Does anybody know what is the easiest/cheapest way to replace the leather steering wheel cover (98, black, 5-speed)?

Also, when i start my car and it's cold, i hear a wird, hissing noise for about 2-3 seconds, right after turning the key, as if a pump is malfunctioning or something similar. The noise goes away when I start the engine and the engine is warm. Which acounts for a pretty funny situation. I heard the noise, decided to take it to the dealership to find out what the hell it is, but by the time I got there, the engine was warm enough so that the noise went away. The mechanic looked at me as if I was wasting his time and then babbled something about ABS pumps... but I don't really buy it. Any ideas?

Your help is much appreciated.

NicC

 

for your steering wheel. do a search for "wheelskins". i have one on my steering wheel. i like it over my plastic gxe steering wheel. it wasn't that expensive i forgot how much i paid for it. just a pain in the but to stitch it on. but in the ends it worth it.

 

i have a '98 SE and HAD the same exact problem. it would happen 50% of the time and 100% of the time in the morning when its cold. like you said it only happens during cold engine start-up. i regreased my starter and the noise disappeared completely for 6 months so far(even on cold mornings). go to this site and look at their write-up on eliminating starter noise.http://www.motorvate.ca/ Now im not saying that this is your exact problem and this is exactly how you fix it. it could be anything. im just saying that i had a very similar problem and i'm 100% positive that i fixed it cause i went from hearing it every single morning to never ever hearing it. some org member gave me crap about how its absolutely impossible and it only happens on '96-'97 starters cause they use 8 teeth gear instead of 10 or something. again, this is only a suggestion. not a bulletproof solution.