Bring back the leather?
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 516
Likes: 26
From: California
2018 C300
Bring back the leather?
I always try to keep my car's leather clean and conditioned. So, I was quite surprised and disappointed when I went to clean mine and started with the steering wheel and shift knob, and immediately made it look worse. It seems that the lexol is taking the color off with it, making me think it was recolored at some point. Is this something else anyone has dealt with? I want to get it back to a factory feel, but I can already tell if I clean it all up, it'll look horrific. Even with the light bit I did, it's already having a grainy dark color starting to show through from whatever is still covering it. I have no idea how it got this way with only 54,000 on the clock.
Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 111
Likes: 14
From: NH/Boston
2004 S600 Biturbo
With only 54k, it hould look new, but what you are describing definitely sounds like the coating has worn off and you are seeing the bare leather underneath.
I've had decent luck with SEM products for re-coating the wheel. It is a spray on coating designed for exactly this. You really need to give it some time to cure before using it again so this might be hard if the car is a daily driver. You could let it sit for a day and then for the next week just be very careful with it. Steer using the wood parts of the wheel and not the leather while it cures.
I've had decent luck with SEM products for re-coating the wheel. It is a spray on coating designed for exactly this. You really need to give it some time to cure before using it again so this might be hard if the car is a daily driver. You could let it sit for a day and then for the next week just be very careful with it. Steer using the wood parts of the wheel and not the leather while it cures.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,475
Likes: 439
From: Ball Ground, GA (N of Atlanta)
2003 S500 2007 GL450
Factory leather should not do that. It certainly sounds as if the interior color has been changed, and with a poor product.
I know of no way to fix the wheel and knob other than recoating. If an available SEM spray-can color will match the seats, that will be the easiest way. I would use lacquer thinner or a similar solvent to remove the present coating, and then apply the SEM coating per their instructions.
Perhaps using a conditioner that doesn't attack the present coating would be the best approach to treating the seat leather.
Nivea cream is the best product that I have found. There are numerous very favorable reports on this and other Mercedes forums, as well as Porsche forums on the Nivea. It is important that you ensure that you get the original German product. The Nivea cream on the US market is not normally made in Germany, and the formulation is different. The German formulation appears to be much better for leather. It is usually available on Amazon.
I know of no way to fix the wheel and knob other than recoating. If an available SEM spray-can color will match the seats, that will be the easiest way. I would use lacquer thinner or a similar solvent to remove the present coating, and then apply the SEM coating per their instructions.
Perhaps using a conditioner that doesn't attack the present coating would be the best approach to treating the seat leather.
Nivea cream is the best product that I have found. There are numerous very favorable reports on this and other Mercedes forums, as well as Porsche forums on the Nivea. It is important that you ensure that you get the original German product. The Nivea cream on the US market is not normally made in Germany, and the formulation is different. The German formulation appears to be much better for leather. It is usually available on Amazon.
