Leather seats feel like cheap plastic

[wez84]

Hi all I'm a bit sick of my so call leather seats feeling like cheap plastic.
What some good ways to soften the seats up and make the feel somewhat like leather and to get that leather smell( if possible).
Iv used some meguiars stuff but it's just not doing it for me.

Cheers
Wez

[HSV5L]

Let some large people sit on the seats that will soften them up i think amourall leather wipes moisten them up.

[TinSnips]

The leather on the seats is effectively clear coated to make them more durable and less prone to staining - they're also a stamped leather, rather than proper hide, so there's very little you can do to change the feel - it's the compromise holden has chosen between feel and durability/low maintenance. The clear coat will limit how much leather conditioner will soak into the leather in the same way it stops stains soaking in - but try some duragloss leather conditioner - it will soak in through the stitching and perforations - don't expect it to be quick or a miracle though. It would be a good idea to clean them thoroughly first though.

[Troy711]

I use Amourall on my leather couch and it comes up a treat. I've used it in the car with similar results. I plan on buying something different tomorrow though as I need a new bottle.

[wez84]

Let some large people sit on the seats that will soften them up i think amourall leather wipes moisten them up.

Lol cheers I'll leave that as a last resort

[wez84]

The leather on the seats is effectively clear coated to make them more durable and less prone to staining - they're also a stamped leather, rather than proper hide, so there's very little you can do to change the feel - it's the compromise holden has chosen between feel and durability/low maintenance. The clear coat will limit how much leather conditioner will soak into the leather in the same way it stops stains soaking in - but try some duragloss leather conditioner - it will soak in through the stitching and perforations - don't expect it to be quick or a miracle though. It would be a good idea to clean them thoroughly first though.

Cheers Tinny that would explain why the meguiars stuff just leaves a greasy film and not soaks in

Thank for the help mate

[wez84]

I'll give some amourall wipes ago tomorrow.
I normally just wipe them done with a bit of warn soapy water them wipe down with a dry microfiber. I'll see how it goes.

[m1lky]

Meguiars stuff is brilliant on my vy seats. The leather conditioner one (comes out as a white paste).

Be careful to only use stuff for leather though. Wouldn't want to make them worse.

[The X Man]

The Meguiars Leather Conditioner is rat shit in my view. I tried many products on my previous car leather interior (Honda Accord Lux Navi) and the two that stood out the most were :

Zaino Z10 Leather Conditioner - Conditions well, not too greasy, very strong leather smell.
Car Care Products / Zaino / Interior / Leather & Vinyl / Z10 Leather Conditioner

Final Inspection Leather Feed - Non greasy, absorbs well, strong leather smell, long lasting, this one i preffered over all others.
Final Inspection Leather 'Feed' 250ml, Final Inspection Car Care Products


If you try either of the above you won't be dissapointed, both are fantastic products and leave the Meguiars and Auto Glym stuff for dead.

[m1lky]

Oh well my bottle is empty. May try one of your recommendations next

[Xonar]

Generally speaking. Holden leather is crap. To make it as good as it can be, I'd use nothing but premium products from CCP

[Voodoo_SV6]

I used to use the Meguiars wax (not the foam in the can) on my Subaru leather, was sensational and conditioned the leather nicely

[m1lky]

Is this the stuff you've found to be crap?

[Calais57]

In all but HSV's the leather is in fact "leatherette" which I think means it has 2 layers. One thin leather and one synthetic. Apparently this is quite common in many makes.

[aaronevolution]

In all but HSV's the leather is in fact "leatherette" which I think means it has 2 layers. One thin leather and one synthetic. Apparently this is quite common in many makes.

I'm pretty sure up until early-mid 2000's even Mercedes weren't using real leather.

[TinSnips]

Merc don't use leather now. They use a synthetic product called MB Tex - and, in my opinion, they've pretty much nailed it. Easy to clean and very durable.

[aaronevolution]

Merc don't use leather now. They use a synthetic product called MB Tex - and, in my opinion, they've pretty much nailed it. Easy to clean and very durable.

Ah, tightarses.

Did anyone see the show about the Ferrari factory a few months ago? Now that is real leather.

[The X Man]

Is this the stuff you've found to be crap?

Yes, i found it to be crap compared to the others.

[EraserHead]

Holdens and Fords have a pigmented/protected/top coated/painted type leather because this is the most common leather type and is in fact used in over 95% of automotive interiors globally (exceptions are Ferrari, Lambo, some top end Audis etc.). This leather has a uniform appearance and colour with a definite pattern (i.e fake grain). With traditional leathers, each piece has to be hand matched for an interior - a very costly job. This top coated leather is very consistent in grain and colour so each piece matches perfectly. = Less cost.

You cannot see any natural leather markings through the top coatings because a pigmented leather paint coat is applied to the surface. It is then sealed with a durable vinyl finish. If properly maintained, this finish will provide years of durability.

Identifying characteristics of pigmented/painted leather: very uniform color and grain patterns; will not scratch easily; water dropped onto the surface will not change the colour of the leather.

So now you know what kind of leather your car has, you might be surprised to learn that the entire seat is not actually leather either! Most modern cars have leather seating surfaces while the rest of the seat is vinyl that is made to look like leather (the same as most 'leather' lounge suites!). To the untrained eye it looks like the entire seat is leather, but in fact it is not. Why do they do this? Because vinyl is cheaper than leather of course. “But I ordered leather seats when I bought my car!”, you may say. Read the fine print of the order sheet, it says ‘leather seating’ or 'leather facings' or something similar to that. This is how all car manufacturers (not just Holden) trick you into believing that the entire seat is leather.

So what? So some of the surfaces are vinyl, does that matter? Generally not except that the sides will wear out and crack well before the leather surfaces do. At which time you take your car to an auto upholstery specialist and have them replace that cracked/torn vinyl panel with a real leather panel and you’re good to go.

Now, what about the leather conditioners that everyone is discussing? The use of leather conditioner on most automotive seats is vastly overrated. I don’t mean it’s a waste of time, but it’s not as critical as many people believe and here’s why: Remember that 95% of cars have the pigmented/protected/top coated/painted type of leather right? That top coat seals out moisture and contaminents… so how well do you think that leather conditioner soaks past that protective copcoat and into the leather? It doesn’t. I hear all the arguements from car enthusiasts that it is critical for long lasting leather and to keep it from cracking. I say this, keep your leather clean, (including in the seams where the stitching is) and keep it protected from UV rays (window tinting) and your leather will last a long time. Going to the expense and trouble of applying leather conditioner on a regular basis isn’t a bad thing, in fact it shows that you’re willing to take care of your investment, just don’t lose any sleep over it.

See, and we all thought the old HQ's with vinyl seats would never be back! Well, that's pretty much what you have got with leather seats today - leather bottom, vinyl top layer. No wonder they get so damned hot in the sun!!

[TinSnips]

^^^ This. Good post!

Conditioners will soak through perforations and stitching - ie breaks in the clear - but it's a slow old process. And you will be left with a greasy film on the surface (easy enough to wipe off though). As said though, don't beat yourself up over it.

[wez84]

Some great info there EraserHead
Cheers for the response

[TinSnips]

Ah, tightarses.

...

Far from it actually. I thought the same at first, but having worked with it quite a lot, I think the merc product out-performs the vast majority of 'leather' upholstery on the market at the moment. And in all aspects - look and feel is very nice, it's tough as nails and very easy to clean, when some form of routine maintenance is adhered to, as with anything. They've clearly spent a lot of money on the R&D of this material. It doesn't 'feel' quite as luxurious as the current crop of BMW leather - but it is a lot easier to live with.

[bladerunner]

good post eraserhead. ive actually known about that for some time. that vinyl sealant is what you smell when you buy brand new and it bloody stinks! i reckon it actually smells like a garbage bin! as for what to clean them with well 2 cars ago i had a vy ss ute with leather.the drivers seat was absolutely putrid when i first got it, i tried everything, zaino,leatherique cleaner/restorer, did the whole garbage bag over the seat on a hot day to make the seat sweat thing,the lot,didnt make much of an improvement, got talking to my neighbour,turns out the old fella spent 40yrs in the leather industry! told me to try the laundry version of sunlight soap as it has no perfume,very low salt content (dries the leather out apparently) in a bucket of warm water and a nail brush. about 2hrs later i had an almost spotless seat! couldn't beleive it, i spent $$$ on cleaning gear and in the end a $2 bar of soap done the job!! my next ute before the one i have now had the "cough" leather and i did the same and they stayed perfect as a result. cant recommend it enough personally just make sure you get the laundry sunlight and not the bath/shower/shitter one.

[Calais57]

Excellent post with great detail!

Part of the reason I use leather conditioner to keep the leather smell. It's also keeps everything looking clean.

[Thumpin]

Yer, great posts Gents.
I have a Natuttsi Leather Recliners in my lounge room and only the forward faces are 100% leather. Faux leather for the rest.

I am currently in the process of having my front seats covers replaced (well as soon as I can drop off the car to colden) as the covers are baggy. Holden have finally agreed to replace the bottom covers and the cushions under warranty. The trimmer doing the job has mentioned that the S2 cushions are $hit and are the cause of the cover stretching.
Sounds right to me. He also confirmed the leather is "manufactured leather" but on an industry standard is quiet good quality. He also added that 100% cowhide is not tough for our conditions. Changes in temp effect real hide much more than the automotive leathers and cowhide also needs constant conditioning to keep them from splitting on a Summers day at the beach car park, etc.

I enjoyed reading the Sunlight soap method. Reminds me of the saddle soap. Its a very true statement for real cowhide but I would suspect that the automotive leather would benefit from the cleaning properties only.