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      10-16-2011, 07:32 PM   #23
NeoGeo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by esqu1re View Post
I got sick of looking at the flaking plastic coating next to the steering wheel controls. The previous owner lived in TX and apparently, the car has seen its fair share of sun. As a result, the plastic/rubber coating next to the steering wheel controls is all nicked up and peeling.

As an alternative to purchasing replacement plastic (160+ dollars---overpriced for plastic), I decided to remove the peeling rubber altogether and repaint the controls.

I apologize for not taking pictures, but the steps are pretty straightforward.

Tools needed: Allen key, 2000 grit sandpaper, Rougher sandpaper (500 grit?), Paint


Step 1: remove the screws from the back. There are a total of 4, and can be removed with a small allen key.

Step 2: Remove the back covers. The two on the side snap off pretty easily, but they're partially tucked behind the airbag cover, so you'll need to wiggle them out a little bit.

Step 3: Take off the controls. Remove the wire connectors (1 on the left, 2 on the right one) from the controls and then pull them out. A little wiggling is necessary. Don't worry if you have to drive when the controls are off...No warning lights come on and the car functions fine without them.

Step 4: Take off the remaining plastic pieces. Be careful as the left and right front pieces can be rather delicate and are tucked under the airbag cover.

Step 5: Sand off the offending rubber pieces. I went to Autozone and bought some automotive sandpaper. I made sure there was some 2000 grit sandpaper in there as well. You'll want to remove the rubber coating with the heavier grit. In fact, remove most of the plastic down to its unpainted beige color if you can. Then, go in with the 2000 grit paper and smooth everything out. You'll need to make sure that EVERYTHING is smooth. Any imperfections will show up when you paint.

Step 6: Cover the buttons with a piece of painters tape and use anx-acto knife around the buttons. Remove the tape around the buttons so that only the button surfaces are covered.

Step 7: Paint. I used a black Matte paint. You can use whatever color you want. Make sure you paint evenly. Give it one coat and wait until it dries. Examine the pieces to see if there are any imperfections. I didn't sand enough with the 2000 grit paper and the paint really brought out the imperfections. I had to resand. Do it right the first time and you don't have to worry. If you're happy w/ the paint job, you're done painting. I gave my pieces an extra coating of paint when it dried.

Step 7: Reattach the plastic in the reverse order and screw back together. Make sure the plastic pieces are snapped together perfectly before screwing them together.

Pictures of the finished product are forthcoming.
Any photos of this DIY. Some photos showing the detail of the paint job would be helpful.

Thank you.
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      10-21-2011, 08:11 AM   #24
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I would love to see this myself.
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      10-21-2011, 09:22 AM   #25
esqu1re
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Guys, I'll try to post some pics when I get the chance. It didn't turn out as good as I had hoped---I had envisioned it looking like piano black trim, and it does, but I didn't sand enough, and as a result there are a bunch of imperfections on the paint surface---I'm almost embarrassed to post the pics. I'm sure someone with more skill and a better sander can pull it off much better. The paint finish, however, has not come off, and it's been over a year (so at least that's good). =)
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Last edited by esqu1re; 10-21-2011 at 09:22 AM.. Reason: fixed typos
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      10-29-2011, 12:21 AM   #26
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I'm going to break down and buy new ones next season... I'll pick up a pair of driving gloves at the same time...
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      03-14-2012, 06:29 PM   #27
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Anyone know how to remove the steering wheel trim on a steering wheel fitted with flappy paddles? The trim at the bottom of the steering wheel is open so I can get to screws from behind , but the steering wheel trim next to the stereo-bluetooth buttons has its screw holes covered by the flappy paddles. There's a little bit of space, but not enough to get in-inbetween. So I'm thinking the paddles have to be removed first, but I don't see any screws that would allow me to remove them.
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      03-16-2012, 12:45 AM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jax543210 View Post
Anyone know how to remove the steering wheel trim on a steering wheel fitted with flappy paddles? The trim at the bottom of the steering wheel is open so I can get to screws from behind , but the steering wheel trim next to the stereo-bluetooth buttons has its screw holes covered by the flappy paddles. There's a little bit of space, but not enough to get in-inbetween. So I'm thinking the paddles have to be removed first, but I don't see any screws that would allow me to remove them.
You have to take the airbag out to access the screws for the paddle shifters (can't remember what size torx it was), then you can remove the trim pieces.

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      12-13-2014, 08:49 PM   #29
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I know this is an old thread, but I am sure others are still dealing with this and I just did mine. Here are a couple more tips that should help:
I have heard this before and I am sad to tell you it is true - Windex basically melts that stuff. Brilliant engineering there. However, I found that some acetone based nail polish my wife had laying around worked even better. I just put it on, let it soak in for a minute and took the mess off with a stiff brush.
I then scuffed it up a little bit with some 000 steel wool I had and washed them.
Most importantly, I looked at a few paints, but in the end repainted them with PlastiKote (don't confuse with PlastiDip) T-2 Flat Black and it is an exact match with the black turn signal and wiper arms behind the wheel. It looks like it's a factory finish.
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      04-30-2016, 12:54 AM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnB View Post
I know this is an old thread, but I am sure others are still dealing with this and I just did mine. Here are a couple more tips that should help:
I have heard this before and I am sad to tell you it is true - Windex basically melts that stuff. Brilliant engineering there. However, I found that some acetone based nail polish my wife had laying around worked even better. I just put it on, let it soak in for a minute and took the mess off with a stiff brush.
I then scuffed it up a little bit with some 000 steel wool I had and washed them.
Most importantly, I looked at a few paints, but in the end repainted them with PlastiKote (don't confuse with PlastiDip) T-2 Flat Black and it is an exact match with the black turn signal and wiper arms behind the wheel. It looks like it's a factory finish.
Thanks man! Followed your recommendation and came out great! PlastiKote is perfect color and texture.


Last edited by bkwld; 04-30-2016 at 01:09 AM..
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      05-08-2016, 05:56 AM   #31
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I'll be repairing my steering wheel spoke bezels as well by repainting with Plastikote. It appears as though the last two posters just stripped and painted. No need for primer or a clear coat?
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      05-27-2016, 11:54 AM   #32
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Finished mine. Also used Plastikote and it looks great. I did 4 thin coats and did a light wet sand (600 grit) at the end to knock off any high spots. I used isopropyl alcohol and a scotch bright pad to remove the soft touch paint. I found that worked better for me than the nail polish remover. Tip, be careful when removing the bezels from the 6 o'clock spoke (I have an M wheel). When I did mine a lot of the molded in snaps shattered. Found my self having to super glue a bunch of small pieces back to together.
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      09-08-2021, 05:20 AM   #33
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Is there a link or instructions with pictures that show how to remove the trim pcs from the steering wheel?
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      09-25-2021, 08:42 PM   #34
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Just cleaned up

Just wanted to post some pictures of what I did with the peeling coating on the trim pieces. I used the alcohol method scraping with a soft plastic card to speed things up. Then just left the base plastic in black. I feel like it looks pretty good and I always worry a painted surface will attract dirt or smudges and eventually wear off.

The first picture is after stripping the coating and the second before. The last just shows the wheel in the car.
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      10-05-2021, 01:44 PM   #35
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Can confirm Plastikote t-2 flat black is an exact match for the turn signal/wiper arm factory finish. Took quite a bit of time to refurb my spoke trim, but it looks fantastic!
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      11-22-2021, 05:59 PM   #36
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Here's when I did mine. Fairly easy to disassemble and reassemble. A nice combo of gloss and matte. Can't find any pics of it all assembled and in car (dangit) but it looks very pleasing to my eyes.
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      11-28-2021, 04:21 AM   #37
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I did the same thing Nipsey did, then waxed and buffed it lightly by hand. Looks good to me.
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