C30 - Head or Heart ?

[binty]

Hi, I always have leather in my cars, and I have become most comfortable with Autoglym products.
My general care is to vacuum the seats regularly with a brush to get all the grit out, it acts like sandpaper on leather. Each time I clean the car I just wash the leather down with a microfibre cloth dampened in warm water and rinsed frequently. It is amazing how much this brings off.
Every so often if it is looking grubby, I spray on Autoglym leather cleaner and wipe it off with the same cloth. About every three months, after cleaning the seats but whilst still damp, I massage in Autoglym leather care, which softens and feeds the leather, leave it to dry a little while, then buff it up with a soft duster. The leather care product can also be used sparingly on the vinyl and plastic and it gives a really nice subtle finish, not glossy, and it smells nice too!

I presume you will use the parrott kit for phone only, as you will connect any ipod etc via the USB in the centre console. As you have the LUX model, I think it will have the centre dash speaker, so make sure you get the correct SOT lead, as some do not mute the centre speaker.

Good luck and enjoy.

[Bin The L Plates]

Thanks for the advice.

Not sure on how many speakers its got, but I'll check.

Don't suppose to happen to know where the OBD plug connector is in the C30?

[Ninja59]

Originally Posted by binty

Hi, I always have leather in my cars, and I have become most comfortable with Autoglym products.
My general care is to vacuum the seats regularly with a brush to get all the grit out, it acts like sandpaper on leather. Each time I clean the car I just wash the leather down with a microfibre cloth dampened in warm water and rinsed frequently. It is amazing how much this brings off.
Every so often if it is looking grubby, I spray on Autoglym leather cleaner and wipe it off with the same cloth. About every three months, after cleaning the seats but whilst still damp, I massage in Autoglym leather care, which softens and feeds the leather, leave it to dry a little while, then buff it up with a soft duster. The leather care product can also be used sparingly on the vinyl and plastic and it gives a really nice subtle finish, not glossy, and it smells nice too!

I presume you will use the parrott kit for phone only, as you will connect any ipod etc via the USB in the centre console. As you have the LUX model, I think it will have the centre dash speaker, so make sure you get the correct SOT lead, as some do not mute the centre speaker.

Good luck and enjoy.

You cannot feed the leather in the C30 as it is covered in a clearcoat. So the leather balm cannot be absorbed. You really only need to clean it and provide a protection product, not something contain oils etc. .

The OBD port is down the bottom of the dash near the bonnet release catch.

[binty]

Thanks, I never new that, (after 5 years of feeding my C30's seats!!).

[Ninja59]

Only applies to modern cars, just be careful some products that even appear to go in cannot be absorbed. I personally I have just settled on LTT (I believe CarChem.com might make their stuff but cannot be 100% certain).

Then protect with LTT or go cleaning with Dr Leather wipes and protect with Gtechniq L1.

I doubt many people have not used a Carchem.com product if you have used UK developed car cleaning products .

[Bin The L Plates]

Thanks for all the good info guys, very helpful.
Wonder if excessive use of the heated seats promotes the leather to crack due to the extra heat generated.

[Ninja59]

Originally Posted by Bin The L Plates

Thanks for all the good info guys, very helpful.
Wonder if excessive use of the heated seats promotes the leather to crack due to the extra heat generated.

In honesty jean dye is the real killer these days so many light colour leathers. Very rarely does it crack as such as it is quite flexible.

[Bin The L Plates]

Here's an extract from the owners handbook, so Volvo suggests doing something with the leather seats.

"To achieve best results Volvo recommends cleaning and the application of protective cream once to four times per year (or more if necessary). The Volvo Leather Care kit is avail- able from your Volvo dealer."

[Ninja59]

Read the wording properly it only mentions cleaning and protection not conditioning...

because of the polymer clear coat layer...only needs cleaning and a protection based product.

[v50inred]

I can only go by how the leather in my V50 acts but the age related cracking to get in older seats has certainly been reduced with applications of AutoGlym leather balm.

Mine are not the fancy R Design seats however.

But I have decided that I am curious enough about the products suggested by Ninja that i am going to order them next week when I have some spare dosh.

I don't think the leather in a V50 compares with the leather in a Boxster and you can certainly have the leather in a Boxster recoloured/reconnollised without issue.

The leather in my V50, a 2006 SE interior is certainly decent quality thick leather of the old school.

And going by the used R Designs I have seen for sale the leather in those doesn't appear to be anywhere near as robust.

If they have done anything other than a 10k a year or so they seem to ate rather badly.

Though that could just be the colour exaggerating the wear by making it more noticeable.

Though I did once see a 57 plate C30 go through the auction and the drivers seat had actually split, which isn't that common with leather, especially as at the time the car was only just over 4 yrs old, albeit with just short of 100k on the clock.