Which surfaces are leather?

etm001 · 07-23-2011, 12:53 PM

Hello,

I posted recently about my first interior detailing experience. In the course of cleaning, I realized that I wasn't sure which surfaces where actually leather.

I've attached two pictures to this post. Each contains numbers that identify different areas of the interior, listed below. A 'Yes' indicates surfaces that I know are leather; a 'No' indicates non-leather; and '?' where I am unsure:

Front/rear upper door trim: ?
Front/rear mid-door trim: Yes
Front/rear door arm rest: Yes
Front/rear door pull: No
Front/rear lower door trim: ?
Front/rear seats: Yes
Center arm rest, top: Yes
Shift lever boot/jacket: Yes
Trim strip: ?
Emergency break handle and boot/jacket: Yes
Lower dashboard: No
Upper dashboard: No
Steering wheel: Yes

Not pictured:

14. Center rear passenger arm rest: Yes

Thoughts?

woodpecka · 07-23-2011, 02:20 PM

seriously? Touch it and you will see that all your "?" are plastic based.

etm001 · 07-23-2011, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woodpecka

seriously? Touch it and you will see that all your "?" are plastic based.

Yes, seriously, else I wouldn't have posted. But thank you for clarifying that the 3 areas I was unsure of are, in fact, not leather.

woodpecka · 07-23-2011, 02:51 PM

I'm just surprised because there is a huge difference between the 2 finish.

BTW, 303 Aero will do a great job on the plastic parts!

kiwi29 · 07-23-2011, 04:54 PM

I have some weird feeling leather seats i'm not too sure if it's real leather, it doesn't smell close to it and it has like a snake scale look sorta is there any real sure fire way to see what is leather?

etm001 · 07-23-2011, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiwi29

I have some weird feeling leather seats i'm not too sure if it's real leather, it doesn't smell close to it and it has like a snake scale look sorta is there any real sure fire way to see what is leather?

One easy way to tell: if you have the Premium package, then you have leather.

kiwi29 · 07-23-2011, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by etm001

One easy way to tell: if you have the Premium package, then you have leather.

I'm not too sure where the M Tech would stand on that? I don't have the indash though

and on hot days I'm not sliding around and I don't smell of crayons?

TiAg335i · 07-23-2011, 08:44 PM

only things that are leather in the car are the seats and insides of the door panels (2,3,4) and the steering wheel, center console, shifter (10). the rest is vinyl and plastic.

TOGWT · 07-24-2011, 04:54 AM

Unless a Premium Leather option was purchased the type of leather upholstery used by 95% of OEM is a multi stratum covering over the leather hide; pigmentation (colour) and an abrasion resistant urethane. Finished leather s only requirement is to be kept clean and protected, urethane doesn’t require conditioning or rejuvenation

etm001 · 07-24-2011, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TiAg335i

only things that are leather in the car are the seats and insides of the door panels (2,3,4) and the steering wheel, center console, shifter (10). the rest is vinyl and plastic.

Are you sure the door pull (#4) is leather? I cleaned them on several doors without thinking about it, but on closer look I believed them to be plastic/vinyl.

Also, to be clear, I thought the shifter boot/jacket (#8) was leather? From the wording of your post, are you confirming that the lower door trim (#5) is not leather (you mentioned "insides of the door panels" but omitted #5).

woodpecka · 07-24-2011, 08:33 PM

#4 is plastic on the majority of e90 e91 cars. Maybe the M3 is leather..

TiAg335i · 07-24-2011, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by etm001

Are you sure the door pull (#4) is leather? I cleaned them on several doors without thinking about it, but on closer look I believed them to be plastic/vinyl.

Also, to be clear, I thought the shifter boot/jacket (#8) was leather? From the wording of your post, are you confirming that the lower door trim (#5) is not leather (you mentioned "insides of the door panels" but omitted #5).

4 seems to be leather on my car, 8 is leather, 5 is not leather, its vinyl. by insides i meant 2 and 3. it's easy to tell the difference, leather will give and have more texture, vinyl is harder and smoother. it doesn't matter which is leather and which is not anyway, you can treat them the same way - i.e., whatever you use on the leather can be used on the vinyl.

JL330i_UT · 07-25-2011, 12:42 AM

Heres how to tell if you have leather or leatherette:
Position 2 (as per your diagram) will have a seam running through the middle if its leather. If its leatherette there will be no seam.

07-23-2011, 12:53 PM	#1
etm001 Enlisted Member 8 Rep 38 Posts Drives: TBD Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Which surfaces are leather? Hello, I posted recently about my first interior detailing experience. In the course of cleaning, I realized that I wasn't sure which surfaces where actually leather. I've attached two pictures to this post. Each contains numbers that identify different areas of the interior, listed below. A 'Yes' indicates surfaces that I know are leather; a 'No' indicates non-leather; and '?' where I am unsure: Front/rear upper door trim: ? Front/rear mid-door trim: Yes Front/rear door arm rest: Yes Front/rear door pull: No Front/rear lower door trim: ? Front/rear seats: Yes Center arm rest, top: Yes Shift lever boot/jacket: Yes Trim strip: ? Emergency break handle and boot/jacket: Yes Lower dashboard: No Upper dashboard: No Steering wheel: Yes Not pictured: 14. Center rear passenger arm rest: Yes Thoughts? Attached Images
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07-23-2011, 02:20 PM	#2
woodpecka Major 68 Rep 1,026 Posts Drives: E91 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Montreal iTrader: (2)	seriously? Touch it and you will see that all your "?" are plastic based.
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07-23-2011, 08:44 PM	#8
TiAg335i Trance Life 315 Rep 4,706 Posts Drives: 2007 E92 335i Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Long Island, NY iTrader: (4)	only things that are leather in the car are the seats and insides of the door panels (2,3,4) and the steering wheel, center console, shifter (10). the rest is vinyl and plastic. __________________ Vanguard V2 Exhaust//Vishnu DCI//ACM Angel Eyes
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07-24-2011, 04:54 AM	#9
TOGWT Captain 11 Rep 770 Posts Drives: 630i Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL / London, UK iTrader: (0)	Unless a Premium Leather option was purchased the type of leather upholstery used by 95% of OEM is a multi stratum covering over the leather hide; pigmentation (colour) and an abrasion resistant urethane. Finished leather s only requirement is to be kept clean and protected, urethane doesn’t require conditioning or rejuvenation
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07-24-2011, 08:33 PM	#11
woodpecka Major 68 Rep 1,026 Posts Drives: E91 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Montreal iTrader: (2)	#4 is plastic on the majority of e90 e91 cars. Maybe the M3 is leather..
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07-23-2011, 02:51 PM	#4
woodpecka Major 68 Rep 1,026 Posts Drives: E91 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Montreal iTrader: (2)	I'm just surprised because there is a huge difference between the 2 finish. BTW, 303 Aero will do a great job on the plastic parts!
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07-23-2011, 04:54 PM	#5
kiwi29 Team iTouge 121 Rep 2,101 Posts Drives: 09 M-Tech 328i Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Long Beach, CA iTrader: (9)	I have some weird feeling leather seats i'm not too sure if it's real leather, it doesn't smell close to it and it has like a snake scale look sorta is there any real sure fire way to see what is leather?
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07-25-2011, 12:42 AM	#13
JL330i_UT Lieutenant 33 Rep 462 Posts Drives: G20 330i Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Salt Lake City Utah iTrader: (0)	Heres how to tell if you have leather or leatherette: Position 2 (as per your diagram) will have a seam running through the middle if its leather. If its leatherette there will be no seam.
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