C30 - Head or Heart ?

[Ninja59]

That is unlikely to be the balm just the fact it has the polymer layer.

All the P1 platform cars I have ever seen have been pigment based.

Nearly all manufacturers use pigment based leathers now, although more are cheating with the words "leather faced seats" meaning everything beyond the bit you actually sit on and lean against is actually vinyl made to look like leather. Any leather can be recoloured without issue just the processes are different.

The colour is the issue with many R Design off cream leather.

The other issue with the early sport versions was the side parts splitting.

[v50inred]

I am happy to be proved wrong.

Though automotive leather products are not intended for use on sofas due to the different coatings.

So I have always assumed that automotive products have been developed to take typical automotive coatings into consideration.

[Ninja59]

None of the products I have linked to are for furniture or they have versions specifically for automotive care, furniture wise yes they are different although they could also be pigment coloured leather with a clearcoat.

Simply because AG make a leather balm does not necessarily mean that it is suitable for your vehicle care at all, you have to remember they cater for the whole market vintage/classic to modern. I mean if even Volvo themselves do not support it then that should be telling you something about how you should be caring for your leather.

[getsome]

Just a small tip as for the speed reading , if the ODB socket is in the same place as on V50s you can buy a cheap ELM327 with bluetooth from ebay and then use an app on your smartphone to see a lot more info the just the speed (I think with the Torque app) ,the speed reading can differ a couple of % but not much since the speed from OBD socket is digital data as the ECU sees it , best thing about this option is that you can take it with you to the next car.

[Bin The L Plates]

Originally Posted by getsome

Just a small tip as for the speed reading , if the ODB socket is in the same place as on V50s you can buy a cheap ELM327 with bluetooth from ebay and then use an app on your smartphone to see a lot more info the just the speed (I think with the Torque app) ,the speed reading can differ a couple of % but not much since the speed from OBD socket is digital data as the ECU sees it , best thing about this option is that you can take it with you to the next car.

Yeh, thanks for that.
I've seen the Bluetooth things on eBay, and was going to wait until I get the car tomorrow before deciding which way to progress. More especially to see what size plug I can use as they appear to differ in sizes.

[Bin The L Plates]

Originally Posted by Ninja59

None of the products I have linked to are for furniture or they have versions specifically for automotive care, furniture wise yes they are different although they could also be pigment coloured leather with a clearcoat.

Simply because AG make a leather balm does not necessarily mean that it is suitable for your vehicle care at all, you have to remember they cater for the whole market vintage/classic to modern. I mean if even Volvo themselves do not support it then that should be telling you something about how you should be caring for your leather.

Thanks for the info.

Would I be right to assume the leather seats aren't completely waterproof, so the protective coating will allow some absorption of whatever is applied.
If so, applying leather conditioner/food or whatever will aid in prolonging the life of the seats and prevent cracking.
I don't mind being shouted at and proved wrong, like I say never had leather seats in a car before, so looking to keep them in as good as condition as possible.
I'm guessing constant use of the climate control also promotes a certain amount of drying of the seats, so adding 'moisture' in the form of leather cream would only be of benefit if it can be absorbed.

[Bin The L Plates]

Collecting the car tomorrow........
Just like waiting for Christmas when your 6 yrs old.

[Ninja59]

Originally Posted by Bin The L Plates

Thanks for the info.

Would I be right to assume the leather seats aren't completely waterproof, so the protective coating will allow some absorption of whatever is applied.
If so, applying leather conditioner/food or whatever will aid in prolonging the life of the seats and prevent cracking.
I don't mind being shouted at and proved wrong, like I say never had leather seats in a car before, so looking to keep them in as good as condition as possible.
I'm guessing constant use of the climate control also promotes a certain amount of drying of the seats, so adding 'moisture' in the form of leather cream would only be of benefit if it can be absorbed.

There will be a potential for a tiny amount but pretty much nothing. If anything the conditioner will block any pores allowing for it to breath so you could actually make things worse.

The very fact as I have said before if Volvo do not suggest the usage of conditioners should really tell you something that they are not needed and in certain circumstances attract more grime because they cannot absorbed properly.