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Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 4:41 pm
by MattS
Hi,
Please forgive me if this has been asked already, but the only other posts I could find were about retrofitting a MFSW.
I have a 12 plate 1.4 Match and would really like a leather steering wheel, I couldn't spec one when I ordered due to needing it fast and there not being one in the country.
I also didn't want the MFSW, just a plain leather one, so if I was to order this:
http://orientalparts.com/Steering-Wheel ... 92734.aspx
would I be able to fit it myself without risk of messing up the airbag / voiding the warranty? Or do you think my local VW dealer would fit it for me (obviously for a fee) or would they not touch it due to it being (I presume) a Chinese knockoff and not OEM?
Thanks so much in advance for any advice,
Matt
Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Thu Apr 11, 2013 9:57 pm
by aaronon
Doubt Volkswagen will fit it if it's not their own part? You could get a mechanic to do it. . .I'm sure VW won't spot that it's unofficial hence voiding any warranty - unless of course something faulty develops with the steering wheel in which case they'll be 'This isn't a VW part'. You're taking a risk.
My Polo has one of these wheels lol. I fluked it though as I didn't realise until I looked at this thread that there were different wheels. Mine has chrome at the bottom and leather. You can buy the chrome inserts on eBay that stick into your current official wheel and they'll make it look a bit cooler and that way you won't have to mess with the steering

Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 2:49 am
by Gewoonjan
Orientalparts sells, as their name suggests, OEM Asia parts. So yes they are VW, but only for the Asia market.
Anyway a plain leather steering wheel will fit directly without any hassle.
Good luck with installing it!
Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 9:23 am
by KieranLeighton
I have a leather MF steering wheel needs new buttons and a air bag and maybe a bit of tlc but I'd sell it cheap

Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 9:31 am
by vwpolo16v
A cheaper (£52) option is to buy a custom fit leather XUJI cover:
http://gb.dinodirect.com/steering-wheel ... ather.html
Requires about an hour of patient stitching.
Actually, you don't stitch the leather but you thread-the-thread that's already stitched to the leather.
Should be no warranty issues.
Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:15 pm
by MattS
Thanks so much for your replies
aaronon, thanks for the advice, I actually have that silver insert already, just really want the leather too now
Gewoonjan, ah I see, thanks for clarifying

so as its a VW part, do you think a dealer would fit it? Guess there's no harm in asking my dealer. If not do you reckon a complete novice (me) could fit it?
KieranLeighton, thanks for the offer but I'm only after a plain leather wheel without buttons, thanks though
vwpolo16v, I'm really tempted by that leather cover! My Polo is red so that red stitching would go really nicely, have you ordered from that site yourself? If so how long did delivery take?
Thanks everyone
Matt
Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 4:36 pm
by Eddie-gt
For the price you might as well fit a mfsw
Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 6:08 pm
by vc-10
Try finding a Bluemotion or SEL being broken for spares, as they had the leather wheel as standard. Your VW dealer should be happy fitting one off one of them as it's a VW part.
Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 9:59 pm
by Mart!n-GTI-DK
Why not one like this?
Your airbag will fit and everything.

Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 11:36 pm
by vwpolo16v
MattS wrote:Thanks so much for your replies
vwpolo16v, I'm really tempted by that leather cover! My Polo is red so that red stitching would go really nicely, have you ordered from that site yourself? If so how long did delivery take?
Thanks everyone
Matt
No I have not ordered one so have no idea how long it take. China normally takes weeks.
Just read somewhere else about that product.
£52 may seem cheaper than a new wheel but for it was way too much.
Re: Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 5:49 pm
by Gewoonjan
Mart!n-GTI-DK wrote:Why not one like this?
Your airbag will fit and everything.

No it won't

The plain leather and the plastic steering wheel share the same type of airbag, but the mfsw and gt(i) variants have a different type of airbag.
Re: Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 6:13 pm
by Mart!n-GTI-DK
Gewoonjan wrote:No it won't

The plain leather and the plastic steering wheel share the same type of airbag, but the mfsw and gt(i) variants have a different type of airbag.
Ah yes... Your right. My bad. I was just told that they were the same.
Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 9:55 am
by AvatarX
vwpolo16v wrote:MattS wrote:Thanks so much for your replies
vwpolo16v, I'm really tempted by that leather cover! My Polo is red so that red stitching would go really nicely, have you ordered from that site yourself? If so how long did delivery take?
Thanks everyone
Matt
No I have not ordered one so have no idea how long it take. China normally takes weeks.
Just read somewhere else about that product.
£52 may seem cheaper than a new wheel but for it was way too much.
Hi.
I have ordered and placed both the trim and the leather cover from Dinodirect. It took 10 days with DHL to get here (Greece). Obviously there are no issues with warranty as it is just a cover.
It took me about 2 hours of patiently stitching. Here's 2 photos of the result:
http://www.uk-polos.net/view ... 15#p461163
Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 11:10 am
by aaronon
Very good! Well done.

Re: Leather steering wheel retrofit
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 10:21 am
by MattS
Cheers for the replies everyone,
I'll keep an eye and ear out for any SEL or Bluemotions being broken up for spares, thanks for the tip
That cover does look pretty good, Avatar X do you find that it slips at all?
If the GTI and MFSW have different airbags its probably not worth it, but I'm still tempted by ordering the oriental parts one to see if VW will fit it, have to book my service soon so I'll ask then.
Cheers guys!
Matt