Anyone else have this problem? The steering wheel on my new 8 was just too slippery to the point where I really had to concentrate on gripping the wheel. Even worse, it was difficult to modulate the friction. That is, I either had it in a death grip or it was sliding without any resistance. It actually felt a bit dangerous.

I'm still not sure if it's because of some type of silicone that was applied somewhere in the interior and got on the wheel. I didn't see any visual evidence of it. I do know that someone wiped some kind of goop on the tires though. Maybe it got transferred off someone's hands. Or, maybe it's just the leather needing to "break in"? I tried cleaning the wheel thoroughly with alcohol but didn't seem to help much.

I finally broke down and put a cheap aftermarket wheel wrap on it; and getting some flak for its appearance :p

I'm interested in knowing if anyone else has had this problem and what you may have done to improve the grip. Is there a particular solvent that is best for removing silicone-based treatments? What about something to rub the wheel with to help with "break-in" and provide a little tack?

 

Pinetar would give you a nice grip all around :p

 

I never experienced that problem. It almost sounds like your dealership "helpfully" applied Armor-All as part of the PDI.

 

I've had the same problem. Ridiculous to have a slippery steering wheel on a performance car. I haven't noticed it much lately, maybe I acclimated, or the slippery stuff wore off. It's still a touch too slippery for real RX-8 tossing.

I've thought of using sandpaper, steel wool or 3M pads to roughen the wheel, but am reluctant to irreversably roughen it. Anybody try it?

 

That would involve taking my winter gloves off?

Mine has a good grip as it was.

A shoe or leather repair store may have ideas on un-treating the leather.

 

Just wash it with Dawn dish detergent. It will take the silicone or whatever was used off of the wheel. Rub it a little with a dry towel after you are done if you want to dull the surface a little.

 

I certainly would not use alcohol again, as it strips even the natural oils from the surface of the leather which ultimately will shorten the life of the leather. I agree that it is most likely something added when the dealership detailed your car, and if it were me I would contact a professional auto detailing company to see what they recommend that will fix your problem without ruining the leather's life expectancy. Personally I use Maguire's leather cleaner and conditioner without slipping problems.
Good luck and please remember to post your results when you get it figured out.

 

Just got a brand new rx8. Doesn't have that problem at all (not even close). Its probably some Armor all like stuff like the others said. Real bummer, sorry.

 

try a little saddle soap followed by some Mink Oil. That is what we used on footballs to get the slick off of them way back when.

greese

 

Lexol leather cleaner. Hit it with some of that and see how it feels afterward. You might want to use Lexol conditioner afterward, but try the cleaner first.

 

Nope don't have that problem either

 

If you are going to use pine tar, make sure you only put it on the first 6 inches, or you will be thrown out of the game!

 

I never heard of such a problem
mine feels fine

 

I have the same problem with mine, even after 8 months and 15000 miles of driving. It is even worse if I wash my hands just prior to driving! I thought it was inherent in the leather but now I'll try to clean what ever is on it off.

 

Are people getting their KY mixed up with their leather conditioner? What's the KY doing in the garage anyways?

 

Well, I tried some of that there "Kentucky Jelly" that ever'one goes on about. Damn, it don' taste like much! Sure din' do nothin' for my crackers. So hell yea I stuck it in the Ga-rage! :o

 

Italian racing gloves

 

Nubo,
Yes, I'm experiencing the same problem (phenomemom) with the steering wheel. I don't notice any applied solution on the wheel. Just as if the leather is too smooth.
If cleaning the wheel using some of the suggestion here does not work, I was thinking of installing wheelskins leather wrap on the wheel. I've installed it on most of my, families, and friends cars who don't have leather wraped wheels. It's quality is quite good. Its much more durable than the cheaper wraps found in the average auto shop. You can pull the stitching hard without riping the leahter. It also look OE and does not feel slippery after install.
By adding the wrap, it will also increase the diameter of the wheel.
Al

 

Well, I've had some success. Thanks for all the suggestions.

The Dawn sounded like a good idea so I mixed a little Dawn and distilled water and used that to slightly dampen a rag. I rubbed down the steering wheel real good and also the shift **** and brake handle to get any "substance X" that might have been transferred around. Wiped clean with another damp rag and then buffed with a dry rag.

After I let it dry for a while, I applied some leather treatment (zymol) and let that soak in to replenish any oils I'd stripped. After another buff with a dry rag the wheel was feeling a lot better but still a little slippery.

Then, I took some glycerine and wiped the wheel down with that. Probably absorbed a tablespoon or so. This resulted in an astounding grip, but partly because the stuff was also on my hands. I let the wheel dry again for an hour or so and washed my hands to get them into a normal state. The wheel still feels pretty good.

Not sure how long this will last; hopefully long enough for skin oils to start tackifying the leather.

If this doesn't do it I also liked the Mink oil idea but not sure I want the vehicle to smell that musky . Trying to think of some other natural oil that gums a bit. Linseed, maybe? Hemp oil? :p

 

Arggg! By the next day most of the effect from the glycerine has evaporated. Still better than it was but that's probably mostly from the cleaning. Back to square one. So far I've run across a couple of things on the internet that look promising

"Gorilla Gold" grip improver for sports (sounds short-term though)

"Mars Grip Tack" - for horseback riding; supposed to keep your butt from sliding on the saddle

"Wheelskins" - thanks for that tip

I know gloves would work but want to have it work for other drivers too.