dtchung

This sucks, I got a series of little scratches on my steering wheel. I took my car back to the tint shop to get the bubbles out. I didn't notice it until I left the parking lot, but I felt this rough part on the leather of my steering wheel. It looks like a series little slits made with exact-o knife. I think they scraped it with something shart when they were either getting in or out of my car. When I called them, they're very rude about it and, they're denying it, of course. Can't argue too much there, as I left the lot without checking. Who checks the steering wheel when leaving the tint shop, seriously... I'm just having series of bad luck with this place.


Anyway, anyone know any good leather upholstery repair shop in South Bay/L.A./O.C. area. I don't want to replace the damn thing, if I can help it. Just wondering if there are places where they can patch it. This is a last resort, but has anyone tried those liquid leather thing? I imagine they don't work for beans, but who knows... Thanks.

blkngld

If it's just the steering wheel, you can probably just order a replacement wrap. Not sure how much it is, but probably 100-200.

Lore

WHOA -- that's the exact same problem that I had when I took my car into service LAST weekend. I felt these rough areas and then realized they nicked a bit of the steering wheel. I called the service advisor, explained the situation, and they decided to repair the leather (through a third-party).

But they only work M-F and don't work out where I live so I convinced the service manager through some more discussions that replacing it entirely would be the ideal thing. So I took it in, saw the replacement steering wheel this morning, and they're putting it in for me as we speak. Unfortunately they told me they've never done an 04 steering wheel before so who knows how long it'll be...

You can't order just the leather wrap -- it's all stitched together and it's one big cohesive package. Pain in the rear, really.

KJSmitty

Sounds like some folks in the tint shop and service dept need to cut their damn finger nails.....

Lore

I just spoke with the service advisor about my steering wheel. They've spent about 3 hours working on switching the old one to the new one already. Can you believe that? I guess they're frantically trying to figure out how to get all the switches transferred over. I guess no one in their shop's performed an A-spec upgrade yet.

rets

dtchung,

Mind having some pics for us? I just like to know how they look like. Thanks.

greenseed

My opinion is to take and get the steering wheel replaced by the dealer if possible, then go back and hit those bastards over their heads with it so that they can respect other people’s positions.

Norse396

dtchung,

I noticed the same type of rip on the back of my drivers seat the day after I bought my TL. I brought it in the next day and they ordered the new seat back right then and replaced it 3 days later. How long have you had the car?

jtruman

I have had the EXACT SAME problem! You are right, maybe the knife from the tint shop did it. Anyway, it doesn't feel as rough now, it's been a week already, and I try to rub it / pat it down everyday. If it continues to bug me, I'll try to get it treated somehow...

KJSmitty

Thats the results of someone dragging their fingernail either out of idiocy or by slipping while turning..... I can't imagine someone would sit there and make numerous little cuts with an exacto- knife/razorblade...


Smitty

Nicki

It looks like a heavy set man with a set of a bunch of keys on attached to his belt externely jumped out of you car and it was a tight fit causing the keys to rub/scrape against the stering wheel. Seems like a pure accident, I am sure the guy didn't intend to do it purposely and probably didnt even know he did it. Just my opinion. Try going to a leather cleaning establishment and ask them how they repair scratches in leather breif-cases or leather jackets, perhaps you can apply the same method of fix to the steering wheel. Did you try lexol and rubbing it in? Maybe some stuff like you use on a baseball mit will work the leather smoothe again...

jtruman

You are right, pretty sure the guy didn't do it on purpose.

By the way, it's not caused some someone who cut out little scratches (to spite the car owner), but more likely something was dragged across the steering wheel. I saw the guys working on the car, and they were not very "big". Probably carelessness with some of the tools they were working with...

Corn

I did this to my last car all the time and it drove me crazy until I figured out what I was doing. Whenever I wore my leather I always wore it unzipped it because it was kind of long and I didn't like the lap portion of the seat belt leaving creases in it. What was happening was that every now and then while exiting my car, the metal zipper from my coat was rubbing up against wheel courtesy of my thigh and somewhat low position of the wheel.

Eventually these scuffs (exactly as pictured by jtruman) would wear smooth and wouldn't bother me anymore.

Lore

Well, I got my steering wheel replaced. The dealership had never done a steering wheel replacement before for the 04 TL so this was new to them.. anyway, they put on a steering wheel from a new car on the lot (which was fine) but they took it out of a non-Navi, so it didn't have the voice command button. Fortunately I caught this and told them to fix it right away, which they were able to do in about 25 minutes.

But now the freaking steering wheel is off-center. I guess when they installed it they didn't bother doing the toe adjustment. I'm so frustrated with Concord Acura's techs right now (their service advisors are great, but what good are service advisors if their techs cannot perform?)

dtchung

That sucks. I thought readjustment was part of the procedure. People just don't seem to give a s*** about good work.

Thanks for all your replies. Although it looks very similar to the picture that jtruman posted, but the scracthes I have looks sharper. It looks like they dragged it with a exact-o knife or some sort of hard edge. Anyway, a picture is worth a thousand words. I'll post it soon.

Lore

I just got back from the dealership again and they prioritized my case like no other. I was the first car worked on, and it was still wrong, so I went back and worked with the tech side by side to make sure the steering wheel was centered. He threw the car on the Hunter alignment machine and noticed that the rear left tire's toe was way off so we fixed that and now it seems to track properly... as far as I can tell anyway.

The tech who did the work today was the same one who swapped steering wheels for me, and he was a really nice guy too so for the time being, Concord's redeemed itself... but I still had to drive about 140 miles altogether with the multiple trips back and forth!

If you get your steering wheel replaced, make sure they perform toe adjustments!

dtchung

That's cool. At least they're nice about it. I'm really getting irritated with my tint shop. When I called them to confront this, the first thing out of his mouth was, "So, what's your problem, man?" If they were nice about it, I probably wouldn't make a big deal about it. I've already been back there for over 4 times...

Lore

Agreed -- how they respond to my complaints makes up a LARGE part of their 'report card' in my book. If they ***** about it and complain that it was me or whatever, then I'd get annoyed. But the entire department treated me with respect and took care of the situation right there and then.