I'm about to, sadly, say goodbye to my Gen II Prius. I'll be selling it in a few weeks. It's the model that was sold in Australia as the base Prius (there were only two trim levels here - the base and the i-Tech) - about the same as a Prius II or Prius III in the US. I'm just getting it ready for sale, and there's one thing I'm not sure how to address. The sun in Sydney is pretty brutal. (This is a fact to which my red-and-white stripey tummy will attest: the sunscreen ran when I was at the beach at the weekend.) So the top 1/5 of my steering wheel has faded. It's the basic foam-rubber steering wheel, not a leather one. It's gone pale grey, and it's kind of soft and almost crumbly. I've found loads of stuff online about how to rescue a leather steering wheel, but nothing for this kind of wheel. Does anyone have any ideas about how to restore it?
Sorry, I don't have any suggestions on how to restore it. The new buyer may not care, or they can put a cover on it. Did you ever use a sunshield / Heatshield in your car? The Prius chat shop has a very nice one. You might consider using one in the future.
Here in the States, from a place like TLS Auto Recycling, an A-grade used steering wheel is about $60. Probably you've got similar sources there, if you wanted it to look nice and stock. -Chap
Thanks for the suggestions. A replacement wheel is probably the best idea, as I do want it to look stock. The trouble is, most people here (myself included) don't bother with sunshades most of the time - battling the sun here is a fool's errand. I've tried sunshades on the inside, and an Uzbekistan flag on the outside, and neither really worked. Also, you get so much sun on the wheel when you're driving that a sunshade would only be a partial solution even if it did work. So I suspect that any Gen II wheel I can get from a recycler will have been subjected to seven years of sun too. Hmmm. Thanks anyway, everyone.
I guess one driver's routine could involve a lot more time inside garages or parking structures than another's. The big recyclers here do tend to provide descriptions of the condition of the part ... if they're reputable and say it's in good or very good condition, it might surprise you. -Chap
For you next car, see if any shops, in Oz,have these films. CLEAR tint film. Lots of heat rejection, and 99.9% UV blocking. Perfect for windshield and front door windows (for States that don't allow front door window tinting). 3M™ Automotive Window Film Crystalline Series | 3M United States Clear Window Films | Automotive Window Films | Choose a product | LLumar Window Films - It makes a noticable difference. Car feels a little less hot, and this is pn a Pri w/ tint all the way around.
I would install a wheelskinz steering wheel leather cover. That is the first Thing I install on any car i buy. Its the best. Looks awesome and feels so Comfotable you want believe it Forget stock on a g2 Prius that has a horrible steering wheel. Its like a cheese grater. All that white dust u see in the dashboard is skin from the cheese grater Steering wheel.
But if I don't have a stock steering wheel grating my skin, what will I do for cheap parmesan? I think you're right though. I've had a look at leather covers, and they do seem to look quite good.
