Steering Wheel Wear - Tears - Cuts

[AdaKyle]

My biggest grip is the robustness of the steering wheel. I notice small wear area about 7 and 8 o'clock on the outside of the steering wheel. I think when I slide into the seat, my leg and jacket hits the bottom of the wheel. A couple of my slacks have a zipper on the thigh area as well. I think jacket and pant zippers easily tear the soft steering wheel.

I have had the car 2 months. And the wheel looks like this. I assume Tesla will say this is wear and tear. Any ideas on how to fix? I am thinking a cover help. Or maybe some tape in the heavy wear areas.

I like the feel of the wheel. I hate how easy it wears. I have never had this issue with my other vehicles.

 

[jjrandorin]

I assume Tesla will say this is wear and tear.

Because it is wear and tear. I have had my model 3 since Dec of 2018 and it still looks brand new. Its wear and tear because its definitely "something" you are doing to it.

You likely need to get a cover, or try to identify what you are doing that is causing that, and try to stop doing it. A cover would be easier though.

 

[AdaKyle]

Because it is wear and tear. I have had my model 3 since Dec of 2018 and it still looks brand new. Its wear and tear because its definitely "something" you are doing to it.

You likely need to get a cover, or try to identify what you are doing that is causing that, and try to stop doing it. A cover would be easier though.

Wear and tear you say. identify what I am doing. Got it. Thanks.

 

[BigNick]

The material on the steering wheel feels thin and fragile, unlike some real leather steering wheels I have had in the past. But even real leather is susceptible to nicks and scratches. Particularly from long fingernails, I've found.

The steering wheel is the most frequent touch-point on the car, even more so than the touchscreen. Generally I've found aftermarket steering wheel covers are like cell phone cases rather than "invisible" screen protectors. The more protection they provide, the uglier they are.

A custom upholstery shop might be able to wrap your steering wheel with a more durable material such as Alcantara, and it would look much better than a DIY cover kit.

 

[Rightrudder]

Maybe use Easy Entry going forward if you're not already using it

 

[heavyD]

OP are you tall or have the seat pretty far forward and not using Easy Entry? If you are you are coming into contact with the steering wheel all the time getting into the car then it's probably set too low.

 

[AdaKyle]

OP response here. Not tall. I am 5'10". I believe I keep seat a a normal distance. I definitely know I contact the steering wheel upon entry.

I am going to have to look at easy entry. Never heard of it. My wife uses my car as well. I have made the M3 LR our primary car for errands. So two drivers use it. I notice it doesnt adjust anything automatically between us. This isnt the cause of it because I move the seat upon entry.

Two things

1. Easy Entry I need to learn.
2. Is there an easy way to have the car recognize different drivers? We both use bluetooth to operate; instead of the keys.

I guess a third is possibly looking for 3rd party custom. I was almost just thinking something cheap like tape to at least stop it from getting worse.

PW - Thank you for the last three posts. Those were actually informative and helpful. Very much appreciated.

 

[MP3Mike]

2. Is there an easy way to have the car recognize different drivers? We both use bluetooth to operate; instead of the keys.

Yes, you just assign a profile to each "key".

 

[oreobbq]

Wear and tear you say. identify what I am doing. Got it. Thanks.

Well you already identified the leg and zipper situation. You have several leather repair options, from conditioners to fillers to patch kits. There's a brand called Permatex that might be very helpful in your application. A dealer used a similar fix when they accidentally abraded one of my leather doors.

 

[ToasterOven99]

My biggest grip is the robustness of the steering wheel. I notice small wear area about 7 and 8 o'clock on the outside of the steering wheel. I think when I slide into the seat, my leg and jacket hits the bottom of the wheel. A couple of my slacks have a zipper on the thigh area as well. I think jacket and pant zippers easily tear the soft steering wheel.

I have had the car 2 months. And the wheel looks like this. I assume Tesla will say this is wear and tear. Any ideas on how to fix? I am thinking a cover help. Or maybe some tape in the heavy wear areas.

I like the feel of the wheel. I hate how easy it wears. I have never had this issue with my other vehicles.

I have had good luck with this stuff from amazon. Light scuffs were gone after I applied it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MT0WOYO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[PianoAl]

I let this guy drive one time, and ...

 

[TunaBug]

OP response here. Not tall. I am 5'10". I believe I keep seat a a normal distance. I definitely know I contact the steering wheel upon entry.

I am going to have to look at easy entry. Never heard of it. My wife uses my car as well. I have made the M3 LR our primary car for errands. So two drivers use it. I notice it doesnt adjust anything automatically between us. This isnt the cause of it because I move the seat upon entry.

Two things

1. Easy Entry I need to learn.
2. Is there an easy way to have the car recognize different drivers? We both use bluetooth to operate; instead of the keys.

I guess a third is possibly looking for 3rd party custom. I was almost just thinking something cheap like tape to at least stop it from getting worse.

PW - Thank you for the last three posts. Those were actually informative and helpful. Very much appreciated.

I use easy entry because I like to drive with the steering wheel low, but it's easier to get in and out when it is high. So I do exactly what you're looking to do, even if my motivation isn't quite the same. It's not hard to figure out once you make a point of figuring it out

 

[tapau]

I bought a leather steering wheel skin for 2 of my kids Hondas. It takes 4-ever to sew on and you need to be meticulous, but once on they are beautiful and long lasting. Here are some pictures. I love the 1/2 perforated, 1/2 plain one which looks sportier and even better. I plan on getting this for my M3 when the steering wheel starts to look crappy.

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Here's the before pictures of the steering wheels.