[F31-340i]

Lee did this the other day which inspired me to get on with it - here's my experience.

Tools:

T20 torx bit. Thats it.

I was going to remove the airbag, and hence disconnected the battery, but I then realised I would have to puncture the steering wheel cover to get at the airbag release clips. I then decided to try it without removing the bag (as on E90post DIY) - this is actually quite easy.

1. Undo 3 x T20 torx bolts on the rear of the wheel. They are effectively captive.

2. Wiggle the trim away from the bag, just tug at it firmly but carefully and it will squeeze away from the airbag. You just need to pull it away sideways enough for it to clear the bag.



3. The trim then hinges around the right hand side. Careful as the wire is short and it won't come away far.



4. You can then get a T20 torx bit behind the trim to remove the self tapper that holds the right hand side buttons to the trim. Careful not to drop the self tapper under the electric drivers seat runner when the battery is disconnected making it difficult to retrieve....



5. The left set of buttons come away just the same.



6. You then need to remove the remaining covering material. Apart from the edges where it came away easily - this proved very tough. Various cleaning agents I tried were ineffective. In the end I resorted to 80 paper. This proved the quickest way of getting the surface clean, followed by 240 and 600 paper to get it ready for primer.



7. Ready for primer - M badge masked as I couldn't remove it without potentially damaging it. I masked it with 4-5 little bits of masking tape in layers. I also masked the part no.



8. Primer coat 1



9. Primer 2. Then rubbed down with 600 and 1200 paper to get it nice and smooth.



10. Three thin coats of Matt Black.



11. Finished result. I've always been naff at paintwork, but I have to put modesty asde and report it looks fantastic - and 10x better than I expected. Matt Black ended up looking 100% stock, if anything the finish is even better. I don't think you'd spot it unless you were told.



Overall - recommended. Take your time with the 600 & 1200 paper to get the surface very smooth - it pays off.

[rich1068]

That looks superb! Well done.

[bounty78]

Thanks for the guide ajd...will be attempting this in a fortnights time when i have some spare time. Excellent result and colour match
The peeling rubber on the steering wheel shouldn't be happening to a £30K car..just shocking..reminds me of my Nissan 350Z-cheap interiors
Audi and Merc seem to have better interiors

Did u use the same Halford paint recommended by Lee?

[F31-340i]

Originally Posted by bounty78

Thanks for the guide ajd...will be attempting this in a fortnights time when i have some spare time. Excellent result and colour match
The peeling rubber on the steering wheel shouldn't be happening to a £30K car..just shocking..reminds me of my Nissan 350Z-cheap interiors
Audi and Merc seem to have better interiors

Did u use the same Halford paint recommended by Lee?

I used bog standard aerosol matt black paint from Norauto - the French equivalent of Halfords - so nothing exotic.

[bounty78]

forgotten you are in France..sorry

[F31-340i]

Originally Posted by bounty78

forgotten you are in France..sorry

Yes, the hardest bit of the job was the ambient temp....

[bounty78]

wow..39 degrees celcius! Not jealous at all mate

[Ant Man]

Great job and write up.

I assume you did not really need to disconnect the battery after all?

[F31-340i]

Originally Posted by Ant Man

Great job and write up.

I assume you did not really need to disconnect the battery after all?

No, no need to disconnect the battery, but once I'd removed all the boot trim and disconnected it in the first place I though I may as well leave it.

It was after this decision that I dropped the self tapper. The screw fell under the inside seat runner rail - I had to put the seat at full height/forward to get access to retrieve it.

[coopersim]

I had this problem, replaced under warranty, and now I've changed my driving habits to avoid touching it!

Looks really good, well worth it. Wonder if it would work with the door pulls that suffer the same problem?

[bounty78]

Had a go this morning..excellent guide!..this should be made a sticky. Ajd is right..it pays to use the 600 and 1200 grit paper to get the primer surface really smooth. This is mine..fairly happy with the result apart from some minor blemishes here and there..first time i have done any DIY on the BMW.

[PeKKeR]

working on the trim now, just finished first coat...how much did you wait for each coat to dry?

[F31-340i]

Not long between coats - just make sure it is basically dry. Should be 45mins or so.

If I was doing it again I've give it 5-6 very thin coats as 2 years on it is showing some tiny chips where the paint was a bit thin. Be patient!

[Digitalize]

I'd probably use satin black rather than matte, be a bit closer to actual rubber I imagine? Or Plastidip but it would probably wear.

[essex_lad]

great fix, nice job man.

[gIzzE]

The best thing to use is Plasticote matte black, this was a siver trim I sprayed black...




However, I think I paid £12 for a new steering wheel trim from the dealer, plastic bits are usually surprisingly cheap.

[gIzzE]

Rust-Oleum also do a rubberised black spray paint, you can get it in B&Q.

[CustomColours]

Or just wrap it.

[F31-340i]

Originally Posted by Digitalize

I'd probably use satin black rather than matte, be a bit closer to actual rubber I imagine? Or Plastidip but it would probably wear.

On mine, its hard to tell from pictures but matt black looks 100% correct, and ends up on the plastic with just the right amount of 'shine'.

[Digitalize]

Yeah different paints and different application techniques will give different finishes.

Bountys looks pretty matte.

BMW want £86 for a replacement. I've started peeling my rubber off as I drive. Think I'll paint it over the Xmas break.

[gIzzE]

£86??!!

I paid £12+Vat for mine, that was Oct 11.
He did say that was a big discount but massive mark up on them.

I know the date as I sold it and took some pics...




I would seriously use the plasticote matte black, it is a perfect match, and so easy to make it look good.

[Jase 320d]

You can get a nice looking real carbon one on ebay!

Quite pricey but looks awesome