tabcourt

The leather on the center console had a thin dark line on it which I tried to clean with armorall cleaner wipes. Instead of cleaning it, it seemed to have rubbed off the tan color of the leather revealing an even larger dark streak. How can I address this? Is there a tan dye I could use?

AconRX

Don't use those Armour All leather cleaners, even though they say "leather". Try Leather Master Leather Care Kit (search it on Amazon, it's highly recommended). I'm currently using a BMW Leather Care Set which I have from my previous car but I'll switch to Leather Master once it finishes. I also have the tan/biege leather and man, you really have to be on top of it or it'll start to wear out, especially the driver seat if you wear jeans a lot. Good luck!

rgarjr

iTrader: (1)

u could try to dye the scratch (of course finding the right color to match it will be tough) or replace the whole leather cover with a new one.

jfelbab

Sadly I see many cars that have had the leather damaged by using aggressive products. The leather finish you see in modern cars is really paint and a pretty darn thin layer of paint on top of leather at that. The leather under the paint is darn ugly as you notice.

Unfortunately, you can't just dye the area. It also needs to be re-cleared. You may also have a grain pattern issue after dye and clear-coating which may require a grain lifter. I'd suggest seeing a Leather Restoration pro in your area. He may be expensive but you will wind up with a flawless restore that will last. Most DIY attempts by unexperienced people just turn out badly and are short lived.

FWIW, it is always a good idea to do a test spot in an area that is hidden when trying out a new product. This is a caution to anyone reading this thread.

Lastly, I highly recommend anyone with leather to use a leather protector. A leather protector is different from a conditioner so be sure you know what you are buying. A protector is a water-based fluorocarbon that prevents stains and dye transfers. The protector prevents the stains from entering into the urethane clear coat in the first place so you wont need aggressive cleaning products.

tabcourt

Does anyone know how much replacing the armrest over the center console storage would cost?

LeX2K

About $250, Google 58905-33280-A2

jayclapp

"The leather finish you see in modern cars is really paint". Knowing this, here's a suggestion that really sounds stupid. Take some part of your interior that matches the worn leather (maybe even the arm rest itself) to Home Depot and have them color match a sample size container of premium interior latex paint.

Then clean the armrest and virtually repaint it! This is best done by doing a small area and almost immediately wiping it off with a paper towel. This allows a very thin coat to be applied, which will get into the worn streaked area. This method also allows you to see how well the paint color matches up and to make corrections if required.

No, the paint will not flake off with time. Rather, it seems to gradually wear off in a few months. When it does, just repaint it again. I've done this in my 04 LS430 UL and it really works. I did this after talking to a upholstery person who basically told me he would redye the worn panel but wouldn't guarantee how long the dye would last.

73446

I've used my local Fibrenew franchise...I have ecru interior that I damaged by using too aggressive cleaner. They matched the color, after preparing the leather and applied it with a very small sprayer. …It's been several months and I'm very happy with the result.

I use Lexol products to clean and condition now. So far, so good!

Mike