I was looking for reviews before I ordered from Topsonline and couldn't find anything solid. I went ahead and ordered anyway and installed them this past weekend. Figured I'd post some pics so others who might wonder actually have some examples. Here you go... before and after.

Everything was just worn and tired. Finally got a rip in the bottom, prompting me to just pull the trigger on some new ones.

This was a local "leather repair" guy - he warned that the color would rub out quickly, but at least the hole was fixed. Again - just really couldn't deal with it anymore.

This is how the new set comes.

Close up, just to get an idea of fit/finish

Another close up - everything was original, even when I lined up the AMG tag, the perforations were placed exactly the same distance from the seams as the originals.

Finished product. I was told to let the sun and driving smooth them out - don't use a heat gun. I'm patient. They seem to be settling in quickly.

 

Wow! looks fantastic!! Thanks for posting that.

 

Awesome post! I didn't know this was available, great work.

 

Those look really nice! I just looked at their website and the prices are not unreasonable. Was the AMG emblem included, or did you somehow re-use yours? Do these come with heating elements attached?

thanks for posting the info,
Chris

 

Great post (with detailed photos) and thanks for finding this site and sharing it with us. These guys won't be needed for my SL600 (I hope), but I have a couple of other cars that will be upgraded with the TopsOnline products; they have a very informative website. Your installation really looks nice!

 

Chris - The emblems did not come with the new seats. I wasn't sure when I ordered and would have purchased new ones if I'd known they didn't. The emblems are easy enough to take off and put on the new ones, but know that the upper portion of the seat has 2 layers and the emblem goes through both with a backing plate. It's just like an old-school file folder with two holes on top where you fold the tabs over. As the pictures stated - the perforations were in the exact same place as the original (in reference to the seams), so I simply counted the numbers up from that bottom seam and pushed them in.

As for the heating elements - If you want to keep them, you have to mail your old covers in so they can transfer them into the new ones. I considered this, but I think I used the heaters once in the past 5 years. I simply don't drive my SL in the winter and Northern California is never that cold anyway. On the coldest days, I'm usually in my truck or my E class. That being said, I decided to take a look at how they're integrated and there's no viable way to do them yourself. They really are thin wires that are somehow embedded in the felt backing before it's attached to the leather.

If your seat is worn, I'd order a new pad. I don't have venting on mine, so it was about $35 and 2 weeks from the local dealership. I only did the driver side as the passenger didn't have much wear (my wife doesn't like convertibles).

This was a 2 day process, simply because I really took my time to ensure I didn't bugger it up. I did the first one starting around 1pm and quit right about the time the bourbon was giving me the courage to jump into the second one. The next day I did the passenger side. I'd say each side took about 3-4 hours. Start with the headrest, as that took the most patience. (Double folding into itself)

The main tools I used were needle nose pliers and a door panel tool from harbor freight. Besides the headrest, the only other PIA was the 3 metal rods in each seat back. They hold the rounded contour in place by utilizing little hooks that are buried into the middle pad. I creased the seat back over my knee, used the pry tool to open the hook and the pliers to push down on the rod to release it. There's about 4 connections on each side and 3 on the top. I attached the new ones with the same process.

Also, check the bottom springs. Mine were arched inward so I just pulled them and straightened them out. Made a huge difference. Use this as an opportunity to clean the seat belts. I used a 5 gallon bucket with some warm water / a bit of Clorox 2, a 2x4 across the top of the bucket and a small fingernail brush. After, I simply refreshed the 5 gal bucket with clean water and rinsed. Used a towel to dry, but left a potato chip bag clip at the top to keep the belt pulled out so it could fully dry (and to make it workable whilst cleaning it).

The only other thing I can think of is to check the back plate alignment before you cut holes in the back tabs. You might need to work/stretch the top corners a bit to ensure they lay under the panel. Then, just pull the fabric in the rear and use a razor to slice where needed to attach them to the seat frame.

If there's any other questions, please feel free to PM me. I try to jump on here as much as possible.

Hope this helps!

PS - The local "recommended" upholstery shop quoted me $300 per seat to install.

 

Thanks for the very useful, detailed write-up!

As it happens, my originals are still in (surprisingly) good condition, however, I was curious about the pricing and seat heaters because EVERY (used) AMG I have bought (4) has had 1 or more bad seat heaters and subsequently, the seller has checked feasibility of replacing them (only to discover that you need to replace the whole cover - Mercedes expecting something like TWICE what you paid for them). And, in some cases, I have used the cost of the repair as a negotiation tool. The cost (as many know) is quite high because AMG seats (at least on every AMG that I have bought) have the heater sewn into the cover (as you found out in your seat adventure). In my case, I have found that aftermarket seat heater elements are MUCH more durable (by virtue of having MANY circuits in parallel) and FAR less expensive then replacing the seat covers (AND, in many cases they can be slipped with only partially removing the seat cover). Over the years, I have replaced 8 seat heaters in my AMGs (and have not had a problem with them after that). All you need do is splice them in (no polarity).The only downside is that they put out 30-50% less heat. Here is a link to some that I have used. https://www.ebay.com/itm/14386515312...Cclp%3A2047675

Not trying to hijack this great thread you started in any way, But I thought it worth mentioning for anyone who might want to get this good deal you found on fantastic looking replacement covers WHILE having another option for seat heating elements (paying to have the failure-prone original elements transferred from the old to new covers seems might not be the best way to go here).


Cheers!
Chris

 

I don't consider it a hijack at all. I appreciate having knowledge in one location for others. In a perfect world, there'd be a sticky thread with sub-tabs on all the separate components and accumulated info that everyone has to offer. Most of my DIY projects end up being brains plus science because I don't have patience to go through a hundred forums searching for each individual piece of the puzzle. Now that I'm very confident to tear these seats apart, I may go back and put in a heating element. Because really, Mercedes isn't always about "I need" as much has having the option. Plus, it really is a pet peeve to have buttons that don't do anything.
Thanks for the info!

 

Can you lift the seat bottom out without having to remove the whole seat I read somewhere we could but then I think it was on a slightly older 129 model I have the r230?

QUOTE=Prana25;8339645]I was looking for reviews before I ordered from Topsonline and couldn't find anything solid. I went ahead and ordered anyway and installed them this past weekend. Figured I'd post some pics so others who might wonder actually have some examples. Here you go... before and after.

Everything was just worn and tired. Finally got a rip in the bottom, prompting me to just pull the trigger on some new ones.

This was a local "leather repair" guy - he warned that the color would rub out quickly, but at least the hole was fixed. Again - just really couldn't deal with it anymore.

This is how the new set comes.

Close up, just to get an idea of fit/finish

Another close up - everything was original, even when I lined up the AMG tag, the perforations were placed exactly the same distance from the seams as the originals.

Finished product. I was told to let the sun and driving smooth them out - don't use a heat gun. I'm patient. They seem to be settling in quickly.[/QUOTE]

 

I didn’t see in your post where them from or the cost ?

 

Topsonline= https://www.topsonline.com/

 

Wow awesome post and write up! Great job.

 

Thanks for the input & it came at the perfect time, as I'm interested in having the driver's side replaced in my 06' 55. Great write up & the details you mentioned are invaluable. Thanks again!

 

Great job my friend..! I actually did the same on a Chevy truck I purchased with the driver's seat torn up. The upholstery shop quoted me $300 for replacing a couple of panels on the original seat which I thought was too much for too little. I started researching and found manufacturer's for OEM replacements for seat covers for a reasonable price much lower than $300. Found one in Amazon that looked great for $90 and when received I was pretty happy with the quality and fit. All it takes as you pointed out is some pliers and flat screwdrivers to get this done! I am planning to replace my drivers seat on my SL500 too as time permits!

 

Seeing your before-and-after pics and hearing about the fit/finish is exactly what I needed. Sounds like the quality is legit, especially with how closely the perforations and seams match the originals. Appreciate the tip about letting the sun/seat time smooth things out too.