2zero

I have a 2013 C2 with the a/c, heated seat option and the inside of the perforated seat holes are getting dirty and nothing seems to get them clean.

I brought the car to the dealer yesterday for some other issues and showed them the seats and they said it's happening on grey and black interiors, but they don't have a solution.
Seems like Porsche NA says it was caused because the perforations were done after the tanning of the hides so the inside the holes are a different color than the outside.

It sure makes my interior look terrible!!

Anyone else having this issue and have a solution??

STG

Make sure to NEVER EVER eat in the car!

Using a good vacuum helps. You might need a pin to help get some of the crumbs/dirt out of the holes.

http://www.autogeek.net/vacnbloporva.html

lunarx

Steam cleaning may work.
There are YouTube videos of a detailer using that method to restore leather seats.

2zero

I have never eaten or drank anything but water in my car!!
Also It is a convertible so I do get dust and grime from the top being down!!

I have tried vacuum!!

The dealer used whatever they use to make it better but doesn't even look like they did anything!!

Maybe steam cleaning is something I want to try.
I never really thought of steam cleaning leather seats!!

STG

I'd hesitate on steam cleaning. If it's only the holes that have dirt in them, what will that do? Cement that stuff in there forever. I'd get some good advice before jumping into anything. I wouldn't want to steam the real & faux leather. A simple wipe with a leather cleaner or wet towel does the job.

Being a cab, I get the issue with unwanted stuff getting in the car. One of the reasons I don't like them

One of those things you'll have to live with probably.

cwazyeurodrivr

I had this problem on my Range Rover ( I also had black leather on that one). I called a leather repair guy locally that was a mobile service. He came out to the house and literally said " no problem , give me 90 minutes or so". I cleaned the garage while he worked on my truck. He used light steam and small cleaning tools then re-dyed just the holes ,then put some German leather sealant on the front seats after, Never had a problem after that.

STG

Definitely a good idea to contact a leather guy. Seems like he did the trick for your Rover. Nice!

2zero

cwazyeurodrivr thanks for the idea!!

cwazyeurodrivr

welcome everyone!

Mine is called " leather medic " hopefully you can find one locally to help you out.

NoGaBiker

Might also try blasting them with 120psi compressed air -- much stronger than the vacuum. Use a rubber tipped airgun or even an inflator tip (like for a beach ball) to concentrate it. You might be able to blow it loose, then vacuum the loose shards back up through the holes. My last two Porsches have had perforated (but not ventilated) seats, and both got the occasional "plugged hole" where some sort of crap had formed in there. No more than one or two holes, but it was the first thing my eye would see when I scanned the seat. The compressed air worked for me every time.

You do have a compressor, right?

cwazyeurodrivr

There are fans under the seats pulling air into the seats. They should probably be cleaned somehow. I know on a friends BMW X5 they have a water cooled system going into the seats they have air filters before the fan intakes to bow air into the seats. The Porsche and RR systems pulls air from the cabin into the seats and out the bottom so that the HVAC system can recirculate the air from the foot wells.

hoppah

The main thing to remember about using compressed air to clean things is that it can push dirt into places the designers and engineers never expected dirt to get. Maybe not a problem with your car seats, but with all those fans and motors in there, you never know.

In the detail business we used extractors to get the funk out of carpets and seats. Back when I did detailing we didn't run into a lot of perforated leather, but extractors combine a solvent spray with a powerful vacuum - the spray is just in front of the vacuum head. It's pretty much the way professionals clean carpets. Some folks might call it "steam cleaning", but it rarely uses steam. It might be the safest way to "deep clean" those pores.

If you find a source of actual steam, I'd take care using it on leather. The heat from real steam can have all sorts of negative effects.

H.

drcollie

Gentlemen - I'm in the leather upholstery business and am highly versed in leather maintenance. I would strongly recommend that you do not use a steam cleaner - that might just be the worst thing you can do, heat and water is not something i have ever seen used in the trade as a maintenance procedure.

Perforated leather is simply a leather that has been run though a die machine to punch small holes in it, Because the leather in our cars is a finished, or pigmented leather, the holes will not show the color of the top of the hide.

Use an approved leather cleaner/softener/protectant and you'll be in business. Currently the best product is a 3-step process from Leather Solutions out of Asheville NC. The kits are not cheap ( $50 + shipping) but they have the right ingredients to keep your leather looking good. And they should be applied with use of a hair dryer and require 2 hours set time for the softener before the protectant coat goes on. That's what we use on top-of-the-line leather upholstery and what I use in my Porsche and Audi.

shaytun

What's your view on alcantara? Durability? Maintenance? Possible repair if damaged?

drcollie

I had alcantara in my prior Porsche (2008), well aware of the stories that it showed wear quickly, I was very careful with it and kept it clean. It still wore and pilled. Its not a woven material, its a chemical material and as such as no warp and weft to it. Like most man-made materials, they tend to pill with friction use over time. It feels great to use, but leather will outlast it quite a bit. No repairs to it other than a re-cover of the piece.