Leather in E34's and its Care

[Victor]

Threads discussing leather products rarely mention the type of leather we're dealing with. After some research, I've found auto leathers, broadly speaking, will fall into one of two categories: "protected" and "unprotected." The care of each is different. But which do we have and then what products are appropriate?

Of course if your seats that require sanding and complete resurfacing, the issue may be moot, but if your seats are in pretty good shape the distinction seems critical. The E34's seem to have been "protected" at the factory -- at least so on my '95. I've come to this belief from two facts, but first a definition:

Protected leathers are those which have been treated to withstand the elements, essentially waterproofing them with polyurethane. Protected leathers are first pigmented for color consistency and then top coated with poly. One can only surface clean, and leather conditioning products intended to penetrate untreated leather will just sit on the surface.

Conversely, unprotected leathers are susceptible to penetration, allowing and requiring leather conditioning. They were used a long time ago in autos, but (perhaps with rare exception) are essentially gone from the marketplace and have been for some time. (How long, I don't know). (Reference: http://detailingwiki.com/index.php5?...e_Leather_Care).

One reason for my belief that our leather is protected is the water droplet test. Water will soak into unprotected leather, temporarily staining it, but not protected leather. I've tested mine and even after 5 minutes the water just wipes away with no apparent penetration. This is totally bazaar to me because I've used Lexol on them over and over, and it seems to seep in. (Lexol is water based and I'm in contact with Lexol on this). There are also threads on using Neatsfoot oil, but oils are larger molecules than water, so should have an even harder time penetrating. This may account for the 3-4 day time span required after using it. (Neatsfoot oil and similar are not recommended in the above link).

The second reason for my belief is that careful reading of my owner's manual suggests nothing about penetrating products -- just cleaning of the surface.

Is it possible the leather is protected, but due to its age has achieved a degree of permeability? Does it remain "protected" from snow and rain nonetheless, or do we need to apply a protectant to make it through a snowy season? Once we know the answers, I hope product choices will become more certain.

[Rick L]

Not sure if it is protected or unprotected but I've been using Zymol for almost 10 years. My leather is still soft and looks good.

[genphreak]

This is true and is a valuable thread as few posts online discussing restorers/protectors mention painted leathers.

It depends largely on the type. My '88 and '95's black leather definately do soak up Leatherique but not as much as the e28 with blue cow-hide. I thought both are pigmented leathers, that do soak up water unless they have something on them- typical of 2nd hand cars is silicone (the car dealer detailer's best friend) and oils/protector products that are still relatively fresh. But I could be wrong, perhaps the black would fail the soak test. I had to bag and heat-soak them for days)

Light grey leather does not soak however. I suspect this colour has an undercoat and painted surface (rather than dye) as the end result is a lighter (rather than darker colour). Leatherique on these doesn't penetrate.

[Victor]

Rick L - Impressive! Looks like new! Zymol "Treat" seems to be their only leather conditioner. 8.5 oz for $31. Wow. Multiples of Lexol, which is highly regarded. Have you compared Lexol?

Genphreak - I guess we may as well call pigmented and protected leathers "painted" as that's essentially what's going on... Base coat / clear coat, to be precise. But for some reason we're all able to get products to soak in. So whatever BMW used is seems to be semi-permeable. I doubt, however, that it would be dependent on the color, as they probably selected a treatment they thought was appropriate and stuck with it.

UPDATE - I received a reply from Lexol suggesting that the multiple heavy coats of Lexol conditioner I applied to my seats (which seemed to soak in just fine) probably sealed the pores and now causes water to bead. Lexol is not a water proofing product, as it's intended to allow the pores to remain open with proper (light) application. Although the seats seem at least semi-permeable, mine now bead because I've sealed the pores. Well, I guess I'm set for winter, which was my goal in the first place!

[BMW4LIFE]

There are two brands I would ever use on leather...

Lexol

or

Zymol

Both great products, just pick your poison!


p.s.

Make sure you do a nice cleaning with a detergent on instead of spraying conditioner on it over and over again!

[Mr._Graybeard]

While bringing back a stiffened Pergament seat cover I salvaged from a wrecked car, I found the conditioner (Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil) tended to pool in spots that likely received the least amount of wear in prior use. So I also imagine the seats originally had a sealed surface. A couple of seasons in a junk vehicle seemed to defeat it, though.

I worked on the leather for about a week, reapplying the conditioner in areas where it did soak in. From there, the oil seemed to spread through the hide. Leatherique oil is good stuff, by far the best product they make.

I've also used Leatherique successfully on the rear backrest of my '87 cabrio, which had become cardboard-stiff from UV exposure. That car has a cardinal interior, and the oil seems to soak in much more quickly than in the E34.

It may be that the sealant effect was a late-'80s & '90s development, and the seats from earlier in the '80s used a different kind of dye. The leather in the earlier cars (IME) also feels a little different -- more substantial.

[Rick L]

Rick L - Impressive! Looks like new! Zymol "Treat" seems to be their only leather conditioner. 8.5 oz for $31. Wow. Multiples of Lexol, which is highly regarded. Have you compared Lexol?

Thanks. No, I haven’t used any other leather treatment since Zymol has worked so well on my cars for many years. Yes, it is pricey though.

[Victor]

Update on Progress - After several correspondences with a helpful Lexol rep, I can now share the following:

1. The seats were surely "protected" at the factory, but water beads on mine due to several recent heavy applications of Lexol.

2. The original protection has essentially vanished, as the leather is clearly permeable, which it wouldn't be if the poly was intact.

3. Since water droplets now bead, I've essentially achieved the weather proofing effect I seek for winter. (As did the original factory protection).

4. Heavy coats of Lexol are not recommended, as they clog the pores of the leather. I've switched to multiple light coats.

5. Lexol's leather cleaner removed some unseen dirt and grime. It's worth a test to see if it's removing dirt before using Lexol (or any) conditioner.

(No, I'm not affiliated with the company ... Just seeking nourishment of some neglected leather).

6. Leaving the car in the sun for even a few hours with the windows up, if persistent for several weeks, creates enough heat to drive conditioners out of the leather. Fortunately, Lexol is easy to apply and you can sit on the seats almost right away after application.

Hope this helps everybody!

[Russell]

Some one on one of the 34 boards told me that very light sanding with 400 or higher grit sandpaper will break the coating down enough to absorb conditioner without changing the color.

It worked well enough on my parchment interior to soften the rear seat back a bit. I used Griot's Leather Rejuvenator. Leatherique and Zanio are excellent as well. Hopefully this technique will reduce leather shrinkage that causes seams to pull apart.