dblteez

I'm stumped. I'd like to use a water based dye to refurbish the leather in my new-to-me 2006 CLK350. I've spent 2 weeks researching the "how to" threads and used the VIN decoder to get the interior color code. All pretty straight forward, or so I thought. My interior color is listed as 805A BEIGE. To me, this sounds like a pretty basic color, but I have looked on dozens of leather care/dye websites and have yet to find anything that even comes close.
Suggestions anyone? It seems to me that I'm missing something simple.

Yidney

You are not missing anything. No car maker has a "basic" color - if you lined up every beige ever used, every one would look different. Places that offer dye either already have the formula for certain maker's colors based on having mixed it before, or they offer some "basic" color. But unlike paint, there are no formulas out there for every color code that anybody can just look up in a book and mix to match. You basically have to send them a small swatch from someplace so they can color match it.

DanielFD

if i am not mistaken, that number isn't a universal code. its just Mercedes's internal code for your interior color and think its extremely unlikely you'll ever find off the shelf dye that specifically says 805A beige. your best bet in this case would be to take it to somebody who has dye and test out individual colors until you find the closest match. may i ask why you want to dye your interior? most of the time dying your leather will leave you with a sub-par finish and once it gets dirty and you try and clean it you end up either not rubbing hard enough to clear the dirt or the exact opposite and rub too hard and remove the dye

DanielFD

sorry there yidney, i see you beat me to it as i was typing this comment.

Yidney

To echo what Daniel said, I have dyed leather a couple times, and would literally buy a different car before I would do it again. It just is not the same.

dblteez

Well, you both (DanielFD & Yidney) have given me food for thought. I purchased the car 2 months ago with 104000 miles on it. The seats really do show their age. I've done a thorough cleaning twice using the Tide & brush method I saw on this forum but the seats, console, and steering wheel really need help. Thank you both for your input. I am not going to rush out and do this as I had planned, It's almost winter and I am going to use the season to further my studies on this. Thanks again!

Fatz

I am not familiar with the "Tide and brush" method of cleaning, but it does make me cringe.

Most often bad looking leather suffers from dehydration, imbedded dirt, and faded dyes. I've found spray leather cleaner/protectant (I use Meguiars) is good for cleaning and protecting as advertised and some degree of restoration.

My wife's Denali gets the treatment about once a year.

I spray the seats, dash, and steering wheel with a thick coat of Meguiars and let it sit (in the shade) for 30-45 minutes. Then I use a plain water dampened microfiber cloth (several if needed, as they are discarded when they become dirt/solution filled) and a lot of elbow grease. She is always amazed and sets out to try to load them up with makeup, soda spills, cookies, candy, etc. So far, I've won every round of this back-and-forth ritual....

For your car, after the leather is clean and in fair condition, you could also mist the leather and leave it sitting overnight before wiping off the excess.

MarcusF

This comes up about once a year, but this is the first I've heard of Tide. Do you mean the powdered stuff that goes in a clothes washer? Or is there a leather cleaner called Tide? Sorry if I've got this wrong, I don't do laundry. I do know this, none of my leather jackets go in the washer and Tide laundry detergent isn't used in my car interiors.

Here's a link to a list of MB leather colors codes I made up when helping someone recolor their seats - color codes. All those colors have been available from Color Plus. Call them and they'll make it. They even do color matching - send them a sample and they mix a can.

Here's a "how to" for recoloring leather seats. That web page isn't guess work, or how a friend of a neighbor's sister did it. It's how I've personally recolored seats. I did my first set of leather seats decades ago and it does not peel or rub off. I literally can rub the seats down with lacquer thinner weeks later and the color does not come off on the towel. - For those wondering, lacquer thinner is a great way to remove old leather conditioner before using a new, different brand of leather conditioner.

I hope that helps.

Fatz

MarcusF, thanks for the link.. very interesting. I think I will keep this info handy as my secret weapon in my ongoing battle with my lovely wife and her SUV's interior.

dblteez

MarcusF, Thank you so much for the info!
Tide is a laundry detergent that is phosphate free and PH neutral. Here's the link to the video I may not have worded my original question properly, but all the replies I've received are a huge help. I'm puzzled as to why, when I look at Mercedes color charts from dye companies and even the Mercedes web pages, there are dozens of specific MB coded colors but never 805A Beige or even any similar color. I also hit a dead end searching for 2006 CLK350 INTERIOR COLORS. Ash, black, stone, gray, etc....Could it be that 805A Beige was a custom option? I am not trying to be picky and I am not seeking a perfect color match. I'd just like to know why I keep coming up empty handed when I search for my cars interior color.

Kebowers47

The official Build Sheet will list everything that was built on/in the car when it left the factory. MBUSA customer service can help you out.