How To: Cloth Removal and Leather Install

[Shouldhavegotthegt]

How about just a list of tools/materials needed, and any other key hints/tips/things I need to be careful of/look out for?

I saw this thread for the first time this week and unfortunately the write-up was already gone. I'm starting this tonight so any help would be greatly appreciated. I will try to document as I go along. Thanks!

The only special tool you'll need is a torx bit to remove the seats and and some of the hardware. I'd also pick up panel removal tools. The rear is a bitch without them. It's all clips.

It's pretty straightforward though. Unhook the battery, remove the seats. You'll see clips. Just start unhooking stuff and it will come apart. Be careful around the airbag. Also don't just rip the covers off. They use this slide piece instead of hog rings. So be careful with that.

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[MrTej]

The only special tool you'll need is a torx bit to remove the seats and and some of the hardware. I'd also pick up panel removal tools. The rear is a bitch without them. It's all clips.

It's pretty straightforward though. Unhook the battery, remove the seats. You'll see clips. Just start unhooking stuff and it will come apart. Be careful around the airbag. Also don't just rip the covers off. They use this slide piece instead of hog rings. So be careful with that.

Thanks for the info! I have a panel removal kit, and various torx bits up to size T30. Would you happen to know what size the torx bit is, if it is larger than T30?

 

[raider5oh]

There is a Google extension that will get the picture working again...

Nevermind didn't notice the original post was changed.

 

[ColdShotxx]

Alright everyone, I've got all the photos transferred to a new host yet again. I've got all the original photos back with descriptions. Hopefully Flickr will behave unlike the others! Great to see so much use from it!

 

[MrTej]

Thanks for getting the write-up back online Coldshotxx! Like you said,pretty self-explanatory. I got both rear seats completely done and got the fabric removed from the front passenger seat last night before seeing that the write-up was back online.

The only things I did differently so far were:

1. I did not have to remove the rear seatbacks from the car to swap the fabric for the leather. After removing the rear seat bottom, there was enough clearance all the way around the seatbacks to work on them. Not sure if that is easier than removing them from the car or not, but I did not find it difficult to swap out any of the back section, and spent a little less than 2 hours on it (also taking pictures along the way and making one trip to HD for a selection of torx bits). Having one of the front seats out of the car definitely helped.

2. I had a lot of staples in the rear seat bottom. They appeared to be 1/4" staples, which I had on hand, so I used a staple gun to replace the ones that I could get to.

3. Mine is a '15 V6 and I did have the hog rings in the seatback of the front passenger seat (and most likely the driver seatback, too). I cut them with tin snips and pulled them out. Planning on replacing them with zip ties as others have suggested.

4. I also ripped the foam in couple places on the passenger front seat bottom where the channel holds the fabric down. I used Gorilla Glue to glue the foam/plastic channels back in and let it sit overnight. They seem to be secure this morning; I'll find out later today of the glue holds up.

5. Having a set of panel removal tools definitely helps.

Update: Just finished. The rest of the install went smoothly. The glue held up well on the foam.

 

[randy_tho]

What is the torque spec on the seat to floor studs? They seem to break loose around 35ftlbs.

 

[Mootang]

What is the torque spec on the seat to floor studs? They seem to break loose around 35ftlbs.

Repair manual says to torque it down 35 lb.ft (47 Nm) on all fours.

 

[Luisiv32]

For those of you that installed leather take offs from a premium, how is the leather holding up? I’m thinking of doing the same but I’ve heard that the leather doesn’t hold up very well.

 

[Shouldhavegotthegt]

For those of you that installed leather take offs from a premium, how is the leather holding up? I’m thinking of doing the same but I’ve heard that the leather doesn’t hold up very well.

Been over a year and they are fine. My dog rides in my car a lot too. Zero issues. Anything is better than those cloth seats. I did buy some leather cleaner and conditioner and use it every few months. I park in the garage though.

 

[10SpeedDemon]

My airbag light won’t go off. Everything was done correctly. Any suggestions?

 

[randy_tho]

My airbag light won’t go off. Everything was done correctly. Any suggestions?

Recheck your plugs under seat. Sometimes they don't seat perfectly. Happened to me first time I reinstalled. Just unplug the negative on battery for about 30 min. Then reseat the connections

 

[10SpeedDemon]

Recheck your plugs under seat. Sometimes they don't seat perfectly. Happened to me first time I reinstalled. Just unplug the negative on battery for about 30 min. Then reseat the connections

So unplug the main seat plug and disconnect the battery (negative) for 30 mins. The plug the seat back in and reconnect the battery correct?

 

[randy_tho]

So unplug the main seat plug and disconnect the battery (negative) for 30 mins. The plug the seat back in and reconnect the battery correct?

Did you initially disconnect battery for a while? Most guides say kill power for 30 min before touching the wiring.

1. Unplug neg on battery for 30 min.
2. After waiting 30 min, unplug and plug back in seat connector harness under the seat. Make sure they plug back in good and get properly "seated". (No pun intended)
3. Connect battery back to negative lead.

It think mine immediately went out on first start.

 

[10SpeedDemon]

Did you initially disconnect battery for a while? Most guides say kill power for 30 min before touching the wiring.

1. Unplug neg on battery for 30 min.
2. After waiting 30 min, unplug and plug back in seat connector harness under the seat. Make sure they plug back in good and get properly "seated". (No pun intended)
3. Connect battery back to negative lead.

It think mine immediately went out on first start.

I didn't

 

[randy_tho]

I didn't

I'd try the above and see if it resets. May not hurt to leave battery disconnected longer.

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