part is quite expensive for any foreign car. But, do not be upset, there are very simple ways to solve the problem.

The easiest way

How to paint and how to restore a leather steering wheel? When answering this question, some motorists decide not to suffer with restoration work. They just put a cover on the steering wheel, and continue to drive quietly. When choosing, pay attention to the size of the case. It should sit perfectly on the steering wheel. After all, a too loose cover scrolls on the steering wheel, which adversely affects handling. This method is relatively inexpensive, but has several disadvantages.

It is not always possible to choose a cover for a specific steering wheel in size. Also, visually, such a cover stands out from the overall design of the cabin.

Recovery

The most optimal would be a complete restoration of the surface of the steering wheel. This will allow you to create a sense of originality in your salon. Actually, the recovery can be divided into 2 parts:

• Restore appearance. It is used in the presence of scuffs;
• Pulling the skin. Such a serious restoration is required when there is visible damage to the steering wheel braid.

As a rule, drivers get by with the first option. Full leather replacement is usually required on fairly old cars.

To begin with, we will look at what is required for a simple restoration of the surface of the rudder:

• degreaser();
• Scotch masking;
• Sandpaper;
• or airbrush;
• Foam swab.

In some cases, paint may be required, it is better to take it on a water basis.

The restoration of the steering wheel can be safely done right in the car without removing it. To do this, you will need to seal all adjacent surfaces with masking tape. The seats and the torpedo are covered with a film so as not to accidentally get dirty.

Restoration is done in the following order:

• To begin with, you should eliminate all dents and scratches from the surface of the steering wheel. To do this, we process the steering wheel with sandpaper. This must be done in several stages. First, we work with a large sandpaper, we continue with a medium one, and finally we grind with a “zero”. This approach will allow you to get rid of unnecessary difficulties in further work;
• We putty all large dents. The easiest way to do this is with liquid skin. There is also a special putty, but it is very problematic to find it in stores;
• Before painting, do not forget to degrease the surface. The easiest option would be white spirit. Treat the steering wheel with it as carefully as possible;
• The final touch remains - painting. First, determine how you will restore the surface. Many drivers recommend using a skin repair product. This option is the most optimal. Apply the substance to the surface of the steering wheel. After that, provide blowing of the painted surfaces with air. Bubbles will appear on the surface of the paint, and immediately burst. This is a normal process. There is also a special paint for the steering wheel. It costs decently, but in general, its consumption is not great (20-30 grams).

Cover the steering wheel with it in 2 layers, for a better effect.

Paint is applied from a spray gun or airbrush. It all depends on the availability of the tool at your fingertips.

Skin tightening

This is more difficult work. You will need to remove the steering wheel, which is quite tricky on some models. It is also important to choose the right replacement material. Perforated leather works best. The stretching is done in the following order:

• First, we make a pattern. For this, ordinary film is suitable. We wrap it around the steering wheel, and mark the places of the cut;
• We cut out the skin of a suitable size, try it on the steering wheel;
• We sew the elements of the skin;
• We install the resulting blank on the steering wheel. We finally fix the new braid.

The most difficult thing here will be the moment of pulling the skin on the steering wheel. In services, a special device is used for this.

Conclusion. The steering wheel quickly loses its original appearance. Therefore, many motorists are interested in how to paint and how to restore a leather steering wheel. Actually, this is easy to do. All work can be done independently.

This is probably the problem with all leather steering wheels, sooner or later they begin to climb. Not physically skin, but paint on its surface. And you start to have treacherous bald spots that are really annoying! DAMN, why take a “leather steering wheel” if in a year or two it will climb around like a “tattered cat”. I would take plastic, drove endlessly! Okay - sadness, there is a car, there is a “hearth”, something needs to be done. Is there any way to paint or restore this place? Let's figure it out...

To be honest, guys, I also have such a nuisance on my steering wheel, corny wear of the trailing edge of the skin surface. It looks annoying, especially if you are selling a car - it catches the eye very much. You need to touch up or restore, what else remains. Although personally for myself, I see three solutions to the problem. That's exactly what we're going to talk about today...

Warranty or "don't be stupid"

The first solution to the problem is a trite guarantee. Now it has become so common (and for many brands) that the steering wheel wears out (the first signs appear) with a run of 40 - 60,000 km, and for a large metropolis, such as Moscow or St. Petersburg, these are mere "penny". Even if you are not some kind of taxi driver or an employee of a delivery business (flowers, pizza, sushi, etc.), it is easier to roll such a mileage. And what to do! While there is a guarantee, we go to an authorized dealer.

The wear of the leather of the steering wheel is the same malfunction as, say, the failure of the stabilizer strut or the failure of any rubber bands. And this "position" must be changed under warranty.

The guys are not stupid, we go to the dealer and point out the problem, he is obliged to fix it for you! How he will do this is the second question, but the surface must be restored.

Usually the warranty period for a car is from 2 to 5 years. I would like to note right away that on German cars, the leather will last the entire warranty period, often it is 2 years, then only restore it yourself.

On other brands, where the guarantee is from 3 to 5 years, you need to be careful. If 3 years, then the steering wheel can already be wiped, the MAIN THING is to have time to show the dealer before the expiration date. If it is 5 years, then you need to be careful, for example, on such machines as KIA and Hyundai, the warranty for all components is only three years or 70,000 kilometers, and after that only for the engine, electronics and gearbox. So you need to be careful, after this period it is useless to download the rights.

What else I want to note - the dealer can turn on "Vanka", like - I'm not me, this does not change under warranty, etc.! The guys are immediately looking for a car lawyer and litigate quickly and efficiently, we do not waste time. As a rule, after a prepared claim to the address of the salon, in triplicate, everything falls into place - FOR I AGAIN STRESS - THIS IS THE SAME FAILURE AS HUNDREDS OF OTHERS, AND IT MUST BE REPAIRED. BUT only during the warranty period! Remember this!

Okay, I think I gave you the essence of the direction, so use it, but what if the warranty is over? How to restore paint yourself and is it possible?

Of course, perhaps for myself, I see two ways, I propose to consider each separately.

New case

What can I say, this is the simplest, but also the most "collective farm" method of restoring the surface. Now I don’t want to offend anyone, some drivers are real, which is often bought in Chinese stores. It is simply pulled and sheathed with special threads, in fact, all the restoration ends there. That is, the wear is under this braid. This is the cheapest way, I have friends who ordered leather cases for only 200 - 500 rubles.

It is more difficult when the entire skin of the steering wheel is removed, that is, the seams are physically cut and the regular braid is removed. Then a new one, made of fresh skin, is installed in its place. Not everyone can do this, and often there is simply no reason to! After all, you need a very strong damage to the surface (cut or deep abrasion), then it makes sense. Yes, and special companies are engaged in such restoration, you yourself are unlikely to do it, it will be “complicated”.

However, this recovery method is worth noting, yet usually a new cheap cover saves the situation.

There is another method, more correct, you need to go exactly along this path.

Painting, priming leather on the steering wheel

If you do not have damage that has strongly “stuck” into the surface, you can paint and prime it yourself. This is the most effective way for scuffs from 3 to 5 years. I have several friends who did everything with their own hands and it turned out impressively!

What we need, firstly, a special set, it includes:

• Degreaser
• Paint, usually water-based
• Finish matte finish
• Sometimes mornings are a strong degreaser
• Also an ultra-strong cleanser
• Putty paste (in advanced cases)
• "Stitcher", a property that tightly binds the putty and the top layer of paint

Personally, I have seen all this in many kits in stores, to restore the surface of the steering wheel leather. But often you just need a "degreaser", paint and a matte finish.

That's actually all. Let's analyze the restoration process itself - painting.

Recovery process

What I want to note before the process, you definitely need to buy masking tape and a large cellophane to close the salon, otherwise the paint will settle in the cabin, which we do not need.

• We close those parts that do not need to be restored, usually these are wooden inserts, or central plastic elements. We “wrap up” the front panel, and the seats in cellophane.

• We clean the damaged surfaces with a fine sandpaper. Not much, usually until the appearance of white skin.

• We degrease the steering wheel, apply a special compound that should remove all greasy elements. If it is not enough, you need to apply stronger formulations (morning remedy). After that, we wipe the steering wheel so that there is no dirt or any other grease left at all.

• Then, if there are deep damages, they can be repaired with a special primer.

• After that, we apply a layer of paint, simply sprayed from a can. It is applied with “jerky” movements, it is not necessary to stop at one point for a long time, because it will flow.

• After it dries, about 30 - 40 minutes, you need to cover it with a matte finish. It will fix the layer of paint.
• If you used a primer, then before painting you need to treat with a layer of "crosslinker". It will fix the primer, and will not allow it to disintegrate.

The steering wheel is in the cabin. But this location does not save it from abrasion and mechanical wear of the surface. Solve the problem - painting the steering wheel of the car. The steering wheel also suffers from dirt and sweat transmitted from the hands of the driver. This fact should be taken into account when choosing the tactics of painting this important vehicle control element. The procedure should bring not only beauty and image, but also ease of management. If, after the renewal procedure, the skin of the hands sticks to the surface of the steering wheel, and this is quite real, this will negatively affect the driving itself.

Choice

How to paint the steering wheel? The most important thing is that before starting work, you must carefully study the composition of the materials that you are going to use. It is possible that they may not be compatible with each other. It's best to buy what comes with the kit. This approach will guarantee maximum success. This work is divided into two cycles. Doing it yourself at home is not difficult.

Skin restoration

The renewal process is not always accompanied by painting and the elimination of dilapidated, worn out coatings. A well-preserved leather covering can be restored with the help of specialized equipment and creams with suitable properties. They can be selected according to the characteristics and the presence of the term "reductant" in the instructions. The service life of such creams is not much different, the effect is similar to the effect of shoe polish. These substances do not stain the palms, do not flow in extreme heat, and are acceptable.

In order to prevent destruction, you can use cleaners and impregnations for leather products. They slow down the process of destruction of the skin of the steering wheel from sweating, dirt and other factors. It is not necessary to remove the leather steering wheel. This is a very difficult job for such purposes. The main thing is to take care of the security of the dashboard and seats in the cabin. Polyethylene, fixed with adhesive tape, will help. You will also need to protect the spokes and steering wheel buttons.

Restoration begins with the fact that the surface should be well sanded and the old coating removed. This work will increase the contact area of ​​the coloring matter and the material of the steering wheel. The most important thing is to remove the remnants of the paint, which is very weak and will fall off in the near future. Suitable abrasive standard numbers - P400 and P600. Before painting, use a softer abrasive - P1200 or P1000. After removing the original paint, it often turns out that due to the cracking of the leather coating, irregularities that cannot be removed by the abrasive remain.

To do this, you can apply a number of techniques:

1. accessible way. You will need shoe wax for very rough skin, women's manicure nail polish, cyanoacrylate, some substances used in folk practice.
2. Puttying. This is filling a scratch with "liquid skin" or a similar substance, followed by drying and matting.
3. Alignment. This is filling the damaged area with automotive leather conditioner and grouting soft material with a polish.

It is forbidden to ignore the degreasing of the surface of the steering wheel. But it is important to consider that the leather coating slightly absorbs such products. Therefore, it is not necessary to abundantly water the sanded surface with white spirit. Wiping is done with a slightly damp cloth or microfiber. A leather cleaner is best in the interim before coloring.

Steering wheel painting

The easiest way is to spray the coloring material from the balloon onto the surface. But then there will be a large consumption of aerosols. The loss cannot be called tangible, but more practical owners use a foam roller or an ordinary brush. Many dyes have been invented. The market is filled with impregnations for leather products. The main thing is to choose the right type of skin:

• If this is chromium crushing, then the absorption is small. A small amount of coloring agent with harsh and possibly aggressive formulations is needed.
• With combined and vegetable tanning, absorption is greater. You will need very soft substances and a very large volume.

Many manufacturers advise not to wet the skin, but to immerse the object to be painted completely. Impregnation takes from 5 to 20 seconds. But in our case, this is not feasible. Apply the coloring matter in several stages. There is an option with a combination of restoration paint and a matte finish for leather and vinyl.

There is no need to wait for intermediate drying. It can even hurt. You need to paint "wet". And the use of several layers will help control the absorption process. If the paint gets on the glass or other parts of the cabin, use solvent No. 646. But keep the steering wheel away from this substance. Keep in mind personal safety as well. Read the precautions on the packaging.

Steering wheel paint is sold in car dealerships. It can also be purchased via the internet. The price depends on the volume of the can, the prestige of the brand, the price policy of the seller. An alternative option is to re-wrap the steering wheel with new leather.

Restoring a car's steering wheel is often just a necessary procedure. This is due to the fact that with constant contact of the driver with this part, the steering wheel cover wears out, scratches, stains and scuffs appear, all this makes the driving process itself less comfortable, and significantly spoils the appearance of the car interior. To solve this problem, drivers use four approaches:

• buying a new part and installing it in place of the old one. A very expensive undertaking, and often not justified spending money, especially if the steering wheel works properly.
• seeking help from a car dealership. In this case, in addition to the consumables themselves, you will also pay a substantial amount for the provision of services.
• put a cover on the steering wheel. A good budget option, but many drivers do not like that the thickness of the coverage increases and the control becomes less comfortable.
• painting the steering wheel of a car with your own hands, for example in a garage. This is a budget solution, for its implementation you will need to buy materials to restore the coating and spend several hours of your time. In fact, there is nothing complicated in this whole procedure, and you can quite cope with this task.

How to choose paint and consumables?

If you decide to carry out the restoration of the steering wheel yourself, then you will need materials to restore and paint this part. It is important to understand here that the choice will depend on the budget that you are willing to spend on this procedure. For example, there are both “folk” paint options and professional solutions. The simplest option for painting a leather steering wheel is the most common leather restorer, which can be bought at almost any auto store. But the main disadvantage of using this tool is its fragility. The layer of such a coating is quickly erased during intensive use of the vehicle, and if you bought a budget version of the restorer, then you are not immune from traces of paint on your hands, which is also an unpleasant moment.

Another budget solution is to apply leather creams, which are sold for painting jackets and shoes. These products do not belong to the class of auto cosmetics, therefore they will also wear off quickly, and may leave marks on the hands. We also include nail polishes with which you can touch up scratches and chips on the steering wheel.

The best solution would be to select a professional paint for painting the steering wheel of a car, as well as restorative agents. These include liquid leather, which restores various mechanical damage and complete wear of the coating on the steering wheel, paint for automotive leather, conditioners that smooth the material and polishes to eliminate scratches and bumps on the surface of the part. There are also products for removing grease stains from the skin, which in any case form when hands come into contact with the coating.

If at the end you want to get exactly the matte look of the steering wheel, then special matte coatings are used for the final paint layer, which eliminate gloss.

When choosing a paint, start from the type of leather on the steering wheel. With vegetable or combined tanning of leather, paints with a soft composition are used, with chrome tanning, harder and denser compositions of applied materials are used.

Here is a list of materials that will be needed for work:

• masking tape and protective film.
• absorbent to remove sweat stains.
• sanding paper.
• degreaser.
• liquid skin.
• paint for automotive leather.
• scotch brite.

Also on the market there are ready-made kits for painting the steering wheel, which can be bought at auto markets.

We prepare the surface

If you are not an experienced craftsman, then we do not recommend removing the steering wheel yourself, as you may damage the wiring or fasteners, which will subsequently require additional financial investments. It is better to work carefully right in the cabin, but at the same time having previously prepared the working area. To do this, with the help of masking tape and film, we paste over all the nearest surfaces, this is the instrument panel, the windshield and the buttons on the steering wheel, etc. We leave only the part of the steering wheel that we will paint.

Before you paint the leather on the steering wheel, you need to carry out restoration work, and this technology consists of several basic steps.

1. Grinding. Using sandpaper grade P400 - P600, we grind the surface and remove all small scratches and chips. If there is a lot of such damage, then we clean the steering wheel completely.
2. Now we take paper of the P1000 - P1500 brand and completely matte the surface in order to increase the adhesion of the surface with the applied materials. You can also use scotch tape for this task.
3. If there are grease stains on the steering wheel, they can be removed with an absorbent.
4. Now we restore the leather coating using liquid leather. It is applied to damaged areas, waiting for drying and then sanded with fine-grained sandpaper until a uniform surface is obtained. Also, in addition to liquid skin, putty pastes are also used, after which they are also polished.
5. All wrinkled skin areas are treated with conditioner and polish.
6. Part degreasing.

When degreasing the coating, it is important not to take too much material, as the skin may wrinkle. Here it is important to apply a degreaser and immediately start applying the paint, do not wait until the surface dries.

Applying paint

The technology for painting the leather steering wheel of a car can be in two formats:

1. Using an aerosol can. But in this case, it will be necessary to cover almost the entire interior with a film so that the paint does not get anywhere, and I needed you for a long time and you need to scrub it with a solvent.
2. Use a brush and paint from a can. In this case, it will be more comfortable to work, in addition, you will be able to fully control the consumption of material.

Paint is applied to the steering wheel in several layers, and at the same time, in between them, they do not wait for complete drying, but apply the material “wet”. The whole painting process will take about 30 minutes. As a finishing layer, you can use a tool to give a matte effect if you are not satisfied with the gloss.

What about plastic and wood inserts on the steering wheel?

If your car has a plastic steering wheel, then the approach is similar, but there are several differences. This applies primarily to the preparation for painting the steering wheel plastic. You will also need to sand the surface with sandpaper and degrease it, but either anti-silicone or alcohol is used for degreasing, and in no case acetone, it corrodes this material.

They paint with paint on plastic in several layers, then often apply a matte finish. But when repairing this type of steering wheel, the paintwork does not last long and with intensive use of the car, it begins to lose its appearance and collapse. A good leather case can be the way out here.

If we talk about wooden inserts, then they usually serve well, but there are small scratches from rings or other mechanical damage. These can be repaired by polishing, and deeper scratches can be carefully filled with clear nail polish.

Driving care

It is important not only to restore the coating on the steering wheel, but also to properly care for this part, then it will serve you for a long time and will delight you with its appearance. First of all, you need to constantly wipe the steering wheel and hands with napkins to avoid the formation of greasy stains, which will then be difficult to remove. The second is the use of auto leather care products, or simply dilute the body cleaner in water and wipe the coating with a rag. To do this, restorative agents are applied to the steering wheel, wait 10 - 15 minutes and then wash them off with a rag. This approach will ensure a longer service life of the steering wheel cover.