[JamesonD]

I have an '08 ML which (I think) has the MB-Tex (faux leather) throughout the interior. I have used the Zymol Cleaner and Conditioner on it numerous times with great results. However, I just used the Zymol Cleaner on my leather steering wheel the other day and pretty well ruined it. As I gently wiped the wheel with a cloth the surface dissolved and transferred to my cloth. The smooth, soft finish is now gone and I'm left with a coarse, dull, gritty wheel that is downright embarrasing to look at.

I've never used any other product on the wheel, so I'm confident there was no chemical reaction or anything. ---- This bottle I have is fairly new so I know the product hasn't expired.

Any ideas on why/how this could have happened??? And more importantly... how do I fix it? I think it's beyond repair.

 

[ProReflection]

it may have cleaners in it and u let it sit on it too long, is the only explanation i have.
or the color was too light on it and was easy to be remove.
you may have to dye the steering , i think u need an airbrush for that.

 

[Klaus9000]

I regularly use Zymol leather cleaner and conditioner on my Nappa leather seats. I wet a towel with warm water and spray the cleaner onto the towel and apply to the leather, never directly onto the leather surface.

I have two recommendations for you: 1) Call Zymol customer support for advice, they are always very good, 1-800-999-5563 2) try a little Zymol leather conditioner on a small area to see if it improves the leather surface

Good luck and please keep us posted

 

[SunGuy61]

JamesonD, sorry this happend to you. Calling Zymol CS is an excellent idea in order to assess what steps you may need to take. If this were my car, I'd also contact Leatherique at Home Page | Leatherique Restoration Products especially if I had to re-dye the steering wheel. Their dyes are color matched to original MB colors and DO NOT require air brushing; they are wipe-on dyes. One thing for sure prepping the leather for new dye is all important. If you call Leatherique, you can speak directly to the owner for steps, products required, and how to get the best results. Good Luck=

Bob

 

[JamesonD]

Thanks for the recommendations. I contacted Zymol CS just before I posted this thread and I've already been contacted by two people. They seem to be eager to help. I'll post updates as things unfold.

Unfortunately, it's not really an issue of color. The surface of the leather has literally dissolved away. The leather on the wheel has a texture to it with elegant creases and wrinkles. Those small surface details have disappeared.

Let's say you have textured and painted walls on the interior of your house. If you were to sand down a small area of that wall it would be very smooth. That's what has happened to my steering wheel. The surface texture has been "eaten away" and now I'm left with a sub-layer of leather. ---- It seems as if I used sulfuric acid or something to "clean" my wheel. It literally liquified the leather as I wiped it with a cloth. I don't know how or why.... it just happened. I'm clueless.

So it's not so much of a color issue as it is a texture and finish issue. But like I said, Zymol has been eager to help, so I hope we can come up with a solution. If not, I can always get a replacement for $250

 

[Gabby07621]

I experienced what you did on your steering wheel on my '00 and '03 S500 using Zymol. It seemed like it plumped the leather up where it was dry and evened out the whole steering wheel. - Kind of like smoothing out the bumps.

As far as the surface dissolving, it was just dirt and grime. I don't know for sure if that's what happened to you, but that's what happened to me and I thought that was a good thing.