Some air freshener spilled on this customer’s 2013 Cadillac SRX, and when they went to clean it up, the topcoat came with it, leaving this ugly splotch. They were able to repair the damage area with matching Shale dye, saving them hundreds of dollars. An upholsterer was quoting several hundred dollars to replace the panel, and the dealership was quoting over $600 to replace the whole seat cover! If you’re looking for dye for your Cadillac, or for other major makes and models, navigate here: https://www.seatdoctors.com/diy-leather-dye/
2006 Volvo C70 Color Restoration - Customer Submitted
A customer sent in this repair -- restored the Calcite Cream interior in their Volvo C70 convertible -- looks great!
Color Restoration - 2004 Honda S2000
This Honda S2000 was restored using two methods. We started by dabbing on a base coat of dye using a paint sponge, with two very light coats. This worked well to fill I dye to some of the deeper cracks. Next, and airbrush was used to feather in 3 very light coats over the repair area and blend in with the rest of the seat, which still looks very good. If you're looking to touch up your Honda, you'll be happy to know we have extensive data on Honda colors going back to the early 90's. Click here to order touch up dye for your vehicle!
Color Restoration - 2007 Saab 9-3
Touch-up of the seat of a 2007 Saab 9-3 with Parchment interior. Back to perfection!
Color Restoration - 1999 Jaguar XJ8
1999 Jaguar XJ8 - Ivory leather - both front seats were repaired as well as the armrests, but the center console went from a wreck to a work of art. Click Here to pick up Jaguar Leather Dye vin-matched to your vehicle!
Color Restoration and Car Tire Stain Removal - 2004 Acura TL
This poor car owner had some tires replaced on his 2004 Acura TL, and the tire shop left the tires on the back seat baking in the sun for barely a day. When the tires were removed, rubber stains remained, and the customer despaired.
Fortunately, we have an exact match for Acura's Parchment leather. The customer cleaned the seat as much as possible, but the tire tracks were fairly ingrained. He followed with 4 super light coats of Acura Parchment leather dye using a Preval Sprayer, giving a half hour between coats. 2 hours after the final coat, he buffed it a damp microfiber cloth.
Leather dye works fantastic for damage such as this. If you are looking for advice on how best to tackle a dye transfer like this, rest assured that Seat Doctors leather dye can help restore your leather back to like-new condition.
Leather Dye Repair - 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
Some wear along with a little bit of damaged leather was repaired using new leather dye -- the dye was rubbed in using a lint free shop towel for a couple coats to verify the color match, and then the final 3 coats were applied using an airbrush. As usual, similar results can be acheived using a Preval Sprayer. Do you need leather dye for your Pontiac? Submit your order by CLICKING HERE and we'll produce matching dye using your VIN and interior color code.
Dye Transfer Repair and Color Restoration - Lexus ES350
A customer sent in this repair -- a blue ballpoint pen exploded on the seat, and after cleaning it as thoroughly as possible, a dark blue mark remained.
The customer was able to spray on a few light coats of matching Parchment leather dye, concealing the stain and restoring color to the seat!
Whether you're fixing ink transfer, dye transfer from denim jeans, or restoring color to worn seats, leather dye can help. Order matching leather dye for your Lexus, Toyota, BMW, or almost any other car make and model by Clicking Right Here!
Color Restoration - 2001 BMW 330ci
Super quick repair - buffing in some color on this upright bolster took about 10 minutes
Color Restoration and Dye Transfer Repair - 2011 Buick Enclave
Dye Transfer IS repairable, but must be sprayed on with an airbrush or a Preval Sprayer for the most effective repair possible. This seat had plenty of wear on the seat bottom that was easy enough to fix simply by rubbing in new dye with a lint-free cloth. The upright bolster, where you see the blue dye transfer, was applied using an airbrush gun, using about 5 coats to achieve maximum coverage. As usual, similar results can be accomplished using a Preval Spray Gun. If you're looking to pick up some leather dye to repair damage on your leather seats, click on the link at the end of this post, enter your vehicle details, let us determine the best leather dye color for your vehicle, and we'll ship it straight to you!
Color Restoration - 2007 BMW X5
Simple color restoration using leather dye specially formulated for this X5 (BMW "Black " is in reality a deep gray with a dash of brown).
1) clean the seat thoroughly with Simple Green
2) rub in dye with a lint-free rag, then wipe off excess with a slightly dampened rag.
3) let dry for 20 minutes, then repeat.
This project took 4 very light coats to restore color to the wear on the seat.
If you want to touch up your own seats, Click Here to purchase dye custom leather dye for your car!
Color Restoration - 2001 BMW M3
2001 BMW M3
This was restored with black leather dye formulated for the 2001 BMW M3. Dye formulas are interesting - BMW's Black is in reality a lot of black with a little white and a dash of yellow to get to this exact shade.
Color Restoration - Mazda RX-7
Relatively simple color restoration - since it was mostly missing in the cracks in the leather, I wiped on dye with a lint-free towel and then wiped off excess dye with a towel dampened with Simple Green cleaner.
You can achieve similar results when you buy leather dye for your vehicle. Simply enter your vehicle details when you order, and we'll find a match for your car's leather. Go to www.seatdoctors.com/shop/automotive-leather-dye now!
Color Restoration - 2006 Hyundai Tucson
Another example of even extreme wear that can be repairable with a little dye and a lot of patience.
The seat was first prepared with Simple Green All Purpose Cleaner and a Non-Abrasive Scotch-Brite pad. A little bit of the existing finish was taken off with all the scrubbing, but that's fine, there's plenty of dye to spray back on.
Next the seat was further prepared with some diluted Denatured Alcohol, scrubbed and then wiped again, and then allowed time for the seat to dry fully. With all the scrubbing, the seat took about an hour to dry fully, hastened with a box fan to increase air circulation.
Finally the entire seat was sprayed using a Preval Spray Gun. About 6 light coats were needed, along with plenty of time to dry between coats, about 25 minutes since it was a little cold out today. This seat took about 1.5 oz of dye to restore color fully.
Need some dye for your Hyundai Tucson? All major makes and models are covered, from Audi to Volvo. CLICK HERE to purchase leather dye for your vehicle!
Color Restoration -- 2008 Ford Fusion Passenger Seat
Leather Dye Restoration -- 2008 Ford Fusion Passenger Seat
Believe it or not, this is the same car! The leather color had been stripped from water damage, but the leather was still in good shape.
The seat was cleaned and prepared by first scrubbing with diluted Simple Green water-based cleaner and a Blue Non-Scratch Scotch-Brite pad, then with some diluted Denatured Alcohol and a lint-free paper towel.
The color was matched to the VIN as "Camel Beige", and sprayed on in 6 light coats. A hair dryer was used to quicken drying between coats, using low or no heat.
This seat is ready to be sat on immediately, but will cure fully in about 48 hours. I use a Badger airbrush system, but similar results can be attained using a Preval Spray Gun.
Need leather dye for your vehicle? Click here to order now!
Steering Wheel Restoration - Toyota Avalon
This steering wheel was worn and some of the plastic discolored from UV Damage. Here's the process to do this yourself:
- Clean the area to be restored thoroughly. If you're planning on re-dyeing the entire steering wheel, just give the whole thing a very thorough scrub with a Scotch-Brite pad and some water-based cleaner.
- Prep the steering wheel leather with some denatured alcohol -- this will make the existing finish slightly tacky and ready to accept new leather. Make sure to mask off the surrounding area, as dripping alcohol can discolor plastic, vinyl, or leather that didn't need restoring.
- The steering wheel may need some light sanding with 400 or even 600 grit sandpaper to smooth out any damaged or pitted areas.
- Mask off very thoroughly the areas that won't be receiving new dye.
- The best results will come from either airbrushing new dye or using a Preval sprayer. Some customers have had good success with a paint sponge, but it takes quite a bit more patience.
Please note that if you're wanting to pick up new dye for your steering wheel, it can be very difficult to match if the steering wheel is not the same color as the leather seats, as trim documentation is far less thorough than leather seat documentation. If you do have a matching steering wheel and want to touch it up yourself, navigate to our direct purchase page by Clicking Here, and make sure to note that this is a steering wheel application in the "additional comments" field.
More Exam Table Repairs
Even split seams can be a health hazard -- fortunately these can be repaired inexpensively way before recovering the table becomes necessary!
2000 BMW 323 Convertible Upright Bolster repair
One of our few "blink and you'll miss it" repairs -- Tiffany's color match was absolutely perfect!
2008 Ford Mustang Seat Repair
Fixed a few scratches, rips and tears in this VERY nice Mustang