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      08-23-2016, 08:34 AM   #1
jeromezone
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Leather wearing out

Hi All,

I just thought I would see if anybody else has had any quality issues with the leather in their cars? Over the years I have now had 4 BMW's - all of which have had the black leather interior.

At the time of ownership my previous cars have been 7 / 6 and 2 years old and every time the leather has been near perfect.

My M235i however is now only 18 months old and the leather has really worn out on it. I took it to BMW who said they may be able to get it done under warranty however it's difficult as it could be wear and tear.

I suppose my question is - has anybody else had problems?

Do any of you protect your leather with anything? If so - what do you use?

Thanks
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      08-23-2016, 08:39 AM   #2
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Here in FL, you have to condition leather to keep it from drying out. I imagine where you are in the UK it is not as big of a deal. What specifically is wearing? The entire seat? Bolster area? Is the cover chipping away or are there just a lot of stress marks?
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      08-23-2016, 09:55 AM   #3
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I previously never really cleaned my leather seats if they were black.

Now that I have Oyster and am cleaning them pretty often just to keep them visibly nice.

About every other wash, so every 2-3 weeks or if I visibly see anything I spray some Zaino Z-9 leather cleaner on it and just work it up into a leather with a soft badger fur shaving brush. Then wipe off with a microfiber cloth. It is actually gets quite a bit of grime off the white cloth is visibly dirty after.

Around every other cleaning time I will put the Zaino leather conditioner on it.

It sounds like alot but it really doesn't take long if you keep up with it. I also don't really do the rear seats often or even the passenger seat as much.

Anyway here is hoping the lighter leather actually causes me to keep the leather cleaner and more conditioned.

BTW I picked the Zaino stuff from people saying good things about it in other threads when researching cleaning stuff when picking Oyster.
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      08-23-2016, 12:20 PM   #4
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I use Griot's Garage 3-in-1 leather treatment every few months to keep the leather in both my BMWs (Coral Red in my 3, Oyster in my 2) from drying out and also looking and smelling great. My cars are garaged and have tinted windows, so that helps as well. So far, no wear on either - but sometimes the side bolsters get the color rubbed off in small spots. This is easily rectified with a touch-up kit available from an outfit called SEATS RESTORE.
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      08-23-2016, 01:28 PM   #5
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Maybe post a photo, so we can see what kind of wear it is?
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      08-23-2016, 02:31 PM   #6
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My recommendation for minimizing the wear and tear is to move your seat back as far as you can before you enter/exit out of the car. I would widen your bolster also. The side bolsters and lower side of the seats are the most worn part. Additional cleaning and conditioning is another good defense on wearing, specially if you're living in dry climate areas. I usually clean/condition them once a month.
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      08-23-2016, 04:39 PM   #7
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Since we're in the 2er subforum, I feel like I should point out that Dakota leather is very thin and covered with a vinyl/polymer coating. It needs to be treated rather differently from Nappa or Merino.

Accordingly, unless someone was overweight, I sort of doubt that it wore this quickly. My car is 24+ months old and has 0 sign of any wear.
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      08-23-2016, 08:19 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hoyasaxa View Post
Since we're in the 2er subforum, I feel like I should point out that Dakota leather is very thin and covered with a vinyl/polymer coating. It needs to be treated rather differently from Nappa or Merino.

Accordingly, unless someone was overweight, I sort of doubt that it wore this quickly. My car is 24+ months old and has 0 sign of any wear.
+1

16 months here and no sign of any wear. I am extremely careful, however, when entering the car. If you wear pants with a button on the back pocket, it could easily catch the stitching on the bolster, and that does look like a potential wear area. So I make sure to put my hand between the seat and pants pocket when getting in so there's no rubbing or scratching.

For the first year, I didn't treat the leather at all. There was no discoloration from jeans or any other dye. This year, just because of old habits, I used Meguiar's Gold Class Leather Cleaner-Conditioner.

I'm pleased with the feel and quality of the leather.
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      08-23-2016, 08:26 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roundel335 View Post
I use Griot's Garage 3-in-1 leather treatment every few months to keep the leather in both my BMWs (Coral Red in my 3, Oyster in my 2) from drying out and also looking and smelling great.
+1,000,000 on griot's garage. I use only their interior cleaner and then usually once a month I use Leatherique to add moisture after the general cleaning. Maybe I'll try Griot's leather stuff out now.

My seats look literally brand new, with 16,000 miles.
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      08-23-2016, 09:15 PM   #10
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Make me wonder if I should just go with Sensatec if I end up ordering an M240. My car will not be garaged for the first few months I have it, so it will be out in possibly very hot temperatures and also very cold temps.
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      08-23-2016, 09:58 PM   #11
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Can you even condition sealed leather? When I apply conditioner that I used in all my cars before, in this one it's just coming out and leaves residue

Last edited by Kolyan2k; 08-23-2016 at 10:37 PM..
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      08-23-2016, 10:06 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kolyan2k
Can you even condition sealed leather? When I apply conditioned that I used in all my cars before, in this one it's just coming out and leaves residue
Correct.
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      08-24-2016, 05:08 AM   #13
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I have had my car for a year and am just now getting some bolster wear on the driver seat. I will also note that there is 32k miles included in that year.
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      08-24-2016, 06:48 AM   #14
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That looks pretty bad on picture. I got mine replaced, coded to move the seat back, and now being extra careful getting in and out.

Still not sure if I should use anything but cleaner on leather
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      08-24-2016, 07:06 AM   #15
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PS. I use Lexol on all my other leather due to availability

My e46 m3 had small bolster wear from previous owner before 30k, e92 335i was almost brand new at 30k and I noticed wear and sagging on the cushion or whatever it's called closer to 50k. My Lexus has 60k now and holding up pretty well with only little sagging.

Just bought Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil for house sofa and Lexus. Used it on M3 long time ago, don't even remember the results
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      08-24-2016, 09:09 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nike001 View Post
+1,000,000 on griot's garage. I use only their interior cleaner and then usually once a month I use Leatherique to add moisture after the general cleaning. Maybe I'll try Griot's leather stuff out now.

My seats look literally brand new, with 16,000 miles.
The coral red seats in my 2013 335i still look new after 21K miles. Griot's has 3 different kinds of leather treatment - a spray, a conditioner, and a cleaner-conditioner. All of them work extremely well if you follow the directions for applying and then buffing with a clean cloth shortly afterward.

I've been using Griot's products on my BMWs for years - leather stuff, paint sealant, wax, interior and glass cleaners, and Speed Shine (probably their best product) for detailing after a wash or when using their clay bar. And their new PFM towel for drying is amazing - dry a whole car with 1 towel and no wringing out, etc.
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      08-24-2016, 10:54 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeromezone View Post
Hi All,

I just thought I would see if anybody else has had any quality issues with the leather in their cars? Over the years I have now had 4 BMW's - all of which have had the black leather interior.

At the time of ownership my previous cars have been 7 / 6 and 2 years old and every time the leather has been near perfect.

My M235i however is now only 18 months old and the leather has really worn out on it. I took it to BMW who said they may be able to get it done under warranty however it's difficult as it could be wear and tear.

I suppose my question is - has anybody else had problems?

Do any of you protect your leather with anything? If so - what do you use?

Thanks
i know a great mobile repair guy in my area that prob go to your location hes just done two cars for my dad..around 90 quid for side bolster. i must admit the quality of the leather on the 2 series not great much cheaper than mercs or audis, just have to be very careful getting in and out.
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      08-24-2016, 11:16 AM   #18
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I'm going to mention it to my SA when I take the car in for it's next service along with the brake shudder and HVAC recirculation door getting stuck inside my dash.
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      08-24-2016, 07:44 PM   #19
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I have a detailing business and use Kevianclean on my customers leather. It is a gentle one step cleaning and conditioning product. ph balanced to safely remove dirt and it softens leather by replacing lost oils. I use it on my Oyster leather interior. For tougher stains I use Leatherique. For lower door panels and entry sills I use Magic Eraser. I wet the sponge and rub it gently over the scuff marks. The key is to use the leather cleaner and conditioner regularly especially on the bolsters.
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      08-25-2016, 06:37 AM   #20
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I have had this since a visit to the service center...BMW will do nothing. I don't even own jeans, and I always move the seat all the way back before entering or exiting.
Seats are dirty now as I'm cautious about cleaning.

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      08-25-2016, 07:57 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OpenAir View Post
I have had this since a visit to the service center...BMW will do nothing. I don't even own jeans, and I always move the seat all the way back before entering or exiting.
Seats are dirty now as I'm cautious about cleaning.

That is unusual wear for such a newer car. I see this in cars I detail that are 4-5 years old. Gorilla tape would work if it comes in Oyster.
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      08-25-2016, 07:31 PM   #22
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There is a guy on ebay that sells leather dye for BMW's its called Seats Restore. I have bought sand beige and saddle from him and both were for spots on two different BMW's. I did 60% of my interior on an old 5 series with the beige and it looked good enough that when I sold it the new owners didn't notice. The saddle was for the drivers seat on a 335 with spots like what is shown. The kits are $27.95. You use rubbing alcohol to clean the seat then apply and you can remove it wth rubbing alcohol f you screw it up and don't like it.
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