Do any of you know how to remove and reinstall the steering wheel on the B7 series C4? I can't see any obvious fasteners, so I assume there is a need to pry/otherwise detach the airbag first, as per the earlier, fixed hub type steering wheels.
The reason I ask is that I have recently updated from a 2007 C4 VTR 2.0 petrol to a newer, 2011 C4 Exclusive 1.6 THP. While the newer car is overall in very good condition with only 50,000km, the steering wheel has some damage that appears to be wear from rings on a previous driver's fingers. On the left some of the chrome has chipped/peeled away from the trim above the cruise/limiter switches, and on the right there is some abrasion of the leather surface about the 2 o'clock position. My plan is to paint the existing chrome trims black, and to resurface the leather on the abraded section. This is something I will need the steering wheel out to achieve. I have trialled Plasti-dip on the chrome sections and the look was far better than the current damage, almost like a factory finish, but being a rubber-like material began to peel within a few weeks as expected, hence the need to use a harder paint. The leather abrasion should resurface to a reasonable standard using the same method I have used to repair bicycle saddles. Overall, I'm trying to achieve a cheap , good repair, not a perfect restoration on what is already a 5 year old car.
The reason I ask is that I have recently updated from a 2007 C4 VTR 2.0 petrol to a newer, 2011 C4 Exclusive 1.6 THP. While the newer car is overall in very good condition with only 50,000km, the steering wheel has some damage that appears to be wear from rings on a previous driver's fingers. On the left some of the chrome has chipped/peeled away from the trim above the cruise/limiter switches, and on the right there is some abrasion of the leather surface about the 2 o'clock position. My plan is to paint the existing chrome trims black, and to resurface the leather on the abraded section. This is something I will need the steering wheel out to achieve. I have trialled Plasti-dip on the chrome sections and the look was far better than the current damage, almost like a factory finish, but being a rubber-like material began to peel within a few weeks as expected, hence the need to use a harder paint. The leather abrasion should resurface to a reasonable standard using the same method I have used to repair bicycle saddles. Overall, I'm trying to achieve a cheap , good repair, not a perfect restoration on what is already a 5 year old car.