Re-Dyed Car Leather: Beware car owners and detailers alike!
2014 ж. 29 Шіл.
197 036 Рет қаралды
Darren takes you on location to review the car leather dye job inside this Mercedes E class. Re-dyed car leather comes with certain risks when it comes to cleaning and maintaining. Watch as Darren highlights the signs of detecting car leather that has been re-dyed.
For a comprehensive understanding of the many varieties of car leather, see this link:
www.best-auto-detailing-tips.c...
For comprehensive info regarding the cleaning of car leather upholstery going from simple to heavy duty cleaning, see this link:
www.best-auto-detailing-tips.c...
I am a leather repair and recoloring pro. If water beads up and there is no dark mark after 30 seconds to 1 min, the leather has been dyed, then covered with an opaque protective color coating sprayed in at the tannery. The coloring agent is pigment, not dye, just like wall and car paint. The leather is called protected, pigmented or coated leather. The coating resists water, wear and fading. It stretches as the leather ages and has millions of micro-pores in the resin structure to allow water and conditioner to pass through. This makes water bead up, but humidity and perspiration pass through. It is more comfortable than a 100% imitation leather, but not as comfortable as unprotected leather, which is only dyed and very absorbent. Dyed leather fades fast, stains easily and cannot be cleaned. It is only used in a small percentage of high end cars. Repair to leather the protected leather color coating can be done: A. Professional materials and methods that provide the same quality as the original color. For maximum durability, body oils absorbed into the leather need to be removed, but that's rarely is done in cars because it's a slow process that can take a few days. The surface is sanded and primer is scrubbed in before spraying on 3 coats of color and 2 coats of clear top coat.There is a DIY version that gives the same results B. Or surface prep may be skipped, low quality materials may be used, and/or less color may be applied, so they peel, flake, crack or wear through in a short time. Most DIY materials are in this category. B. Color often comes off of steering wheels because they are saturated with body oils and the color releases, even if prepped and primed, if oils were not removed. There are differences in people's body oil pH that cause some leather to rot in a short time, esp if taking certain heart medications. C. Or color made for vinyl may be used, which is not flexible enough. It tends to crack because it doesn't stretch enough. D. The filler materials can be strong and flexible or too soft or too stiff, and/or applied with restored texture or smooth. There is even a "spray grain" for texture. Fillers are cosmetic and do not restore the strength lost in cracks. These areas stretch faster, so the filler and color may crack again because strength is dropping, causing a vicious cycle. This is common on seat fronts and door side, and backrests side near the door.
Right I believe the issue with this example is it wasn't done "properly" more of a dealer quick sale method where the color was applied but not covered in clear coat or enough clear coat. I've seen complete color changes done that look and stay looking like new just as long all steps are properly done.
I am a Leather tech, for starters the steering wheel CAN be re-coloured for your info. Done right it will NOT wear off in a few weeks! Secondly no professional leather tech I know of uses harsh chemicals like acetone either! Nor do they sand off the texture. The leather is prepared first, we do NOT use paint pal, we use Leather dyes which absorb into the leather. A protective top coat is applied to protect the finish. Personnaly speaking your maggywires crap is probably doing more harm to the leather than anything else with your excessive cleaning. You do NOT know what you're talking about, stick to your bucket of soapy water. Bye the way, you might advise the owner of the vehicle to call a PROFESSIONAL for some correct advice on care for his Leather seats mate. They're probably de-hydrated for starters and your probably making that worse as well.
Yup I had this done to the leather seats on my 06 yukon about 8 years ago. It is the 92i pewter. No problems at all holding up well to heat and cold. Even spilled hot black coffee on them and cleaned them with saddle soap and the color is still holding well.
ian richardson exactly. Correct.
This guy is WRONG. Leather CAN be dyed if it's done professionally. NEVER accept a leathe 'paint job' it WILL wear off. I know, it happened to me.
ian richardson hey Ian, any advice on a volvo v70 2010, with beige leather, drivers seat worn, buying it tomorrow. Steering wheel needs some work too.
“Stick to your bucket of soapy water”! 😹
Oh and as for the steering wheel it can easily be refinished by a competent detailer or leather specialist to look like new and last a good few more years.
there's nothing wrong with Dyeing leather as soon as its done the proper way.
Hey how many of you wasted 5:30 minutes on this video
Most of the brightly colored leather purses and shoes on the market for 50 years have been colored after the leather was tanned and dyed. It is a special process using special material and sealer coats that is applied to specially treated and prepared leather. The pores of the leather must be opened to best accept the colorant or dye before application. Automotive leather prior to 1992 was all a surface sprayed lacquer blend. EPA investigated the toxic waste of leather tanneries back in the ‘80’s, so they were all required to begin using more environmentally safe technologies, such as water based dyes.
So are you saying I should not re dye my leather seats if they look bad????
Those seats have probably not been looked after and not maintained properly resulting in cracks wearing and colour removal. Nearly all car seats are "Painted" they are finished with a sealer and eventually that finish can wear through and crack. When valeting or detailing it important to start with the least aggressive method and cleaners you can, if those don't work then step it up a bit. The Mercedes seats were probably in a right state as your video shows the seats seem to have extensive filler added, probably to cover bad cracking and wear but cost wise saved the owner having to purchase new seats so would be very cost effective and would look for the most part original. the moral is to maintain your seats just as you would your mechanicals.
I had this problem on my Audi A 8. Colorado Glo repaired it and it looks and feels as good as her Darren. Regards Peter in Dublin Ireland
Sorry the company name is Color Glo, my last comment had a typo error.
This is the reason why I re-upholstered my interior with new leather rather than just dyeing it.
I repair leather,vinyl,cloth etc and also do wheel repair. We are not PAINTING anything if you put paint on a seat I'm sure it will come off and you say it's no way possible to do what the factory did?? I carry nothing but OEM dye. I'm not knocking your work or making videos saying you don't know how cleaning products work, so why knock a interior repair guy? I would love to send you a piece of leather or vinyl that I have put dye on and would like for you to video taking it off. 👍🏼
Aaron Corley I am sure you are both correct and perform at a much higher level, but having experienced endless re-dye jobs from guys that are likely doing dealer work, I am merely speaking from first hand experience. I have yet to see a single re-dye job that holds up to the ear and tear of factory original. And if you are shooting the dye through an airless spray gun, ( which I can almost guarantee you are) then yes, I consider this a form of spray paint in a general description as I know most people would. This process certainly has its p[lace in the car world, but it is important people understand its limitations moving forward. And as detailer, it is very critical to understand the limitations of this process when cleaning.
+Aaron Corley What is best to clean my cloth seats in my kia?
@@autofetishdetail .. An experience technician..massage in the first color coat. Subsequent coats are sprayed. Spraying the coating doesn't make it inferior. If that's the case your exterior paint will peel off. I use the same process for refinishing leather as body painting is performed. I use crosslinkers in my leather primer and in my color coat and finishing top coat. Your statement and your video has offended people who have been doing this business for over 25yrs. Yes there are some shoddy people out there doing crappy work..just like there is crappy detailers..but to lump the process into a category of being inferior results and workmanship..is not cool at all
There's such a thing called graining pads, for use when you repair cracks with filler you can match the original grain. Clearly this wasn't done on this Mercedes, however I'm sure you clean cars from time to time that you haven't the slightest clue they've been repaired and/or re-dyed. Professional dye appears to be just a can of paint to everyone else, but it is truly dye that does absorb into the leather IF properly prepped. So BEWARE of this inexperienced detail guy I say. He will tell you to spend big $$$$ to replace your leather when you could spend 3 or 400 on a good re-dye job and get 10 more years of use. And you don't use soapy water after its done. It's still leather and water will still lead to dehydration. Use a leather conditioner. If the jobs done right the dye won't come off.
FactoryShowtime38 exactly.... this guy Acts liked he is too good for a high quality dye job...smh. he probably has cleaned leather he NEVER KNEW was refinished...lol
This guy knows nothing. Spray cans are not the only way to dye seats. I buy a professional dye and do it by hand.
@@Ariesstubbornbutt where do you buy your dye from?
So what are you do to fix your leather that was worn off to begin with?
What is a good leather dye set up for minimal spots/areas???
I have seen factory leather color wear off in less than 3 years on fords and mercedes. I have seen dye jobs last 7+ years. Would you consider the original color paint or dye? It is also sprayed and sits on top of the leather.
ben swanson that's exactly what had happened to me on my '15 mustang gt premium with soft ceramic color seats from factory
What some people fail to understand what goes into this process..is the condition of the leather..if it's already deteriorating and the fibers have loss it's elasticity..the dye/coating will have a different effect on the longevity on the leather. In short..its like putting new dye on an old shoe
Bill, I have seen this too..on Ford's
Can you go from grey to red? Or should i be safe and just go black
so you wrap a towel around the door armrest?
im confused because id rather have that them my cracked up seats ?????? bells and whistles for cleaning the seats that looks better than the before??
You are doing good
hello i damaged the colour of my leather car seats puting too much dish soap..what can i do to fix them..can you help me?
Dye it
Using an alcohol based dye works into the leather properly, must also use wool patches to apply.
more likely the car dealers have done it themselves not professional techs as some already mentioned we dont paint them we use real dyes
i think that seat just came!!😥
So do you suggest to not "re dye" your leather or vinyl? And how would you explain to an customer that suggests they wanted re dye
It is a great plan for temporary results or if you are going to be very careful and hyper-vigilante in your care and maintenance moving forward. As far as customers asking, I simply inform them of all the variables and the ripple effect so they can make their own informed decision.
Isn't there something you can roll on and apply a texture before the "spackle" has dried? This sounds like common sense to me....
Heres just a cool idea I thought of for a video series, you could create a series of videos of what you should do to take care of your personal car, like weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, every 6 months, and yearly maintenance needed to keep your car looking great. just something I though of while watching this.
and obviously put links to your site selling your used in each video, Also have you placed that order from auto geek of ONR yet??
Yes, a great idea. So many ideas and not enough time to create them....and no, have not placed the order ( am busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest). The good news is that it is "stuff" I want to demo and test out. Not "stuff" I need to run my business. Most of it is boring stuff so I can have the actual tool/product to recommend people if what I use professionally is unavailable. I want an alternative for people that actually works.
so what exactly is this "stuff" on the list?
Persistent aren't you...here it goes: Chemical Guys Ecosmart Carpro spotless water spot remover Dusting brush Trizact sanding dics Speed master wheel brush Optimum no-rinse Mothers upholstery brush Flitz metal polish Kwazer sprayers Mentioned your name in a video shoot today....forgot the "12" part of your handle though....
Thats a nice little list you got there, I'm interested to hear your opinion on Chemical Guys.
Yes i agree I to do professional touch ups on leather and vinyl seat etc. Depends on the guy doing the work, as we all know there are good and bad technicians out there just like car detailers.... Ive seen some shit jobs out there. A lot of the time the customer does not want to spend the $$$$$ on a good job,,,just make it look good ...Iam selling the car etc....
So true
I really appreciate this video. I'm looking at vintage leather sofas, wondering about re-dyeing. Think I won't.
do you have any video on how to protect leather seats from the sun? Thanks!
Put spf 50 on the seat. I know what am talking about it . Don't use car window tint, that's just dumb.
Use a windshield screen
303 protectant
So how do you clean redeyed leather seats? My seats were redeyed and no matter what I use to clean them yheres always color transfer and the part that I cleaned would look faded .plz help
mehio hatab Based on what you are telling me...nothing. Not all re-dye's are created equal. Just like anything else in life. You may have to just live with the dirt, or clean gently as little as possible and accept the limitations of your seating. Eventually you can have it re-done by someone who can guarantee a method that is more permanent.
Auto Fetish Detail one more thing I forgot to ask .I read on your website that seats are top coated. Do you get color transfer when cleaning top coated seats?
All leather gets color transfer no mater if redyed or not.
mehio hatab I am unsure of your exact question based on how you asked it. Just as FALLOUT20rads pointed out, anything can get transfer onto it if you are rubbing something against it that has been dyed itself.
+mehio hatab If the color is transferring to your cloth, most likely it is a water-based paint. Some leather technicians use this kind due to EPA regulations. For example, California requires a licensing in order to spray chemical based paint/dye. Use leather cleaner/conditioner and apply it to the cloth not the seat & wipe lightly
As a former 8 year professional detailer and 9 year ase/icar certified painter and current 10 year upholstery shop owner I can use my professional knowledge and say, leather can and will loose its grain/texture from excessive use and cleaning. Also unpainted untouched leather will where through.
FALLOUT20rads I concur 100%
+FALLOUT20rads wouldn't it be easier for the person who performed the work use a crack filler/leather filler? It would had a smoother look. Then use a sealer to keep the color from flaking or rubbing off. Maybe just a poor re-dye job like the video poster said.
FALLOUT20rads do you know what the part of the seat with the tiny holes is called? mine is ripped and I am trying to buy and repair it myself. been searching but can't find the exact kind. mine is the same as this one. will appreciate if I can get a response. thanks
mike it's called a perforated insert. Hope that helps
Where through??? How about wear through? I know, I'm an anal retentive troll but phonetic spellers just drive me nuts.
Those seats are likely not even leather. Mercedes uses what they call MB Tex as standard on their seats which is fake leather. No one is going to sit there and look so close to see if one portion of the seat is flat vs grained anyway, as long as there's no tears and the color is matched, especially since that's a 12 year old car now.
Can you clean bmw red leather seats with the megiuars all purpose cleaner diluted 10/1?? Just don't want to risk using it
So basically put car seats on to protect or reupholster b/c car seat refinishing/dyeing is uselss
Dustin G do you know what the part of the seat with the tiny holes is called? mine is ripped and I am trying to buy and repair it myself. been searching but can't find the exact kind. mine is the same as this one. will appreciate if I can get a response. thanks
@@dassybiose ..there called perforated seats. My experience says to replace that area. Most repairs I've seen aren't that good
Spray cans? You never heard of buying specially mixed dye you use by hand?
that's what 'finished' leather is, a color applied to the outside. not dyed all the way through. Also you seal the leather after you apply the die. if all else fails, recovering a seat is not hard...
RustyNuts do you know what the part of the seat with the tiny holes is called? mine is ripped and I am trying to buy and repair it myself. been searching but can't find the exact kind. mine is the same as this one. will appreciate if I can get a response. thanks
You spend more time talking about how much you know and how good you are then the actual leather itself 😒
the way he passes his hand on the leather seems creepy... lol
Carlos Tamayo Get a room! 👋
I'm looking at buying a second-hand BMW convertible and was originally looking for basic leather care video's. I had no idea they 're-paint' the seats to make them look nicer. Thanks for the info! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the fine details that you've pointed out!
i really liked those black cloth things the owner had on his doors
How can I tell if my blue leather came from blue cows or has been dyed?
This is enough internet for one day. Goodnight.
There are no blue cows so you 100% know it has been colored or dyed.
This happened to me used bmw wipe armrest and off comes finish now looking for a fix
I'll disagree with your premise, that because the leather changed from pebbled/grained/embossed/textured. to SMOOTH, that the leather had been dealt with prior. Take a look at the underside of your forearm and tell me it's the same as your elbow as you move around your arm. TOTALLY different skin texture. The nice distinctive with leather is just that, it's NATURAL and each piece is different and unique. Full grain is different that top grain, etc. And even if that seat HAD been dealt with, it's no real issue and even the most discriminating owner would not notice, nor pay it any attention. You're straining at gnats, and I won't even bother to view the rest of your video. Ha...and you title it "BEWARE" as if there's a problem, lol.
He was looking clicks..doesn't really know what's he talking about. I re dyed my S430 seats 3yrs ago..still looking good.
So seats ripped on a used car... And they fixed it as well as possible without replacing the entire seat.... Rather than let it rip further. The repainted area will in most cases be as durable as the rest of it. Most leathers are painted from the factory...
Have you heard of ColorBond leather paint? I haven't seen many reviews on it. There is one detailed thread in a BMW forum where one of the members painted his seats and trim black. They say it's unique and it penetrates rather than sits on the surface. Again, that thread could be endorsing the product and misleading people on its independent review claim. What do you think? Is it possible that something like that exists and is as claimed? PS. The company claims they have OEM certification from various companies like Ford and GM.
Ethan Ward It would be hard to know without verifying first hand. The problem is not the finished product, but in how the product withstands normal use, cleaning, and maintenance long term. Endorsement are useful for marketing, etc., but are rarely verified and as well as very difficult to verify most times.
Auto Fetish Detail The forum member was not endorsing the product. He claimed to have just bought it and tried it and made a forum thread on the process he used. Apparently it lasted and he had no texture change, no smell, no flaking or peeling and no color fade after a long while. Several others bought it and also tried it and said the same thing. I am a massive skeptic though and don't trust easy. Have you heard of Colorbond before? I'm just not finding information on it apart from this one thread on e46fanatics. By the way this is colorbond leather not colorbond steel :D
Ethan Ward I just took a look at their website and watched the video. They make a compelling position and I think I would personally be willing to use the product and feel I would get acceptable results. With that said, I will add these notes: -I repainted the entire interior of my 1977 Datsun 280Z with an interior spray paint 30+ years ago and was very satisfied with the results. I am pretty sure any product today will be of better quality then that of 30 years ago. - I am pretty sure the main focus of doing this will be to be very thorough in the preparation process as this is where most people fall short on any task in life -I think the only problem you will ultimately have will be trying to get a completely uniformed appearance to the area as it is hard to Presley control the thickness and look as the paint goes on. But my guess is that you would be satisfied. -Good luck if you decide moving forward. I am actually going to test these products as soon as I get my "plate" free of current projects, so thanks for the heads up.
Auto Fetish Detail The problem is that the alternative is extremely expensive. Reupholstering seats and trim sometimes is simply not an option because of the enormous costs. What do you think of Rust-Oleum?
Ethan. Have you even talked to an upholstery shop about costs and options?
And????? Someone has repaired some wear and tear and made the seat look great again. You talk like that is bad thing! Geesh pal.
Right exactly so should I not re dye my seats if they look bad
He's mad leather techs make 90$ in 20 minutes dying front seats, when it takes him all day and sore ass hands to make that lmao
Honestly I think that’s just bad prep. Remember even the original is sprayed and still not a dye. If you were to purchase a new factory seat cover it also has he sprayed on finish which will not be any different other than the brand.
this fella is making a video to show the car owner and then offer to buy the car for a lower asking price than they want
I work most of northern Chicago and do many many high end jobs. And that Mercedes doesn't merit my time. You insulted allot of people.. I'm not entrusted with million dollar cars that need some PROFESSIONAL cosmetics done because I'm a con... I was taught by the best there is..
First of all Mercedes does not use real leather. It is leatherette which is why you see 35 year old Mercedes with new seats still. Real leather decays just like your own skin does. As far as I can tell, I've never seen a TAN or RED cow so everyone paints "leather". Having said that if your seats are badly worn or have tears and someone re-fills and sands it so freaking what if you loose some of the texture!!! I'd rather loose the texture anyday rather than have torn or faded seats with texture. Or go out and spend a grand on a seat if it matters that much to you. You only live once people paint your leather purple if you feel like it and screw the texture!!!!!!
Well said
Well shit, and I thought someone just took good care of the seats... its a 99 town car and the seats looked like new, and it just started to wear down, now I know the truth :/
Not necessarily..the original coating does wear off over time. It really depends on how you take care of the leather..Cleaning and conditioning
I can agree a little bit but if you strip the seat down good, I have something that grabs the dye and I run a top coat over the dye just to name a couple! No you cannot show up and spray dye and go, shit won't last at all! But if you up for the challenge you can send me a piece of leather or vinyl and I will shoot some dye and you put all the chemicals in the world on it 👍🏼
I would try a magic eraser and degreaser on that steering wheel
Ok so I don't get the point of the video? Even if it doesn't look as good as OEM and frankly I don't think anyone would expect it to? It looks much better than discolored cracking and frankly gave them longer life and OEM replacement would be off the charts expensive if you could even get them? So reconditioning the leather is the way to go until a complete replacement is required anyway. and without paying through the nose on that they won't come out looking OEM.
leatherique car dye applied by towel is a legit fix, but time consuming!!
i think this was just a parody video guys it was hilarious
it's vynyl seat. MB slogan should be genuine eather or nothing.
This guy knows nothing about leather period.
Hahahaa.. wow. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CAR MANUFACTURERS DO TO COLOR THE LEATHER???? They spray it with color dye than sealant! The dye ABSORBS INTOOOOO the leather.. Thats how it's done. . When is the last time you seen a FLANNEL GRAY, CORAL RED or TITANIUM cow running through the pastures!!??? 😂😂🤣
@Copter Cop lol
Are all detailers alike? I guess they are since you're generalizing my profession. I have no problems with dye sticking to my work and there is no water base cleaner that will take it off. Been doing this for thirty years, self and family taught. You're putting people like me in the same category of franchise taught butchers. Not only that, if a dealer only wants to pay a small amount for the work, they get what they pay for. Go on and sand that mercedes seat and tell me that the factory soaks dye into it...spoiler, they don't.
Lots of naysayers on here, but thanks for posting this video. You made some valid points and I learned something new.
you are just cleaning cars and yes you have to careful about the dye because thre are people how doesnt do the job right however the way you describe the prosess of repair the seat withou repace it sound like those people are ripping off the costumer like scam but is like describe your job you only put soap and water to thhe car and maybe swing a buffer with some product that you brougth in some detail truck but you call it proffesional car detailer because you put a brush between a gap .see depends how you describe things sonds like crap you only wash cars . however there more then than in to it right?
+Mako Rod Nice run on sentence with no punctuation,you seem more the idiot than the host.
I really think your putting out some negative information about an industry. Not sure why you have chosen to leave this video up. Steering wheels and leather seats can the refinished professionally and the jobs if done correctly will last as long as a factory finish. No they dont last forever. Not even the factory finish does. Every thing suffers from wear and tear, including your detail jobs. It would take years for my color to wear on steering wheel. Most likely longer than it took for the factory finish to wear off. High wear performance topcoats and cross linker go a long way. Not to mention the special use of sticky primer in areas such as steering wheels which are subjected to high wear, and high amounts of skin oils. There is plenty you do not know about the industry your speaking of. Please dont attack an industry you know little about. There are bad people and bad repairs in every industry that doesnt mean the industry does not provide a quality service. Ive read all the comments below. I seen "spray paint" mentioned. Yep it happens. No its not the industry standard. No we dont all use cans or airless sprayers.(im not even sure what an airless sprayer is haha) I use a spray gun hooked up to a air compressor. By the way i could do a job with paper towels that you couldnt clean off ... Mobile detailing industry- What if someone made a video talking about all the horrible things that have happened in mobile detailing. Or just one similar to what you just made. Well you know that you dont do those things, but yet your industry as a whole gets to go live on youtube and rouse suspicions. Ive liked a lot of your videos, and had fun watching them, but this isnt cool. I love my career in the industry that your attacking. I have been repairing leather, vinyl, cloth, and plastics for 6 years. Trained by people who've done it for 50. This video should come down, or at least be updated. Think about it.
Hey Kenny..glad you chimed in. This guy doesn't what he's talking about.. We been trained by the best. It was good seeing you at Refinish Coatings Expo. Happy Holidays Lonnie On The Spot Leather Repair
factory leather is spray painted . if it was dyed from the factory it would be the same color front and back !
Automotive leather supplied by the tanneries that supply the auto industry, such as Eagle Ottawa, Seton, Boxmark, Bridge of Weir etc always dye their hides throughout, the dye permeates the entire hide. They are then painted the final exact colour, about 20 microns thick, often two coats. They are then spray coated with a clear matt lacquer, usually up to 40 micron thick. The dye and paint give next to no protection against wear and tear, it is the lacquer that does. It protects against abrasion, chiefly caused by getting into and out of a car, which is usually worse on seats with high bolsters like sports seats. or on SUV's where you have to climb up and drag yourself across the seat, or by heavy people not nimble enough to drop into the seat. The lacquer also protects against high temperatures and cold crack, UV rays from the sun, stains and spills, moisture and a whole lot of other things. A dye or painted leather without any protective lacquer will give premature wear problems. Best advise is to buy a new seat cushion cover, it costs, but it will last.
@@Hattonbank thanks for the information . do you know if 1990 era bmw leather is the same ? as my seats are un coloured leather on the back and coloured on the front surface
Looks pretty good for an E-class, but I'm more of an S-class man myself.
S class has real leather
Nobody cares what you call yourself
Irony is none of that seat is likely to be real leather anyway.
Nearly All leather car seats are "dyed" as you call it. That's how they come from the factory and this shows your ignorance and scare mongering to make you self look more professional and knowledgeable than you actually are! and how exactly do you think they get steering wheels that colour?
i learn nothing from this video.
Bla bla.
This guy has serious chemical burns on his hands. always wear gloves when detailing. Colourlock would have been a better dye for the leather; Spray painting on leather is aweful.
So how do you recommend applying color to the seats?
This cheap shit in this Benz is already coated/dyed from the factory. Its a printed grain, painted and top coated non-aniline leather. Professional dye jobs can be virtually un-detectable, and will hold up just the same, If not better than stock, and you’d never know the difference. It would hold up to any cleaner you’d ever use as a detailer, just as well as standard color. And no, you can absolutely re-color steering wheels and they will hold up just the same if done correctly. I’m sure you’re good at your job, but you’re rattling off false information, and making massive generalizations. You are scaring your customers out of a really great repair option, because of your lack of knowledge. Just like the detailing world, you have bad products, and bad labor or the best in the business. There is a huge spectrum of quality. The leather repair world is a very specialized industry, and reaches well beyond what you can just read on the internet without actual experience. I will agree, If they rattle canned it with SEM or LVP, that’s a shit job, and you’re right. Most the time I’ve found it’s the customer themselves who does those kind of repairs, or they paid the cheapest person to do the job. A very serious leather shop could strip and re-color an entire vehicle without a trace, and warranty the job for 20 years. Just like a high-end paint and body shop.