<br>I've got a 98.5 1.8T manual, and about a week ago the leather on the steering wheel started cracking. It's gotten progressively worse, and now there's about eight places all around the wheel where it almost looks like there's little serrations in the leather. Very bizarre.<p>I took it into my dealer and they said they hadn't ever seen anything like it, and that they would order a new steering wheel right away. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I've never seen it before.<p>-nate<br>

Hi, Nate. Strange problem. Even untreated, I can't imagine leather failing so quickly. I wonder if you frequently used an aggressive cleaners? I just used Lexol for the first time and it seems good.<p>Good luck,<p>EricB<br>98 1.8TQMS

I experienced the same problem on my steering wheel. My dealership replaced the steering wheel.

go to www.leatherique.com<p>This stuff is very interesting, full of lanolin and natural oils, and NO silicone. The site is very informative on why Lexol, etc. is not good for leather and will dry it out with silicones. Leatherique has been used to restore & maintain vintage Rolls Royces, Jags, M-Bs, etc.<p>I was skeptical until I ordered some and used it on my A4, to start treating the leather right from new: wow! excellent stuff for keeping leather supple, etc. I have no financial interest whatsoever, just have become a believer after seeing it in action. It is not inexpensive, but neither is your leather interior. <p>Regards, Jon<p>p.s. I traded some email with George, the owner, before I bought: FWIW, he said the leather in the A4 is very good quality and should last very well with proper care.

I have used Lexol both on my A4 and on home furniture including my girlfriends Natuzzi couch with excellent results. And NO DRYING of the leather. <p>This was the cleaner that was recommended by her furniture store precisely because it doesn't contain Silicones and the leather on the couch was "unfinished" (read extremely high grade/sensitive)<p>I have not used Leatherique so can't/won't comment on it, but I do wholeheartedly recommend Lexol Leather Conditioner.

I had the same problem on my A4, and my parents A6 also had this problem. The dealer replaced them both, and said that several people have experienced this as well.

I've found Lexol to be OK, and the following excerpt from the Leatherique site mentions heavy filler oils in Lexol, but not silicone, so you may be correct.<p>Having said that, there's no comparison between the way the leather feels after using Leatherique vs. Lexol (the former leaves it much cleaner & more supple). Prior to using Leatherique I preferred Connolly Hide Food, also mentioned below:<p>---->From the Leatherique web page: "Although it was named Rejuvenator Oil by our founding fathers, Ty Peck and George Pavlisko, Sr., it actually contains no oil fillers such as mineral or petroleum oil as Lexol and other products do. The formula is based on a natural old Swedish Secret and is a complex blend of proteins and collagen that actually restore the tensile strength to the leather, not just sit on top and make it slick and greasy. It does not harm carpeting or headliners and will also soften rubber door trim and vinyl. Repeated applications, with sufficient permeation time are required for cardboard hard, neglected leather. The enriching formula, once embedded in the leather fibers, continues to condition for several months. Tests have been performed on our products by outside sources. They have determined that Rejuvenator Oil contains more beneficial ingredients than Lexol, Connolly Hyde Food, or any other Leather Treatment on the market! And, the other products contain heavy oil fillers. Hyde Food actually instructs not to use too much or you’ll suffocate the leather with the unnecessary oil. Also, our conditioner contains no Silicon that dries leather and no wax that merely sits on the surface and does nothing for the leather fibers themselves, and eventually wears away. We strongly advise against saddle soap, as it has been known to remove the dye from the leather. If your dye is worn away, call about our simple to use Leatherique Leather Dyes. Our dye is been the premier product of its type and has continued with advances in co-polymer technology and uses only the finest, first-quality pigments."

Same thing happened to me 1 year ago with my A4 1.8t (and I had to call a tow truck). Funny thing, weekend before last in Vermont skiing (sound familiar?), my new A6, (yep A6) cranked and cranked and cranked. Took a loooooong time, but finally started. Second time for me, both were in vermont when it was cold.<p>Depressing how 2 brand new cars can do this. And no, I did not press the accelerator before or during cranking.<p>I'd love to hear what can be done, because seems like I cant trust these cars to start when its cold out.

This has happened twice to "me" in the last couple of months. Once with a Nissan Sentra (not mine) that was parked in my driveway. The car had been sitting in the cold for several hours, and then had been running for less than a minute. After being shut down, it refused to start.<p>The same thing happened to a neighbors Q45 a week later - exactly the same symptoms. The car had been sitting outside all day (sub zero day) and was run only long enough to move it into the garage. It refused to restart. <p>In both cases, we simply held the throttle wide open and cranked (seemingly forever). Eventually both cars coughed, sputtered and smoked back to life. <p>The idea of pulling the fuse, and then cranking to clear it sounds interesting. Never tried it.<p>I was pretty critical of the Sentra, but was surprised to see the Infinity do it. It has never happend to my A4 tho...<p>97 2.8QM<br>