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I own a 997 GTS with an Alcantara interior, which includes the steering wheel.
I bought it in 2016 with 11.5K miles; I'm the 3rd owner, previously an executive lease and then a private party.
The steering wheel was the only obvious feature exhibiting "wear and tear" on the entire car. Everything else was flawless, or close to it. Since then, I've driven it another 11K miles, from where I bought it in Boston to LA via Quebec, Ontario, the northern US states, then down the Pacific Coast Highway from Portland to LA.
The last two years have been road trips and local drives on the Angeles Crest, Malibu Canyons, Highway 33 above Ojai and the southern Sierra Nevada.
In other words, lots of driving with the wheel off center.
The Alcantara on the wheel, over the four years and 11K miles has only gotten worn smoother, shinier, more faded and acquired a dark gritty color where my hands interacted with it most.
In the past I tried wiping it with damp microfiber towels, which helped with the dirt (the cloth came away filthy) but did not restore the fuzzy nap.
I stumbled upon this brush on a road trip in the town of Lake Isabella, in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Bakersfield.
I worked the wheel with the dry brush for about 20 minutes, until the fine dust/scum particulates stopped floating off the surface and becoming visibly airborne in the sunlight. Pretty disgusting, but the wheel stitching soon became 3D again, the nap and grain of the Alcantara stood up and regained its loft, and a consistent, different (Original?) gray color resurfaced.
I was left slack-jawed by the rejuvenation. Vigorous scrubbing with a damp microfiber, followed by more with a dampened brush just kept improving the fabric. I only stopped because the improvement was astounding enough for me, but more treatment seemed to produce even more restoration.
The brush seems to create the perfect amount of friction to remove debris, but not harm the fabric. Kind of like magic.
Worked on the shift ****, as well.
Saved me the cost of a re-wrap and only cost five bucks.
Give it a try.
Last edited by Liste-Renn; 03-11-2020 at 06:18 AM.
Another great way to clean your alcantara is using baby wipes. Especially the steering wheel. Small amount of alcohol will not damage it but will remove the oils. For big areas like you had described, your method is probably better.
I own a 997 GTS with an Alcantara interior, which includes the steering wheel.
I bought it in 2016 with 11.5K miles; I'm the 3rd owner, previously an executive lease and then a private party.
The steering wheel was the only obvious feature exhibiting "wear and tear" on the entire car. Everything else was flawless, or close to it. Since then, I've driven it another 11K miles, from where I bought it in Boston to LA via Quebec, Ontario, the northern US states, then down the Pacific Coast Highway from Portland to LA.
The last two years have been road trips and local drives on the Angeles Crest, Malibu Canyons, Highway 22 above Ojai and the southern Sierra Nevada.
In other words, lots of driving with the wheel off center.
The Alcantara on the wheel, over the four years and 11K miles has only gotten worn smoother, shinier, more faded and acquired a dark gritty color where my hands interacted with it most.
In the past I tried wiping it with damp microfiber towels, which helped with the dirt (the cloth came away filthy) but did not restore the fuzzy nap.
I stumbled upon this brush on a road trip in the town of Lake Isabella, in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Bakersfield.
I worked the wheel with the dry brush for about 20 minutes, until the fine dust/scum particulates stopped floating off the surface and becoming visibly airborne in the sunlight. Pretty disgusting, but the wheel stitching soon became 3D again, the nap and grain of the Alcantara stood up and regained its loft, and a consistent, different (Original?) gray color resurfaced.
I was left slack-jawed by the rejuvenation. Vigorous scrubbing with a damp microfiber, followed by more with a dampened brush just kept improving the fabric. I only stopped because the improvement was astounding enough for me, but more treatment seemed to produce even more restoration.
The brush seems to create the perfect amount of friction to remove debris, but not harm the fabric. Kind of like magic.
Worked on the shift ****, as well.
Saved me the cost of a re-wrap and only cost five bucks.
Give it a try.
Alcantara steering wheels are a challenge - especially neglected ones. I've had good success with using the following process:
Very hot clear water.
Microfiber cleaning cloths (clean - preferably not dyed)
Sonax Upholstery Cleaner (shown below in photo)
First step (similar to that of the OP) is to moisten the alcantara with the microfiber cloths that are wet using the very hot water.
The dirt will start to come off with this step - however you need a safe surfactant to get the dirt to lose its bond with the alcantara. That's where the Sonax stuff comes in. It is truly a great product that will not harm the alcantara. Second step is to spray the microfiber cloth with the Sonax - don't spray the steering wheel directly with it. Allow the hot water and Sonax to do the work. Keep going over it - rinsing the microfiber with clear clean hot water with a light spray of Sonax on it. Third step - allow the alcantara to completely dry. Fourth step - gently use a bristle brush (as per the OP). Key word - gently. You can use a vacuum with a hose / long nozzle attachment as you brush to catch any of the remaining dust that comes off of the alcantara wheel.
I used a healthy amount of pressure with my nubuck brush. I never would have done so except for the OP's comments. It really really worked. The loft came back up. You could see the dirt flying up in the air. I have Sonax and had used it previously, but it didn't help with the flattening of the loft. Vigorous brushing did.
An interesting aside. Many years ago I had a 1983 280ZX with every option. The leather and suede upholstery had "Nissan 280ZX" embossed in a regular pattern across the suede seating surfaces. It looked pretty upscale for the time.
The suede started to get shiny and i used a brush like that to raise the nap back up. When I was done, the suede looked like new but i had completely erased the embossed lettering on the seats. I could have kicked myself.
The lesson is, even if the brush seems soft, don't be too aggressive with it.
On a previous car I used a more gentle brush with Sonax for regular (every few weeks in a car that was daily driven) cleanings of an aftermarket alcantara wheel and after 20k miles of use it was still in great shape. It took very little effort and was definitely worth it.
I used a healthy amount of pressure with my nubuck brush. I never would have done so except for the OP's comments. It really really worked. The loft came back up. You could see the dirt flying up in the air. I have Sonax and had used it previously, but it didn't help with the flattening of the loft. Vigorous brushing did.
Super grateful to the OP.
Sonax is a surfactant. Its purpose is to eliminate the bond between the dirt and the alcantara. It's intended purpose / use is not to restore the nap.
Great thread, Liste! I’ve been looking for a way to restore my wheel and shift **** for my GTS as well! Very helpful advice. I purchased the Sonax and brush kit so just need to find the time!
also, I was searching for a thread where you reported that “wiggle” we discussed so that I could add my observation and (hopefully thanks to you) my eventual solution. I guess my logical explanation for your “PSM off” advice is that Porsche wants to deter people from cornering too fast when they’re not confident enough to make that same turn without PSM! Lol!
Great thread, Liste! I’ve been looking for a way to restore my wheel and shift **** for my GTS as well! Very helpful advice. I purchased the Sonax and brush kit so just need to find the time!
also, I was searching for a thread where you reported that “wiggle” we discussed so that I could add my observation and (hopefully thanks to you) my eventual solution. I guess my logical explanation for your “PSM off” advice is that Porsche wants to deter people from cornering too fast when they’re not confident enough to make that same turn without PSM! Lol!
That wiggle discussion is in the GTS cars for sale thread. That idea has piqued my curiosity in a big way. I'm looking forward to hearing more from others.
That wiggle discussion is in the GTS cars for sale thread. That idea has piqued my curiosity in a big way. I'm looking forward to hearing more from others.
right, my intent was to ask Liste-Renn if he provided the same (or more) details in a thread more relevant to the experience, so we don’t continue hijacking the thread!
I might create a new one with some video and picture evidence in the spring. More designated and focused on that issue.
03-06-2020, 05:07 AM
Alcantara wheel refresh for $5
