Cleaning/Care Of Alacantra Steering Wheel

[Behind The Bins]

Before I get my greasy piano tuners on my new alacantra steering wheel is there a way to preserve it? Ive considered driving gloves but apparently its illegal to wear driving gloves without a tweed flat cap and Ive got to draw the line somewhere

 

[Arcam]

Before I get my greasy piano tuners on my new alacantra steering wheel is there a way to preserve it? Ive considered driving gloves but apparently its illegal to wear driving gloves without a tweed flat cap and Ive got to draw the line somewhere

Wash your hands, it worked for me.

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[Phil3]

Before I get my greasy piano tuners on my new alacantra steering wheel is there a way to preserve it? Ive considered driving gloves but apparently its illegal to wear driving gloves without a tweed flat cap and Ive got to draw the line somewhere

Have a look at some interior protection from the likes of Gtechnic and Gyeon... both top quality makes and will be among the best you’ll get... can be a little pricy though

 

[AudiNutta]

My detailer didnt have anything he could use on Alcantara, usual fabric sealant will just make it go hard.

All I can say is enjoy it when it’s nice and plush while it’s new. I scrub and scrub my hands in work somedays to ensure I don’t ruin the wheel. I’ve got 3500 miles on my car now, it looks fine but it does feel a little more ‘compacted’ than when new.

I considered driving gloves, drew the line. When it goes, I will have it retrimmed.

 

[Behind The Bins]

My detailer didnt have anything he could use on Alcantara, usual fabric sealant will just make it go hard.

All I can say is enjoy it when it’s nice and plush while it’s new. I scrub and scrub my hands in work somedays to ensure I don’t ruin the wheel. I’ve got 3500 miles on my car now, it looks fine but it does feel a little more ‘compacted’ than when new.

I considered driving gloves, drew the line. When it goes, I will have it retrimmed.

Youre right re trimming is the way

 

[Phil3]

Have a google of ‘alcantara cleaning’ and it advises you to do it once a month ish and explains what the best way is to keep it looking new for years

 

[p@olo]

Here is what I found googling
https://www.autofinesse.co.uk/alcantara-cleaning-guide/

 

[RS3 S.]

I'm not a fan of it on mine. Would much rather have the full perforated leather.

 

[DW81]

Alcantara is about as useful on a steering wheel as a fart in a space suit

 

[Phil3]

Alcantara is about as useful on a steering wheel as a fart in a space suit

Looks good though

 

[Behind The Bins]

I'm not a fan of it on mine. Would much rather have the full perforated leather.

Agreed, you stand a chance of keeping it in good nick then

 

[Evil Diesel]

Alcantara is about as useful on a steering wheel as a fart in a space suit

It's lovely when new and fresh. To try to keep it that way, soapy water and a microfiber cloth is as good as anything I understand. Time will tell......

 

[DW81]

I agree with you Tony it does look good but after a short while looks as flat as a witches tit mate. Might need to spruce it up with some viagra gel keep those fibre ends up

 

[Evil Diesel]

You can go the Viagra route while I keep rubbing it up with a soapy microfiber in a loving fashion.

 

[Terminator x]

Alcantara is about as useful on a steering wheel as a fart in a space suit

This is why a lot of us thought it weird moving the alcantara to main part of the wheel on the FL. At least on the PFL you don't touch it that often.

TX.

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[teslaboy]

Surely the point of the alcantara where it is on th FL is not for looks but to ensure anti slip for you hands when you're hooning it and doing the 10 to 2 and/or operating the paddles.
It may wear a little over time but I doubt it will get to the point it's non slip properties vanish.
Many top performance cars have alcantara on the steering wheels for this very reason.
Leather can be a liability when your on the edge, you hands slip, not that any of us will really be in that situation. Which makes you wonder why Audi put it there. Bit of a gimmick really. But the RS is a performance car.

Still I think it feels real nice anyway.

 

[D0C]

Got to say that alcantara does look and feel great to hold. The TTRS steering wheel is especially good. How it'll look after 100k miles, though...

 

[Ed_rx7]

i agree with above... however the though behind it im not sure on as the new RS4 has perforated leather....

 

[Terminator x]

Surely the point of the alcantara where it is on th FL is not for looks but to ensure anti slip for you hands when you're hooning it and doing the 10 to 2 and/or operating the paddles.
It may wear a little over time but I doubt it will get to the point it's non slip properties vanish.
Many top performance cars have alcantara on the steering wheels for this very reason.
Leather can be a liability when your on the edge, you hands slip, not that any of us will really be in that situation. Which makes you wonder why Audi put it there. Bit of a gimmick really. But the RS is a performance car.

Still I think it feels real nice anyway.

The alcantara on mine is as bald as a a badgers ar*e after 41k miles and that is PFL where you hardly touch it!

TX.

 

[D0C]

The alcantara on mine is as bald as a a badgers ar*e after 41k miles and that is PFL where you hardly touch it!

TX.

How?! My entire steering wheel was as new after 15k miles. I know you've done a lot more miles, but as I say, mine was like new.

 

[Terminator x]

*driving god* perhaps @D0C

TX.

 

[teslaboy]

The alcantara on mine is as bald as a a badgers ar*e after 41k miles and that is PFL where you hardly touch it!

TX.

The PFL is an inferior RS3 it obviously has inferior alcantara.

Ouch......quick run and hide. Lol

 

[DW81]

Agree with you TX mines on 22k and the previous owner must have been a one hand on the top of the steering wheel cruiser driver. Bottom looks mint though.

 

[royalsteve68]

Youre right re trimming is the way

exactly. In fact, if possible id have the whole wheel trimmed

 

[DW81]

The PFL is an inferior RS3 it obviously has inferior alcantara.

Ouch......quick run and hide. Lol

Ooooooo meow

 

[royalsteve68]

Alcantara is about as useful on a steering wheel as a fart in a space suit

feels nice though, i like rubbing mine regularly......ahem

 

[Evil Diesel]

This is quite a good illustration of the soapy water & microfiber restoration.

 

[DW81]

What shocked me more whilst watching that was people actually eating that mutated battered chicken ***

Good find mate cheers, will give that cleaning guide ago.

 

[Evil Diesel]

I have got some Autoglym Interior Shampoo rather than going for the Daz - mind you, it wouldn't surprise me if the Daz did a better job! Not sure I could take it to the point of brushing the wheel every time I leave the car but it could prove a useful distraction when parked on the M25/A406/cesspit road of your choice.

 

[Ed_rx7]

Lol

 

[DW81]

Well I bit the bullet and had a crack at the Alcantara on the wheel. Used that video as a guide and to be fair lads the wheel came up a treat. Didn’t do any before or after as I left the phone indoors and forgot.
Will I sit in traffic and brush my wheel for all and sundry to see, will I ****

 

[Evil Diesel]

Daz?

 

[Spinstorm]

When I was driving my S3 tonight I was thinking the fact I have the alcantara seats with leather on the outside means my **** is nice and warm but the leather wheel feels cold in the winter. When I get the RS3 my bum will be cold because of the full leather seats and my hands warm because of the alcantara wheel!

I am going to need to leave the seat heating on permanently with VCDS in the winter lol

 

[DW81]

Daz?

Ariel

 

[Evil Diesel]

Its cool that it worked - a bottle of Autoglym Interior Shampoo landed today and a suede brush early next week to faff about with. Mine is starting to go a bit flat after 7 weeks......

 

[Spinstorm]

Its cool that it worked - a bottle of Autoglym Interior Shampoo landed today and a suede brush early next week to faff about with. Mine is starting to go a bit flat after 7 weeks......

Be gentle with the suede brush as I used one on my suede shoes attempting to clean them and they look like I destroyed the top of the shoes now.

I mean imagine your stroking @jassyo06 and don’t want him to realise it... That gentle.

 

[Evil Diesel]

Sound advice.

I don't need to go mad with it anyway as the car is 7 weeks old. Also, as the brush will be new and stiffer too, extra care is likely to be required. It will be interesting to see if this process maintains the wheel over time.

 

[AudiNutta]

Sound advice.

I don't need to go mad with it anyway as the car is 7 weeks old. Also, as the brush will be new and stiffer too, extra care is likely to be required. It will be interesting to see if this process maintains the wheel over time.

Let me know how you get on, I’m going to watch that video tonight.

Mine is going flat like you said, doesn’t look dirty or anything just doesn’t feel as plush and I notice it every time I get in I would love to be able to keep it plush, but my concern with attacking it with a brush on a weekly basis would be that it would tear it up.

I can see me getting a retrim once a year, haha.

 

[Evil Diesel]

It flattens off with oil and dirt off your hands - the way I drive I seem to get a few damp palms now and again (every few minutes!). It seems to me that the answer is put in place a maintenance regime to compensate.

 

[Evil Diesel]

Ariel

Too posh to push me thinks.