\u00a9 2022 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. I practice aligning it a few times before applying the glue. Once the adhesive is dry, the furniture is ready for use! I did not do that for the Lexus because the tan leather had spread apart from drying out and shrinking in the sun. This process may take a few coats. Forget ugly duct tape or drawstring seat covers! As durable as it is, vinyl can and will continue tearing if not attended to. Place the backing inside the tear and glue it in place. Most vinyl repair kits come with a backing cloth or padding material that needs to be placed inside the torn area to act as an interior anchor. Be sure that your seats really are vinyl before trying to fix with a kit or other method. Do you want a seat that looks as close to perfect as possible, or do you just want to fix the tear? wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Which model, year, and options are you looking for? 26 July 2019. http://knowhow.napaonline.com/how-to-repair-ripped-leather-seats/, https://www.overdriveonline.com/how-to-repair-fabric-upholstery/, http://mecaupholsterytips.com/blog/car-reupholstery-repair-cost/, https://www.autolovins.com/how-to-repair-large-tear-in-leather-car-seat/, https://www.cars.com/articles/filth-no-more-how-to-keep-the-family-car-from-getting-kid-cruddy-1420698794227/, reparar una rasgadura en el asiento del auto, Consertar um Rasgo em um Assento de Carro, (Repair a Tear in a Car Seat), rparer une dchirure dans un sige de voiture. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. It will usually be necessary to color the repaired area to get it to match the seat color. The leather filler color may not match your seat perfectly. Americans designed some superb sports cars in the 1950's and 1960's. If you want a repair thats not noticeable, take your vehicle to a professional instead. In the end, it depends on the preference of the user. It is best to repair a tear as soon as possible to avoid the tear becoming larger. In an article in The Drive, Chris Teague shares a few strategies for fixing different types of tears in vinyl car seats. You can buy leather filler from your local automotive supply store. Its not an easy job. Unlike their ancestors, todays vinyl seats can often pass for leather and dont scream IM PLASTIC! And though vinyl is durable, it can tear or develop holes. Auto Technician. Over time, a vehicle goes through a lotbetween things breaking under the hood, scratches and dents on the body, and wear and tear on the interior. Use the spatula to apply the adhesive to the damaged area. Got a question? If you own a newer car, however, it might be better to take it to the dealer or a certified shop. Professional upholsterers use special water-based adhesives that set up quickly. Despite its reputation as the cheap material in cars, vinyl upholstery has many benefits and can make for a reasonably upscale interior. You'd be surprised what you find out. It comes in nearly any hue, can feel similar to real leather, and is easy to clean. Then, theres the ol clamp-and-glue method. If you can still see an indent around your repair, apply a little more glue and fabric fibers until its not visible anymore. Choose a color that matches your furniture. I did not think of photographing this area before starting. Every vinyl repair kit is a little different and will have its own set of instructions. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Before getting started on the seats, Teague says to clean them using a mild cleanser and a towel. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Take the backing cloth or padding supplied in the repair kit and cut it so it is only slightly larger than the tear. Got it? There is a small hole below the patch. Allow the glue to dry completely before moving on to the next step. Clean the damaged area with rubbing alcohol, using a rag, paper towel, or Q-tip. Got a pro tip? The ideal tool is a shirt stay, one of those little plastic stiffeners that often comes on the collars of mens dress shirts. Either way, youll be working with chemicals, so make sure that youre working in a flat, well-ventilated area, and are wearing gloves and eye protection. As with the compound application mentioned previously, wait until the color solution dries before applying another coat. Cleaning and conditioning can prevent some damage.. Work in a well-ventilated area. In some cases, the vinyl will be forgiving enough to allow you to clamp the tear shut and either glue or tape it, Teague writes. You will need to be able to work without worrying about being run over. Oxygen sensors behind the converter can be tricked. If possible, apply clamps to narrow the gap simultaneously. Cut the material so that its slightly larger than the tear in all directions and glue it in place. Suffice it to say that the damaged area was nearly as long as the patch. A: You absolutely can, and in many cases, youll be able to find a salvage yard seat that will do the trick. A: If youre skilled with a sewing machine and materials such as leather and vinyl, you can probably pull it off, but the process is labor and time intensive. They stock hundreds of pre-mixed colors to match almost any production automobile seat. This article has been viewed 19,134 times. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Is jump starting bad for your car? Because there are a few avenues to achieving the fix, our recommendations for tools and parts are mostly optional, depending on the method you choose. Even though your kit comes with a color mixing guide for the filler, it may not blend in perfectly with your upholstery. Use a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol to buff and blend the area. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If youre not that concerned about how your seats look, Teague says that there are also easier (and cheaper) ways to repair them. Next, turn your attention to the kit. A detailer may be able to replace a single panel of upholstery on your seat for a lower cost. This video demonstrates how a kit is used to fix a tear in a vinyl seat. In this case, the solution is to patch over the top using a remnant of the same leather or vinyl used on the seats. The gray Supra spot is small enough that I didnt bother. You can also use the dot to order things, set alarms, or research things on the fly as well. With the help of a vinyl repair kit, you can bring new life to ripped vinyl, whether its a car seat or a chair in your home. The main requirements are that it be flexible, non-shrinking and can be colored in some way. When applying the coloring solution, you will likely need more than one coat, especially for darker-colored seats. Avoid sitting in the seat while the adhesive dries, or else you could make the patch fall off. It is important to use a suitable patch fabric. It was not nearly that wide, though heavily worn. Fixing the seat to return it to its former glory will take more money, time, and effort than just repairing a hole. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Using the included applicator or an old butter knife or small spatula, spread the compound over the tear. Clean away any stray product immediately. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Dry the dye with a heat gun if you want to work more quickly. The masking tape simply keeps it from falling off. Moreover, once a rip begins, it will continue to tear if not stopped, and any underlying foam padding that is exposed to sunlight will rapidly deteriorate. She holds a Master of Science in Publishing from Pace University. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. 2022 iFixit Licensed under Creative Commons Privacy Vinyl rose to popularity in the 1950s as plastics technology improved and has evolved into a material that today is better in some ways than real leather. Since I use a water-soluble glue, I can clean up any residue with a moist rag. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/5d\/Repair-a-Tear-in-a-Car-Seat-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Repair-a-Tear-in-a-Car-Seat-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5d\/Repair-a-Tear-in-a-Car-Seat-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid12352194-v4-728px-Repair-a-Tear-in-a-Car-Seat-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"