Would like suggestions on an inexpensive home-fix for my drivers seat that has suffered from hot dry conditions. I can't afford a new seat and really don't want one shiny seat anyway, and don't want a used one that might become just like this at any time.

It's a 2001 CL, but I think this is a generic upholstery fix question, so hope this is an ok place to post.

I don't care about making it look like new, just so it won't rip more. I've been putting this off for a year and its getting worse...

Was thinking I could position a large leather patch under the rip then glue the ripped edges to it, trying to flatten them as much as possible. If you think this would work, what kind of glue should I use - barge cement? Or I saw a UV light "super glue" advertised on TV... Trouble is the leather pealing up has foam attached to it - not a clean leather surface, so that will be a problem for sure.

The alternative is black duct tape - yuk. The SoCal sun and heat will make a mess of that in months.

 

what I would do is cut off the leather that pealing, and go buy some black leather fabric at your local fabric store get some good glue and make it looks nice as possible. like you said, you don't want it look new but I will look better then the big hole you have in your seat. good luck!

 

Thanks for your reply Matt.

One point in my consideration is that the rip is on the front of the seat and stops at the corner seam and isn't that noticeable standing outside the car. So thats why I thought I'd like to put a patch inside the leather if that might be do-able, rather than wrapping around the seam, over top of the leather, which might be necessary to make a strong enough hold. That would be more noticeable getting in the car.

 

You can get some gorilla tape. Its black and sticks like crazy. The seat cushion of my 06 TL wore thru. I'm 6'5" and 235 lbs, so I guess my turning to get out of the car took its toll. I went to one upholstery shop and they wanted $400 to fix a 4" x 12" panel, I thought that was a bit excessive. So I used the tape, it's held up very well over the winter, much better than normal duct tape and it's black.

 

That front facing section that's ripped is vinyl fwiw, not leather.
Take it to an automotive upholstery place for their advice?

 

Thanks for replies. Want to avoid anything with adhesive/glue as the SoCal temp. inside the car is over 100 degrees months at a time and that almost certainly will turn into a mess. A shop quoted me hundreds over the phone - basically a "we don't want the job" price.

 

Loctite fabric vinyl glue.

 

cheap car, just duct tape and call it a day!

 

Yes, that's also what I used when sticking the leather back after restuffing my center armrest. Pretty good stuff that dries clear and doesn't stink afterward, like some chinese no-name glue might, so you could stick on a black leather patch that covered the tear.
But first you should figure out if the tear is from repetitive stress of getting in or out, or if the tear happened as a one-off accident (which it appears like to me), as that difference would affect how to place the patch, if you know what I mean?

 

I went to look at my seat, and it's just starting to do the same thing!

 

Schrodinger's seat... Should have looked at it

 

Until now I've been focused on the steering wheel leather wearing down.

Any pressure on that corner of the seat causes that vertical seam to flex and buckle right at its centerpoint, and while the leather side develops creases where it flexes, the vinyl eventually starts to crack. Mine has just two 1/4 inch cracks, so not really noticeable until you poke at it.

If I were 15 again with the eyesight and industriousness of my 15 year old self, I'd figure out how to sew in a replacement piece from leather for the cracking front vinyl panel.