[SIZE=10.5pt]Hi all forummers, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]I decided to undertake some DIY work over the weekend for my MSport steering wheel plastic panel that was badly scratched. Since BMW uses a lot of that soft touch material finish on their plastics, there is a tendency for these sort of finishes to damage, disintegrate, scratch pretty fast. A quick check at the restoration workshop will set me back about RM300 and I thought that wasn’t worth the money. So I decided to get handy do things my way, I hope this can be useful for owners who experience the same problem and would like a DIY alternative of doing things![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Here goes![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Pictures before restoration:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]As you can see the scratches mostly came from my nails during contact when handling the wheel. It doesn’t help that the MSport handling is a bit on the heavy side, so you tend to grip on the steering a bit harder, causing some unintentional scratching on the plastic panel.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]To remove the steering wheel, follow these steps![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]1. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Get a Torx screwdriver and unscrew the Torx bolts behind the steering. There are 3 in total, one behind the Msport emblem at the bottom, and one on both sides behind each quick access button. If you have difficulty getting your screw driver in position, you may want to turn the steering wheel around to avoid the signal stocks from getting in the way. Alternatively, use a ratchet screwdriver that accesses the Torx in a 90deg angle position[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]2. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Once unscrewed, you will find the plastic panel tucked nicely behind the center of the steering wheel (where the airbag is contained). Use a plastic prying tool, start from either side and pry it SLOWLY until it dislodges, but don’t yank out once you free the plastic panel because you need to free the quick access buttons first[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]3. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Using a phillip head screwdriver, release the screw that is holding the quick access buttons to the plastic panel, once this is free, leave the quick access buttons alone and remove the plastic panel. There is no need to dismantle the electronics of the quick access buttons[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]4. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]You can start the prep process. Start by taping up the MSport emblem and the part bar codes[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]5. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Prepare several grits of sandpaper, in my case, I chose 600, 800, 1500 and 2000. Wet sanding is key to having a smooth prep surface. I cannot stress how IMPORTANT prep procedure is, because if the surface is not clean and baby butt smooth, it’s gonna show in your paint layers like a sore thumb. Take your time and do it slowly[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]6. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]It is advisable to wet sand the steering wheel in a shallow water basin to keep plastic residue sanded off from being an abrasive as you are sanding down. If your scratches are not deep, you can start with 800 grit. Use even force and do not press to hard as you sand down, strip the surface layers slowly to keep an even surface. Do not jump from 800 grit to 2000 straight away as you will take ages to achieve surface consistency and smoothness. Make sure that the final layer is visually smooth and most importantly smooth to the touch. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]7. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Once done, set to dry…completely dry! For my case, I used Krylon covermax Paint + Primer (Satin finish) and a Nippon Lazer Clear Lacquer. For the painting process, thin coats are very critical to getting the achieved finish and look. If you undersprayed one section, it is ok, you can get to it in later coats, don’t try to go over it within the same coat![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]8. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Start your spray nozzle about 30 cm away from the steering. Begin spraying at an empty surface and cross over the plastic panel with quick strokes back and forth; do not start the nozzle spray on the plastic panel and end the spray on the plastic panel!! It will cause excessive build-up of spray particles at the start and end points. 50% overlap is ok when you are stroking back and forth, do not go over the same location twice in a single coat. Repeat these for about 4-5 coats. I did 5 for mine, if the layer is thin enough, you do not need to worry about overcoating. 5 thin coats is better than 2 thick coats![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]9. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Let coats cure about 10-15 mins in between[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]10. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Once the final coat is cured, finish with only ONE coat of clear lacquer, and do it at about 40cm above the plastic panel. The purpose of doing this is not to give the steering wheel the gloss associated with clear lacquer (the original finish is satin finish!); it is to give a thin coat of protection on the black satin paint to provide added scratch resistance. If your coat is a bit too thick it will start to gloss, you have to resand the whole plastic panel, unless you are into shiny looking plastic panels[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]11. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Remember, If your paint runs, sanding defects show up in the spray painting process, paint swells / smudges or whatsoever, you have to sand it down again and restart the process, there is no shortcuts. Do not attempt to spray over the defects, it won’t work![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]12. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Once cured for about 24 hours (to let the paint harden), you may begin the re-installation process[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]The final product![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]The new finish looks a little bit different than the original one, but I personally feel it is far more scratch resistant than before, and anybody who sat in my car so far could not tell it was restored or not! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Total cost of restoration: [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]RM40 for Krylon Black Spray[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]RM10 for Clear Lacquer[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]and some sandpaper[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Have fun ![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]I decided to undertake some DIY work over the weekend for my MSport steering wheel plastic panel that was badly scratched. Since BMW uses a lot of that soft touch material finish on their plastics, there is a tendency for these sort of finishes to damage, disintegrate, scratch pretty fast. A quick check at the restoration workshop will set me back about RM300 and I thought that wasn’t worth the money. So I decided to get handy do things my way, I hope this can be useful for owners who experience the same problem and would like a DIY alternative of doing things![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Here goes![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Pictures before restoration:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]As you can see the scratches mostly came from my nails during contact when handling the wheel. It doesn’t help that the MSport handling is a bit on the heavy side, so you tend to grip on the steering a bit harder, causing some unintentional scratching on the plastic panel.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]To remove the steering wheel, follow these steps![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]1. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Get a Torx screwdriver and unscrew the Torx bolts behind the steering. There are 3 in total, one behind the Msport emblem at the bottom, and one on both sides behind each quick access button. If you have difficulty getting your screw driver in position, you may want to turn the steering wheel around to avoid the signal stocks from getting in the way. Alternatively, use a ratchet screwdriver that accesses the Torx in a 90deg angle position[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]2. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Once unscrewed, you will find the plastic panel tucked nicely behind the center of the steering wheel (where the airbag is contained). Use a plastic prying tool, start from either side and pry it SLOWLY until it dislodges, but don’t yank out once you free the plastic panel because you need to free the quick access buttons first[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]3. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Using a phillip head screwdriver, release the screw that is holding the quick access buttons to the plastic panel, once this is free, leave the quick access buttons alone and remove the plastic panel. There is no need to dismantle the electronics of the quick access buttons[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]4. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]You can start the prep process. Start by taping up the MSport emblem and the part bar codes[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]5. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Prepare several grits of sandpaper, in my case, I chose 600, 800, 1500 and 2000. Wet sanding is key to having a smooth prep surface. I cannot stress how IMPORTANT prep procedure is, because if the surface is not clean and baby butt smooth, it’s gonna show in your paint layers like a sore thumb. Take your time and do it slowly[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]6. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]It is advisable to wet sand the steering wheel in a shallow water basin to keep plastic residue sanded off from being an abrasive as you are sanding down. If your scratches are not deep, you can start with 800 grit. Use even force and do not press to hard as you sand down, strip the surface layers slowly to keep an even surface. Do not jump from 800 grit to 2000 straight away as you will take ages to achieve surface consistency and smoothness. Make sure that the final layer is visually smooth and most importantly smooth to the touch. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]7. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Once done, set to dry…completely dry! For my case, I used Krylon covermax Paint + Primer (Satin finish) and a Nippon Lazer Clear Lacquer. For the painting process, thin coats are very critical to getting the achieved finish and look. If you undersprayed one section, it is ok, you can get to it in later coats, don’t try to go over it within the same coat![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]8. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Start your spray nozzle about 30 cm away from the steering. Begin spraying at an empty surface and cross over the plastic panel with quick strokes back and forth; do not start the nozzle spray on the plastic panel and end the spray on the plastic panel!! It will cause excessive build-up of spray particles at the start and end points. 50% overlap is ok when you are stroking back and forth, do not go over the same location twice in a single coat. Repeat these for about 4-5 coats. I did 5 for mine, if the layer is thin enough, you do not need to worry about overcoating. 5 thin coats is better than 2 thick coats![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]9. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Let coats cure about 10-15 mins in between[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]10. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Once the final coat is cured, finish with only ONE coat of clear lacquer, and do it at about 40cm above the plastic panel. The purpose of doing this is not to give the steering wheel the gloss associated with clear lacquer (the original finish is satin finish!); it is to give a thin coat of protection on the black satin paint to provide added scratch resistance. If your coat is a bit too thick it will start to gloss, you have to resand the whole plastic panel, unless you are into shiny looking plastic panels[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]11. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Remember, If your paint runs, sanding defects show up in the spray painting process, paint swells / smudges or whatsoever, you have to sand it down again and restart the process, there is no shortcuts. Do not attempt to spray over the defects, it won’t work![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]12. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Once cured for about 24 hours (to let the paint harden), you may begin the re-installation process[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]The final product![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]The new finish looks a little bit different than the original one, but I personally feel it is far more scratch resistant than before, and anybody who sat in my car so far could not tell it was restored or not! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Total cost of restoration: [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]RM40 for Krylon Black Spray[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]RM10 for Clear Lacquer[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]and some sandpaper[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Have fun ![/SIZE]
