LR3 Interior Care

[alryky30]

I have read that the leather comes from a company by the name of Connolly... is this true?
And what have you savy LR owners used to care for your leather that really works?

 

[racehorse]

I have read that the leather comes from a company by the name of Connolly... is this true?
And what have you savy LR owners used to care for your leather that really works?

I use a slightly damp rag to clean off the dust from off roading, then use Lexol cleaner on the leather to clean it up, then use Lexol conditioner afteward.

For the dash and plastic/vinyl pieces -- door panels for example, I use Lexol vinylx. This takes a little practice to avoid blotches, but it pays off. You can make your dash and panels look new again and without shine typically seen from armor all stuff.

Also, make sure to use sun visor/window covers as often as possible or your dash in time will crack and your plastic will fade.

 

[alryky30]

Thanks, I have only had one car with leather and I didn't really do much too it. VW leather is kind of cheap compared to the LR.

 

[racehorse]

You'll want to clean and condition the leather at least twice a year. It really makes a difference.

My close friend has a very sweet 04 BMW, in which she did not take care of the then-very nice leather and it hardened and cracked and blackened.

The conditioning will keep it from hardening and literally scraping off; Lexol also provides uv protection. Your sunscreen will keep your leather from baking and curing too in hot weather.

And, if you want to get granular in detail, watch the blue jeans -- especially on long road trips. The denim is very tough and all the rubbing and scrubbing will deteriorate leather over time. Denim on a long hot trip can also bleed the blue onto lighter leather.

I don't use armor all on any of the rubber or plastic or dash (tell your car wash guys never to condition your dash) It's greasy and leaves shine that just helps your dash bake even more in the sun. I just use vinylx, which has UV protec.

 

[cdodkin]

You should use Connolly hide food to keep your leather supple - it's specifically designed to keep your leather like new.

Available from Amazon.com, or from Horse saddle retailers.

http://www.amazon.com/Connolly-Leather-Limited-Hide-Care/dp/B0002LJQKW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1237522796&sr=8-1

Eight quid gets you a jar of cream (not unlike a fancy face cream for SWMBO)

You might also want to consider the Connolly leather cleaner if your seats are well used, this cleans out all of the crud from the grain, before you move-on to the mositurising effects of the hide cream. Critical for long leather life.

 

[cdodkin]

The first problem you'll face, is that the cream tends to separate in the jar, leaving you something that looks like clotted cream that's gone off!

No problem - loosen the lid a little, and pop in the microwave for 30 secs on high - re-tighten the lid, and shake well.

You'll end up with a warm liquid that looks like a nice alfredo sauce or brandy sauce - creamy and smooth, and ready to apply.

Next - put your Land Rover in full sun - and close all the doors and windows - we want the seats to get warm/hot as this aids the absorption of the cream.

Take a soft cloth, and apply the warm hide cream evenly all over the leather parts of the seats - it'll look like cr@p as it goes on, but don't worry!

If you get any on the plastic, or seat belts, or carpet, just wipe off with a soft cloth, no problems.

DON'T APPLY TO THE SUEDE-LIKE LEATHER - IT WILL PROBABLY STAIN!

When you have a good even coat over the seats - close the door and walk away for an hour - letting the sun do it's thing.

Have a beer, relax

 

[cdodkin]

Go back to the LR after an hour in the sun, and you'll see the cream had really soaked in like this:

Take a new clean soft cloth, and buff the remaining cream until you have a nice, even, natural leather finish on the seats. Keep turning over the cloth so you get a new fresh side to buff with.

Re-seal the car, then go back with the cloth after another hour, just in case any more 'melted' cream is sitting on the leather surface. Don't worry about the cream in the seat perforations - it will vanish by itself overnight.

If you find the temperature drops on you, and you have hide cream going cold on the seats - get SWMBO's hair drier - set to medium, and gently warm the leather/cream before buffing - works the same as natural sunlight - just don't over-heat your leather by leaving it on one spot!

End result - your leather has been fed with lots of lanolin, and is now more supple, better protected, and likely to last a lot longer without splitting or cracking.

Repeat every 6 months or so to keep everything in great shape.

 

[alryky30]

Wow!!!

That is the best illustration I have ever seen. Please tell me you did not go and do this just to show me how it is done. Even Uncle Sam's paint by the numbers for us sailors isn't that detailed. Thank you!!!!

 

[cdodkin]

I did it a while ago for the folks on disco3.co.uk

Glad it came in useful to answer your question

 

[Trynian]

You should use Connolly hide food to keep your leather supple - it's specifically designed to keep your leather like new.

Very well done, thanks for the tutorial.