leather wear S5

[AUDIFREAK23]

I know this is a problem with the recaro seats, however this wear seams a bit premature. Im a bigger guy, but not that big and I try to be real carefull getting in and out of the car. its located on the drivers side left bolsters. the wear isnt bad right now, I just know where its headed. The wear on the lower bolster where you sit is worse. Its gotten to the point of me lexoling the seat twice a week to try and slow it down, with no success. my car is a 2014 with about 50k. any way to repair it without buying a new seat cover. Any suggestions would be greatly apprciated

[0000_S5]

Any pictures?

[AUDIFREAK23]

Any pictures?

no, your typical cracking... like I said. its just started, but I know where its going

[0000_S5]

I have 25k miles and no visible issues. I do foresee some wear from getting in and out of the car. A good leather conditioner would be a good protective and preventative action.

[HP Hungry S5]

Mine has 42k miles and I am just now starting to see wear on the leather bolster only. I do condition the seats fairly often though. Perfect reason to upgrade to an aftermarket seat with better bolsters!!

[namvar]

25 K but only 2 years old. I sue Adam's Leather conditioner almost every other week and hope to stave off any wear as long as I can. But from experience nothing lasts forever. Leather dries up, it cracks and it wears. Ultimately it will have to be replaced

[dux ducis]

Condition your leather as often as necessary. I use cleaner and conditioner from ChemicalGuys. Conditioner is preventative, and lets your leather move naturally.

I condition the driver's seat twice as often than the passenger because I'm always in it... everything else every few weeks or so.

[NPuter]

The nappa leather is honesty the worst I've seen in terms of creasing.

Care and routine conditioning is necessary. Even then, it's going to crease.

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[brianashley]

Have an 09 with almost 100k on it. Drivers side bolster has one crease and the black Nappa has lightened in the crease. I do my best to not rub on it and use Zano leather conditioner on it monthly. No other issues with any other areas.


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[LJS5]

I have a 09 with 40K miles and noticed my left boslter stitching starting to wear out. :(

[bknewtype]

my 2009 r8 with 24k miles on it still looks mint. maybe newer leathers are cheaper :X

[NPuter]

my 2009 r8 with 24k miles on it still looks mint. maybe newer leathers are cheaper :X

"Mint" is subjective

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[AUDIFREAK23]

The nappa leather is honesty the worst I've seen in terms of creasing.

Care and routine conditioning is necessary. Even then, it's going to crease.

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exclty right. Ive been conditioning the hell out of it....

[bknewtype]

"Mint" is subjective

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lol well I have no cracks on mine at all. discolor, yes

[doc280]

It took awhile, but I got used to placing my hand on the bolster when getting in and out of the car. That way if I do rub or slide accross the bolster I get my hand versus the bolster.
Robert

[i1overice]

lol well I have no cracks on mine at all. discolor, yes

ROOFL

Grandpa strikes from 1,000 miles away.

[bknewtype]

ROOFL

Grandpa strikes from 1,000 miles away.

he grew older today. he can now strike at 1.5k miles away. he leveled up

[Mops@Nemesis]

Condition often and don't worry about it. When someone buys these cars 10 years later for $12K, they can sort out the cracking leather.

And the lesser Audi leathers hold up better. The really crappy leather looks new for a decade, the mid-grade (base S5) does pretty well. Only seems to loose its satin and wrinkle/stretch a little. Nappa is super soft, and can show wear within say 10K. If conditioned quarterly, even if creasing, it's not going to split for a very long time. I would also recommend cleaning each condition. At least the creasing areas, as they hold dirt, dirt causes the areas to show more, and I'm sure the dirt keeps the conditioner from fully penetrating the leather.

[Mops@Nemesis]

It took awhile, but I got used to placing my hand on the bolster when getting in and out of the car. That way if I do rub or slide accross the bolster I get my hand versus the bolster.
Robert

You've got it, and you leverage off of your hand to lift away, settle in. This is proper. Can look a bit awkward, but proper lol.

[AUDIFREAK23]

It took awhile, but I got used to placing my hand on the bolster when getting in and out of the car. That way if I do rub or slide accross the bolster I get my hand versus the bolster.
Robert

good call man. im going to try that

[AUDIFREAK23]

doesnt sound like there is any solution at this point. guess it is, what it is

[JamesRS5]

I honestly think all these conditioners are a waste of money. This isn't raw leather, it a leather that has been sealed and treated to withstand and not soak up fluids. You'd be better and have a longer lasting protection from a leather sealant that reduces friction and further seals against moisture and pollutants.
I doubt these creamy conditioners are absorbed into modern leather seats, they probably just evaporate off the surface making you think it's soaked in.

A seat that is already cracked is a different story though, now the hide is exposed and will probably need conditioning to prevent it drying out.

[Mops@Nemesis]

I honestly think all these conditioners are a waste of money. This isn't raw leather, it a leather that has been sealed and treated to withstand and not soak up fluids. You'd be better and have a longer lasting protection from a leather sealant that reduces friction and further seals against moisture and pollutants.
I doubt these creamy conditioners are absorbed into modern leather seats, they probably just evaporate off the surface making you think it's soaked in.

A seat that is already cracked is a different story though, now the hide is exposed and will probably need conditioning to prevent it drying out.

That's a really good point. Just as all of these coatings are becoming popular for the paint. I wonder what is applied by the supplier. I know @b8s4 has mentioned a leather seal he really enjoys.

[Hippyshakes]

It took awhile, but I got used to placing my hand on the bolster when getting in and out of the car. That way if I do rub or slide accross the bolster I get my hand versus the bolster.
Robert

Yep this. I have the same wear on a 2" x 2" spot where my big ass rubs the bolster when I get in and out. Not much I can do except now use the "hand on bolster" method...

[HazeMyth]

I've been driving cars with big bolsters for a while, so I luckily had the habit of grabbing the back of the seat to help lift myself out. I used to grab the top of the bolster, but that resulted in breaking a seam on my STI bolster. Thankfully my friend's dad is one of the greatest upholsterers in town and he was able to fix it like new.

[mopaNi]

I honestly think all these conditioners are a waste of money. This isn't raw leather, it a leather that has been sealed and treated to withstand and not soak up fluids. You'd be better and have a longer lasting protection from a leather sealant that reduces friction and further seals against moisture and pollutants.
I doubt these creamy conditioners are absorbed into modern leather seats, they probably just evaporate off the surface making you think it's soaked in.

A seat that is already cracked is a different story though, now the hide is exposed and will probably need conditioning to prevent it drying out.

This. Creams are more or less worthless for nine out of ten new automobiles with leather. You need a liquid conditioner to penetrate the micro perforations in the thin vinyl coating most leather comes with these days.

[Beast]

I think the silk Napa leather wears pretty well, I've developed a technique to get in the car that seems to be working plus a weekly conditioning/wipe down , I have no creases or wrinkles.

[i1overice]

he grew older today. he can now strike at 1.5k miles away. he leveled up

Lol did he unlock a new skill?

#straightsavage
#gpp

[NPuter]

I find Adams conditioner makes a difference, at least to me.

I put my left hand on the door jamb when getting in/out. I don't touch the bolster in the process at all

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[Drew0u812]

After cleaning the leather, it's best to apply conditioner after the car has been sitting in the sun with the windows up and it's nice and hot in there... That's the best chance for absorption.

[S4fever]

call me crazy but the seats in my B8 A4 has less wear than the Nappa leather in my coupe. Idk why but it just held up better through out the years. I think the leather in the A4/A5 is much more durable compared to the Nappa leather, that's just my opinion.

[JamesRS5]

That's a really good point. Just as all of these coatings are becoming popular for the paint. I wonder what is applied by the supplier. I know @b8s4 has mentioned a leather seal he really enjoys.

I got my leather treated at the same time as the new car detail so it was the gtechniq product, I've bought a bottle of the L1 leather guard and treat the seats every 6 months.
I think it's especially important over here where the higher temperatures and sunlight will probably cause damage at a faster rate.

Here's the product I use:
http://gtechniq.com/products/auto/pe...-leather-guard

It gives a nice matte finish just like a new seat and so far so good, I haven't noticed any wear or cracks.

[Mops@Nemesis]

Excellent. I'm going to order some. What about cleaning? I guess you only clean once, since post application, you're no longer accessing the leather? Or I guess you can clean before apps no matter.

Have you tried the Wheels Armor? I really want to coat my incoming wheels.

[NPuter]

call me crazy but the seats in my B8 A4 has less wear than the Nappa leather in my coupe. Idk why but it just held up better through out the years. I think the leather in the A4/A5 is much more durable compared to the Nappa leather, that's just my opinion.

No question the A4/5 leather is more durable/less prone to wear

I got my leather treated at the same time as the new car detail so it was the gtechniq product, I've bought a bottle of the L1 leather guard and treat the seats every 6 months.
I think it's especially important over here where the higher temperatures and sunlight will probably cause damage at a faster rate.

Here's the product I use:
http://gtechniq.com/products/auto/pe...-leather-guard

It gives a nice matte finish just like a new seat and so far so good, I haven't noticed any wear or cracks.

Thanks! I'll give it a try

[Mops@Nemesis]

Yep, I have pics of my 7 year old A5 seats. They looked pretty much new.

[JamesRS5]

Excellent. I'm going to order some. What about cleaning? I guess you only clean once, since post application, you're no longer accessing the leather? Or I guess you can clean before apps no matter.

Have you tried the Wheels Armor? I really want to coat my incoming wheels.

I do clean the seats with the I2 cleaner before I apply to the seats Ben. As for wheels, yes I seal them with C5, here's a little tip, the C1 crystal lacquer and C5 wheel armour are the same product so you can use either on both paintwork and wheels, both can be overcoated with Exo to give the hygrophobic finish.

[b8audis4]

That's a really good point. Just as all of these coatings are becoming popular for the paint. I wonder what is applied by the supplier. I know @b8s4 has mentioned a leather seal he really enjoys.

Yes, if you use CQuartz leather, it is like adding another layer of leather clear coat (which comes on it from factory), to the leather. Works amazing, and I apply every 6 months. Sometimes only every year.

- - - Updated - - -

No question the A4/5 leather is more durable/less prone to wear



Thanks! I'll give it a try

GTechniq is great stuff, but I would look into comparing that with the CQuartz. Both are great products, I just happen to have more experience with CQuartz, and Carpro has been around for a long time.

[Pink Flamingo]

The Gtechniq leather guard is a good product but keeping the leather clean is just as critical of a step if not more so than a conditioner or leather coating. When your leather is clean there is less friction, which equals less wear and tear in the long run. Best thing to do is clean with a soft, short haired brush (horse hair detailing brushes are perfect) with a leather cleaner. Leather masters makes great products but pricey. Meguiars leather cleaner is just fine and better value. Spray heavily onto the brush so that when you make contact with light circular motion, it creates a foamy surface on the leather. The foaming will help extract the dirt so when you follow with a clean microfiber towel, it will essentially wipe away the lifted dirt within. Then let dry well (20-30 minutes) before you apply a conditioner or coating. The clean leather along with a product like leather guard will make the surface smooth with little friction, which leads to less dye transfer from jeans and pants, will prolong the leather and prevent premature cracking and even worse and greasy stained leather seat. You can do the same for your steering wheel, arm rest, gear shifter, etc.

As for the hand on bolster to get in and out.... That will only put pressure on the bolster and help promote the crack lines. Try putting your hand on the rocker panel where your model logo is and reduce the contact and body weight on the leather bolster when getting in and out of the car. That will help quite a bit.

Been detailing high end cars for over 18 years and am happy to share tips to help preserve our babies. Keeping things clean is half the battle to making it last longer.

Just recently made the switch to my fist Audi from being a long time BMW guy. Looking forward to reading and contributing to this forum. Thanks to MOPS that hooked me up with my first RS5 mod. Can't wait to get the AWE track exhaust on the car in a few weeks!
-Frank


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[Mops@Nemesis]

I've got a buddy at work with an M4 already seeing wear on his bolsters after like 7K miles. And he's very careful and familiar with seat wear. In fact, BMW is having to replace the seat cover. Will any of these sealants actually help with wear? No so much transfer, staining etc, but wear.

[JamesRS5]

Wear is a result of friction so if you reduce the friction you reduce the wear. Obviously you don't want a seat you slide out of on every corner but if you keep up with applying the sealant to the bolsters every month then I reckon you will see much less wear.

i know I harp on a lot about gtechniq products but I do it for a reason, they seem to work really well, their L1 leather treatment is designed to reduce wear by reducing friction.

Have a read of this review: http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...echniq-l1.html