View Single Post
      08-18-2016, 03:39 PM   #1
Tzounis
Enlisted Member
United_States
12
Rep
38
Posts

Drives: 2008 E92 M3 6MT Space Grey
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Richmond, VA

iTrader: (1)

DIY: Worn Steering Wheel Button Repair

This is a very quick, easy, and cheap DIY that can greatly improve the aesthetics of your car. It's very common for various buttons to become worn from years of use. In my case it was the M button the the steering wheel. I used a company that my parts department (I work at a Chevy dealership) uses called Button Topper. They make all kinds of replacement stickers for buttons on various makes/models. In this case, they actually custom made the M button for me because it's unique to the car and they've never made one before.

Button Topper sent me the button sticker, a small tool to use to place the sticker on the button, and a water based Sharpie to use for touch-up in case I removed too much of the original button. The entire process took less than 5 minutes and I am very happy with the results.

First I took some painter's tape and isolated the M button so I wouldn't nick any of the other buttons with my blade. Next I used the edge of my SOG pocket knife (an EXCELLENT tool btw) to remove most of the black from the button, but most importantly to make sure it was smooth. Then I went over it very lightly with some sand paper to smooth it some more and give the sticker a good surface to adhere to. Next I wiped it with a wet paper towel to remove any remaining particles, dried it off, and then placed the sticker on the button. I did not end up having to use the Sharpie, as the sticker covered the white area perfectly.

You can contact Tyler at Button Topper at 404-304-6937...tell him Johnny with the M3 sent you! I paid him though Paypal and he mailed me my stickers shortly thereafter. He will walk you through the process on the phone if you have any questions. They sell button kits to dealerships, so this is not some kid in his garage making these! Keep in mind that this is a band-aid fix, but in my case it has drastically improved an eye sore on an otherwise very nice interior. For $30-$40 I am very happy with the results. Hope this helps someone somewhere!
Attached Images
     
Appreciate 0