I have a leather OEM steering wheel in my 2003 XJ8 that has "chunks" taken out of the top of it from a previous owner with a sharp ring -- pretty typical damage to the top of a steering wheel. This bugs me.

1. Can I somehow fix this or have someone fix it without replacing the entire steering wheel?

2. If I need to replace the steering wheel, where can I get a good price on a wood and leather wheel?

Thanks.

Mike

Mike you can buy leather repair compounds or fillers and a dye to go over the repairs, building up the divots until level and brush over with the dye.

There's plenty of how to's online, failing that, Jag breakers or there was someone breaking an XJ on here a couple of weeks ago??

I just might try fixing it myself -- stupid question -- how do I know what color my steering wheel is, as well as my seats and the other interior leather? I suppose I could call my dealership and give them my VIN, but is there a way to tell from either the VIN or other markings/numbers on the car?

Check for the Vehicle Spec label on the LH front door piller. You'll find a three letter Trim Code.

The code should be sufficient to match the colour but if you want to know the name you can look it up on this site:

Jaguar Leather Trim Colour Chart

Graham

Okay, I found the trim code on the door -- AGD. My next question is this -- the steering wheel is a darker color than the seats, it matches the top of the dash and the e-brake handle (and apparently the piping on the seats). How would I know what color to order for the steering wheel - I think the AGD (oatmeal) is the color of the seats, or am I misinterpreting something?

You can get a VDP wood/leather steering wheel but it will have to come from a car with the same AGD trim code. The leather part should match the airbag or it will look odd.

I have AGD in my 1999 XJ8L but I have the wood/leather wheel.

Salvage yards have plenty if you can find a good one.

Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

bob gauff

I just replaced my leather steering wheel about two weeks ago. I purchased a replacement off ebay for $18. It took the mechanic about ten minutes to replace and he charged me twenty bucks. The replacement looked brand new. The mechanic was amazed at the price. He said he replaced one the week before with a wooden one and the customer paid about $200 for that one. He said you have to only worry about a "clockspring" inside when you replace your current one. He didn't even disconnect the battery.

A real chance of 'airbag rash' there.......

I think that the color for the steering wheel is Sable (AEK) if it's the same as mine.

That sounds right on.

Hi Mike, it is a shame you're not in the UK because I have 2 wooden X308 steering wheels in my spares stocks. And they are both the colour you require! A steering wheel needs to feel right in my opinion and it is very irritating to have bits missing out of it.

Gee Stu, how much would it cost to send one over to me?

I dunno, I'll have to check etc. I imagine it could be costly. You'd have to retain your current wheel centre/horn push because the ones I have don't have them. Give me a couple of days and I'll try and get some quotes.

I appreciate everyone's input on the color of my steering wheel, but I'm still not sure -- is there a way to be 100% sure of the color code for the steering wheel by looking at the VIN or the trim tag? If my interior is AGD, will my steeriing wheel definitely be a particular color - in other words, if the interior code is AGD, then is the steering wheel (and the dash) the same color in all AGD vehicles? I can't find a source online that says "If your interior color code is XXX, then your steering wheel and dash are YYY" or anything like that. Am I making too much out of this? LOL

I found a very nice wood steering wheel but the leather needs some touching up and I would like to order a kit but don't know if it's sable or maybe some other color.

Would a dealership be able to tell me from my VIN?

I'm bumping this just to see if anyone has any ideas on where I can find the color of my steering wheel and dash -- is there a chart somewhere that says your dash and steering wheel are such-and-such color if your color code (for the interior) is AGD?

I saw on another forum that oatmeal (AGD) is usually paired with antelope (AGE).

There are plenty of mobile automotive leather/rubber/plastic/glass repairmen. You could ask a local dealership who they use to repair leather. These guys can simply match the color on the spot and make it look brand new.

That's what I believe the dealership told me a few months ago, but at the time I wasn't interested in the steering wheel color. I didn't get around to calling them today, I'll try to get to it on Monday.

My interior code is agd. I found a cheap but perfect replacement on ebay. Oatmeal is your interior code. The airbag, steering wheel and top of dash are all a darker shade of tan than your leather seats. Most salvaged steering wheels will come with an interior code attached. If you look at the pictures of the wheel, you can see if it is a match.

My "new" steering wheel is a match -- as you said it's a darker color than the seats and it matches the top of the dash. Is there a code on the steering wheel itself? Where?