How to Restore a Mercedes-Benz Steering Wheel

Last updated: October 26, 2026

In this guide (6 sections)

1. Steering Wheel Restoration
2. Tools Needed
3. Materials Needed
4. Keep all of it off the airbag cover
5. Steering wheel restoration: step by step
6. Tips

Steering Wheel Restoration

Restoring worn-out steering wheels is a common practice in the hot-rod world. You may need to learn how to repair a steering wheel if you own a high-mileage Mercedes-Benz.

Steering wheels do wear out, not just in Mercedes-Benz but in most cars. On the Mercedes-Benz steering wheel, the control buttons, in particular, don’t hold up very well. They may get discolored, too dirty, and hard to see. Mercedes-Benz cars with as little as 100,000 miles often show wear and tear on the steering wheel. If you want to keep your Mercedes-Benz for a long time, consider protecting the steering wheel with a cover or learning how to restore it. When you clean the steering wheel, be careful with your solutions; some may do more damage than you realize.

If your steering wheel has no wear yet, consider installing a cover. They are inexpensive, and you can find some classy-looking covers. If you browse through Amazon, you will see several interesting options. You can install a Wood Grain Steering Wheel cover or a steering wheel cover that represents your favorite sports team. If you’re against using steering wheel covers, follow this tutorial to restore your steering wheel when it shows wear. Here we show you the steps and list the tools and materials needed to restore your steering wheel.

In a few words, this is what you need to do. First, you need to remove the steering wheel. Don’t worry, it’s easy. Then you will need to prepare, clean, and paint it. You will be able to restore the steering wheel to almost factory condition. If you have a spray gun, you can use it with your preferred single-stage paint color. Since most car owners don’t own a spray gun, we will show how to achieve great results with a spray can.

Tools Needed

Here is a list of the tools that you will need. This is all you need for most Mercedes-Benz cars, especially MB cars made after 2000. Some older models or cars from other makes may use a nut or bolt instead of a hex head bolt in the center of the steering wheel.

3/8-Inch Drive Extra Long Torx Socket Set Allen Socket Set 3/8 3/8 Breaker Bar

Materials Needed

For your convenience, we have provided links to Amazon products for the following materials. Some of these items you probably already have.

Plastic and Leather Prep Plastic Adhesion Promoter Vinyl and Plastic Spray Paint Color: (White, Gray, Black, Tan, Beige, White)

Clearcoat(For best results)

Masking tape

500 grit sand paper

Keep all of it off the airbag cover

Before the first can comes out, draw a line around what you are refinishing. The padded center of the wheel is the airbag cover, and none of the materials above belong on it: no filler, no adhesion promoter, no vinyl paint, no clearcoat, and no sanding.

The reason is how a driver’s airbag works. It bursts out through that cover along a moulded tear seam, and the cover is built to split at a particular pressure. Coating it changes the material and how it releases, so the bag can be held a moment too long or let go too early. Worse, on a driver’s airbag specifically, whatever you have put on the surface can be thrown toward your face at deployment speed. Refinishing trade guidance is blunt about this: color an airbag cover only where the vehicle manufacturer publishes a procedure for it, and for a wheel like this one there is no such procedure.

So either take the airbag module out of the wheel and work on the rim and spokes with the module elsewhere, which is what the steps below do, or mask the cover off completely and accept that it keeps the finish it has. If the center pad looks tired next to a freshly done rim, that is the trade, and it is the right one.

Steering wheel restoration: step by step

1. 1. Disconnect the battery. This step is not optional.
      You are about to unbolt and unplug a live airbag, which is a pyrotechnic device, from a position where your head and hands sit directly in front of it. The reason to disconnect the battery is not the warning light. It is that an airbag which fires while you are holding it will hurt you badly. Disconnect the negative battery terminal, then leave the car for several minutes before you touch the center of the wheel, so the charge stored in the restraint system has time to bleed off. Do not rush that wait, and do not put the key in the ignition at any point while the airbag is out.

      Once the module is out of the wheel, set it down where it cannot be knocked over or dropped, cover side up and pointing away from you, and never carry or hang it by its electrical connector.

      If you do set an SRS fault during the job, a full system scanner will read and clear it afterward, and there is a video walkthrough of doing that. Clearing a light is a tidy-up at the end, though, not a reason to skip the disconnection.

   2. Remove the airbag
      The airbag is held in place with two bolts. You will notice two small holes in the steering wheel’s back. This is where you insert the hex or torx bits to loosen the bolts. The airbag bolts do not come out entirely. Continue unscrewing them until they feel straightforward to rotate. Disconnect the airbag electrical connector. Unplug the connectors that go to the steering wheel buttons as well. Disconnect the airbag.
      
   3. Remove the center bolt.
      Use a breaker bar to remove the center bolt. Have someone help you by holding the steering wheel in place as you try to break free the center bolt. Note the grooves in the center of the steering wheel before you pull it out. You can use a marker to make a line on the shaft. This will help you when you install the steering wheel later. Making sure the grooves match just like before. Otherwise, you will drive down the road with the steering wheel off-center.
      Watch this video on replacing the airbag and steering wheel if you need help.

1. Sand and Clean the Steering Wheel. A lot!
   Use sandpaper to remove any cracks that you may have. Make sure to finish with fine sandpaper, at least 500 grit paper. Be careful in this step. Do not sand too much, or the steering wheel may lose its round grip.
2. Prepare the steering wheel.
   If you have significant gaps or cracks on the steering wheel, you may consider using a filler to fill the gaps. Let the filler dry for several hours before sanding, cleaning, or painting. Make sure the steering wheel is clean and doesn’t have any dust before you start spraying. You could also use carbon fiber cloth and resin to fill large gaps or badly worn steering wheels. Here is an article by Doug Lepak, The Steering Wheel expert who uses carbon fiber to restore an old steering wheel. You will likely not need carbon fiber repair unless you fix an antique car.

3. Remove the three pointed star from the airbag cover

   Do this with the battery already disconnected and the module out of the wheel, since you are prying at the face of the airbag cover. This is a tricky task. It would be best if you were careful not to break the star. The star may be plastic, as in our case. You can use a small tool to pry out the star. There are a few pins that stick on the back of the star. You can use your favorite glue when reinstalling the star if they break. Look at this airbag. This airbag looks so bad you wish it never expires, even in case of an accident.

4. Steering Wheel Buttons

   The buttons wear out, and you can no longer see the symbols on the steering wheel. You can cut out a “+” and a “-” and place each one on the button it belongs to. For the other buttons, you can just cut out a round sticker on top of the controller. At least, this is what we did. We also cut out a down arrow, as shown below. Suppose you have a better suggestion, share it in the comment section below. Check out the (-) sign that we made using masking tape.

5. Use Adhesion Promoter
   Clean the steering wheel with a dry cloth. Spray a thin layer of adhesion promoter. Wait 15 minutes as spray a second thin layer. If you have any drips, make sure to smooth them out.
   View this product →
6. Spray paint the steering wheel
   Here comes the best part. Ensure you work in an environment with a temperature of at least 60°F. Spray one thin layer of paint. Let it dry for at least 15 minutes. Spray again. Let the paint dry again. Repeat this process at least three times, even more, if the wheel absorbs the dye. You want an even paint distribution, and the Color should be the same. Keep your spray can at least 6 inches from the steering wheel when spraying. Now spray the airbag too. Apply three light coats and take a 15-minute break between each application.
   View this product →
7. Clearcoat
   If you went through all this trouble, you should also consider spraying a clear coat. Not only will it protect the paint that you sprayed, but it also will make your steering wheel look great.
8. Install
   Let the paint dry for at least 4-5 hours. The Color will not cure entirely, typically in 24 hours. Be careful, as the steering wheel may be sticky. If your circumstances allow, it is best to let the paint fully cure before installing the steering wheel back. Install the steering wheel in reverse order. Make sure to tighten the center bolt and connect the airbag wires.

Tips

If your steering wheel has excessive cracks, you have two options. You can use a filler, or you can sand it down. If you decide to sand it down, note that the steering wheel (cross section) may not be perfectly round. The filler option will look better, but it may not last long. Make sure to clean the steering wheel and the gaps as much as possible if you go this route.

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments section below.

One job worth doing after this one: scan the car before you put it back together and again afterward. Work around the restraint system is exactly the kind that leaves a stored SRS fault behind, and the airbag light on the cluster will not tell you which code set it. A full system scanner reads and clears the airbag and ABS modules, which a generic code reader will not reach.