Leather scratched, how to fix?

[aliiin]

So I got my tires changed out today and went to work. After work I went to get gas and found this:



I'm pretty sure the tire tech did this. I'm going to call them tomorrow and see what they say. Any remedy for this? Kinda a huge bummer.

[clutchdj]

You can reduce it. Unfortunately it’s long but you can reduce that scratch. Lots of leather “lotions” and heat. Apply heat gun on low and and rub in product. Rub in vigourously. Repeat till your hands are tired. Too much heat will pull off color so stay on low heat! nexzett products are good.
There are YouTube vids out there of how to reduce it as well. As you use the seat the scratch will fade more over time.

Had a V1 installed in my f85 and the guy DROPPED A RAZOR BLADE on the console near the shifter. Of course that area is leather; it cut a tiny thin piece of leather off. I used the methods above and reduced it. That was months ago. Now I can hardly see anything as is does not catch my eye. I have OCD when it comes to car care.

[aliiin]

You think there's any chance discount tire will do anything about it?

I mean obviously I can't prove they did it, but I mean I never have anything in my pockets and you can tell the scratch is brand new. The only person who has sat in the seat is the tire tech and me.

So frustrating.

[clutchdj]

I don’t know man. They may play the zero liability game & not want to be bothered especially since the issue was not noticed & pointed out before leaving the shop. It’s does not hurt to ask wtf happened. See what they say.

[jdgamble]

You can get some leather dye and mask it pretty well. The dye should adhere to the fibers well.

[aliiin]

Called them this morning, and manager said he submitted a claim and an adjuster will contact me Friday or Monday to take a look at the damage (all through the phone).

I'm slightly worried that as more time passes, the harder it will be for them to do anything about it and he's not just blowing smoke up my ass. Will report back.

[Taco_Bueno]

If they don’t do anything with your claim (I would bet my bottom dollar the deny liability) try using furniture touch up pens. They work very well on leather and with the correct combination it’s pretty easy to match the color of your leather almost perfectly.

[Eric S]

leather repair is needed...lotions and heat wont do anything

find an upholstery repair guy in your area

[solrac6262]

Originally Posted by aliiin

You think there's any chance discount tire will do anything about it?

I mean obviously I can't prove they did it, but I mean I never have anything in my pockets and you can tell the scratch is brand new. The only person who has sat in the seat is the tire tech and me.

So frustrating.

not a chance, I had my Range Rover Sport wheels balanced and had new sensors installed, they damaged all the interior of my wheels, that day I was leaving for a trip and when I came back I was cleaning my brand new 5k wheels and noticed all of them with lots of scratches from the dismounting machine and also from removing some wheel weights, the manager was rude and suggested I did the damage lol .. they finally cover the repairs, like $800 bucks to have them all re painted,but they are a joke .

hope they do something about it, if not, call your local dealer, I use my Porsche Dealer guy, he goes every thursday just for leather repairs, what part of TX are you ?

[aliiin]

So their claims department said I have to get a quote and take pics of the damage. Where should I go to request a quote? The BMW dealership? Or an upholstery/leather restoration shop? They still have to approve the claim, so would it matter where I go? (Does a cheaper quote make it more likely they approve the claim?)

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by aliiin

So their claims department said I have to get a quote and take pics of the damage. Where should I go to request a quote? The BMW dealership? Or an upholstery/leather restoration shop? They still have to approve the claim, so would it matter where I go? (Does a cheaper quote make it more likely they approve the claim?)

I just had my BMW M4 leather scratched too from my Tint shop. Take it to where-ever you like. The BMW Dealership is going to outsource the job anyways -- if timing was convenient then I would just take it to the BMW Dealership and have their interior person fix it. If it's like appointment only system on a day where you can't take off (such as a normal work day), I would just source it to someone who does a good job or ask for that person's contact directly. They're liable for the damages anyways, so they should always approve the claim. Feels like they're saying that as a scare tactic.

[Eric S]

get 3 quotes....they will pay whichever one you feel most comfortable taking the car to.

You do realize this is going to be a simple fix...in the 150 range, give or take...

[aliiin]

Yeah, I got a bunch of quotes. All ranged from 160-225.

I did not realize it was that cheap of a fix, so I was worried initially. In the back of my mind, I thought they might have to possibly replace the seat... lol.

[Taco_Bueno]

How do they fix the scratch that cheap? Is that for recovering the seat? Seems like 160-225 is steep for just simply dying the scratch back to its original color

[pcrispy]

You can easily repair that yourself for $53 and have enough dye left over for any more repairs you might ever have (this would only take a very tiny amount). For an absolute exact color match, use a dye from https://www.colourlock.com/ I ordered from Amazon for an easier ordering process:

https://www.amazon.com/Colourlock-Leather-Repair-Restorer-interiors/dp/B07L2YLSJ2

You can even email them your VIN to guarantee the exact color match just to be safe. In this case, simply dabbing very small amounts of dye on this scratch with thin coats, and dried with a hair dryer or heat gun in between, will make this completely disappear. I have cognac leather which is a light brown that could easily show any color differences, and it is an EXACTLY perfect match. I was blown away. I purchased my 7 series used and wanted to fix a couple spots “good enough”, but I ended up floored by the results. Even I can’t find the spots anymore after fixing them. Total time spent was maybe 15 minutes including drying with a heat gun. I wish I could have ordered a much smaller bottle, but this was what was easiest and a small price for such perfect results. They have videos on their site showing the process. Basically just do some swirls, then dab to match any grain.

[aliiin]

Originally Posted by Taco_Bueno

How do they fix the scratch that cheap? Is that for recovering the seat? Seems like 160-225 is steep for just simply dying the scratch back to its original color

I'm guessing they just redye it? No idea

Originally Posted by pcrispy

You can easily repair that yourself for $53 and have enough dye left over for any more repairs you might ever have (this would only take a very tiny amount). For an absolute exact color match, use a dye from https://www.colourlock.com/ I ordered from Amazon for an easier ordering process:

https://www.amazon.com/Colourlock-Le.../dp/B07L2YLSJ2

You can even email them your VIN to guarantee the exact color match just to be safe. In this case, simply dabbing very small amounts of dye on this scratch with thin coats, and dried with a hair dryer or heat gun in between, will make this completely disappear. I have cognac leather which is a light brown that could easily show any color differences, and it is an EXACTLY perfect match. I was blown away. I purchased my 7 series used and wanted to fix a couple spots “good enough”, but I ended up floored by the results. Even I can’t find the spots anymore after fixing them. Total time spent was maybe 15 minutes including drying with a heat gun. I wish I could have ordered a much smaller bottle, but this was what was easiest and a small price for such perfect results. They have videos on their site showing the process. Basically just do some swirls, then dab to match any grain.

Solid post, thanks! I might try this if they deny the claim.

[pcrispy]

The Colourlock dye is a runny liquid, but it fills in the scratch area too. Takes repeated layers to help fill it in, but it's pretty crazy how well it works with little effort. For full on large tears and cuts, they even have a filler product. I had no idea seats that were completely trashed could be saved. I also bought some for a leather couch in the house (had to guess at a "red-brown" color for that) and it made a massive improvement. On the BMW, using their exact color match, it looks completely brand new. If they just give you the money up front, I would 100% take the money and do it myself and pocket the extra.

[SikhF80]

I have an f80 m3. My black leather seat has a few small scratches on the side from when i picked up some stuff from the hardware store lol. I don’t see the black merino seat Color on there. Is there any recommendation

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by SikhF80

I have an f80 m3. My black leather seat has a few small scratches on the side from when i picked up some stuff from the hardware store lol. I don’t see the black merino seat Color on there. Is there any recommendation

I used this kit on black merino. Bought enough to last me a while since the leather on these things is some of the least durable and high wearing that I’ve ever come across. I would strongly suggest utilizing an airbrush if you can although dabbing will work with a good touch. Color code is 917 and you can choose what shine you want (I went matte and you can’t tell the difference).

https://leatherworldtech.com/leather...ecoloring-kit/

[SikhF80]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

I used this kit on black merino. Bought enough to last me a while since the leather on these things is some of the least durable and high wearing that I've ever come across. I would strongly suggest utilizing an airbrush if you can although dabbing will work with a good touch. Color code is 917 and you can choose what shine you want (I went matte and you can't tell the difference).

https://leatherworldtech.com/leather...ecoloring-kit/

Thanks. For the car seat i should get satin- low gloss?

And it asks for color adjusting kit. What is that

[RugbyBro]

Originally Posted by SikhF80

Thanks. For the car seat i should get satin- low gloss?

And it asks for color adjusting kit. What is that

I went “satin - low gloss” as that’s the OEM equivalent finish. You won’t need the color adjuster for black. Just know that this won’t fill in any scratches or cracks (you’ll need leather filler for that, and they have another kit including that) but it will color over them and make them less noticeable.

[advrider6510]

This happens with me a lot, due to the type of industry I belong. These scratches are inevitable...there is one simple technique for minor scratches like these....
Gentle Buffing!
Light, barely-there scratches buff away easily with a soft cloth dabbed in leather oil or conditioner. Starting from the center of the damaged area, buff the leather in circular motions, working your way out toward the edges. Continue until the scratch disappears.

Hope this might help you in future