White Leather Concerns???

[MAUDZ4]

Originally Posted by richard in NC

I now have a seat belt mark on the lower portion of the side bolster. Most came off with light cleaning but a large mark is still visibible. It does come out but I'm afraid to clean too hard.

Step:1
Firstly remove the black seat belt mark by using a white soft towel,making sure its not soaking wet. Using warm water damp cloth apply little talcum baby powder on cloth then gently rubbing on black mark only. Let the suede dry for at least 15 minutes. You will have to repeat this procedure twice till marking has disappeared. Using the talcum baby powder acts as a safe soft abrasive action when combined with water.

Step:2
I have found a solution to the black seat belt marking. I have placed a small
piece of clear adhesive plastic on the underside of the seat belt at the points
where the belt was rubbing against the suede insert. Scotch guard all exposed suede to protect from water, making cleaning easier & should be repeated once every six months.

Cheers

MAUDZ4

[Memphis1]

very nice!! thanks for the tip MAUDZ4!!

[MAUDZ4]

Step:1
Firstly remove the black seat belt mark by using a white soft towel,making sure its not soaking wet. Using warm water damp cloth apply little talcum baby powder on cloth then gently rubbing on black mark only. Let the suede dry for at least 15 minutes. You will have to repeat this procedure twice till marking has disappeared. Using the talcum baby powder acts as a safe soft abrasive action when combined with water.

Step:2
I have found a solution to the black seat belt marking. I have placed a small
piece of clear adhesive plastic on the underside of the seat belt at the points
where the belt was rubbing against the suede insert. Scotch guard all exposed suede to protect from water, making cleaning easier & should be repeated once every six months.

Cheers

MAUDZ4

[BlueZ4AZ]

Prestone or ScotchGuard fabric cleaner does an excellent job.

[Memphis1]

I had a little black mark on my alcantara and a white microfiber towel damp and nothing else but light blotting was all that was needed. Maybe it wasn't as bad as others. I read alcantaras website and they mentioned alcohol and lemon juice but it wasn't necessary.

[Dr Stig 2]

I looked at a used 35i with the alcantra, and it had the same seat belt marks. The dealer said they shave them off the suede to make it look like new. Scarry!

Needless to say I am optioning the leather and alcantra protection warranty (comes with cleaning fluids and cloths) and a five year warranty.

[BlueZ4AZ]

Originally Posted by Dr Stig 2

I The dealer said they shave them off the suede to make it look like new. Scarry!

One more reason to never, ever buy a used car from a dealer!!!!!

[Dr Stig 2]

Oh Dear.

After onlt the first decent trip with a passenger and the passenger seat belt has left a black mark on the white leather seat / alcantra.

I paid for the leather protection treatment and insurance, so was a bit annoyed.

The dealer managed to clean it off, and gave me a bottle of cleaner and some rags to do it myself next time. (Or to bring it back whenever I wanted it cleaned again)
Not happy. Talk about a stop gap solution.

I asked them to get onto BMW as this is a known issue.
I want them to either treat the seat belts so they dont weep black marks onto the seats, or to fit cream / ivory seat belts...
I'll keep you posted.

Anyone else get a permanent solution from BMW?

[Alext]

I had a similar issue with my 135i that had off-white leather. The seat belt kept making a black mark in the seam on the shoulder of the seat. Eventually it wore and physically damaged the leather.

I might look at wrapping a bit of contact around the belt in that case as above. But have to be wary of any adhesive or substance that might potentionally damage the seat belt fabric thereby compromising its integrity & your safety.

[Vintage]

Originally Posted by Dr Stig 2

Oh Dear.

After onlt the first decent trip with a passenger and the passenger seat belt has left a black mark on the white leather seat / alcantra.

I paid for the leather protection treatment and insurance, so was a bit annoyed.

The dealer managed to clean it off, and gave me a bottle of cleaner and some rags to do it myself next time. (Or to bring it back whenever I wanted it cleaned again)
Not happy. Talk about a stop gap solution.

I asked them to get onto BMW as this is a known issue.
I want them to either treat the seat belts so they dont weep black marks onto the seats, or to fit cream / ivory seat belts...
I'll keep you posted.

Anyone else get a permanent solution from BMW?

Same problem - what cleaner did they give you as I would like to buy some.

[davidmbell]

I'm getting belt marks on my alcantara too. What a stupid design!

I didn't spend this amount of cash for this sort of thing to happen. V disappointing.

Guess it depends on height of the driver as to whether you get this or not.

Can those that have applied something to the belt itself recommend whatever it was you used please?

Does the scotchguard stop this or just offer a bit of protection?

Thanks

David

[BlueZ4AZ]

I applied Scotchguard protectant the day I purchased the car and still get the marks, so it does not totally prevent the marks from occuring.

Scotchguard cleaner does a great job of removing the marks though.

[MDLFCS]

I have not had this problem yet with almost 1900 miles on my year old 2009. I also have the extended ivory interior with the alcantara seats.

Would you post a picture of the black marks? It sounds like the seatbelts needed to be washed or something like you would with blue jeans to bleed the dye out.

[Dr Stig 2]

Sorry - they just gave me a bottlefull of an unnamed cleaner fluid in one of their dealership branded spray bottles.
I have no idea what is sells as.

I have a sheepskin wrap-around on the seat belt, I try to position it where the seatbelt rubs on the seat, but my passengers keep pulling it down to protect their neck from the seatbelt. I can't win...

I intend to keep riding BMW though. If I bought hi-quality jeans that bled colour I would take them back. Getting me to clean up a design / manufacturing issue is not an acceptible solution...

[JAS1]

Just had mine cleaned by my local dealer for the second time. This time the suede on both seat's and seat belt's have both been treated with a chemical supplied by BMW Germany. Only time will tell whether this will work. To me it needs a modification to prevent the seatbelt coming into contact with the seat when it worn. I am told that the 1 series coupe has this and the 3 series convertable.

[teezee]

I have been using a dilute solution of woolite on a white terrycloth towel dampened with cool water to clean the marks from the driver's seatbelt whenever it is noticeable. I think the key is going to be doing this regularly before the marks become permanent. For what it's worth, this is from the alcantara.com website

Maintenance / Stain removal

For smaller stains, if specific products are not on hand, follow these instructions.

- Act immediately, within 30 minutes of the stain's formation.
- First, remove the substance which has been spilled with a spoon or plastic spatula, if it is dense (yoghurt, jam, etc.), or with a white paper towel or sponge if it is liquid.
- Never pour the cleaning product directly on the material; rather, use a white cloth or a well-wrung sponge (rinse in clean water each time after wiping and wring out well).
- Try to reduce the stain by working from the edge towards the centre; do not scrub hard, otherwise it could spread or penetrate more deeply.

Depending on the type of stain, you can use water, lemon juice, or pure ethyl alcohol (grain alcohol) as a stain removal agent. Please read the treatment instructions below.

Water-soluble stains:
- Fruit juice, jam, gelatine, syrup, ketchup: lukewarm water; rinse by blotting with clean water.
- Blood, egg, feces, urine: cold water (avoid warm water, which could coagulate these substances); rinse by blotting with clean water.
- Liquor, wine, beer, Coca-Cola, tea: lukewarm water; treat any traces of colour with lemon juice, then rinse well.
- Copying pencil, cocoa, chocolate, custard and chocolate sweets, ice cream, mustard: lukewarm water; rinse by blotting with clean water.
- Vinegar, hair gel, tomato sauce, coffee sweetened with sugar: lemon juice, then lukewarm water; rinse by blotting with clean water.

NON-water-soluble stains:
- Lipstick, foundation, mascara, eye shadow, perfume, shoe polish, oil and grease, grass stains, markers (including permanent markers): blot with ethyl alcohol, then water, and rinse. Grass and marker stains, especially on light-coloured material, must be treated as soon as possible to keep them from drying.
- Chewing gum and wax: put ice in a plastic bag and set it on the stain; when the substance hardens, chip it away, then treat with ethyl alcohol.

Stubborn stains:
Try repeating the treatments described several times; even stains which are not water-soluble often require subsequent treatment with water.

Old stains of unknown origin:
First treat with lukewarm water, then rinse by blotting with clean water.
If you see the stain begin to dissolve, repeat the treatment; let dry, and if necessary, treat with ethyl alcohol.

[cdeslandes]

My seatbelt mark looks more like a burn than a stain. I'll post a picture when I can.