Fabric Seat Repair

Author
Discussion

R.G

Original Poster:

45 posts

86 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Hi everyone,

Is there someone that could advise on this subject? Looks like seat removal seems pretty straight forward from what I've seen on the web. Just wondering how easy it will be for a technician to remove existing seat cover and replace with new?

My car will be going to the main dealer so to have it done under warranty and because it's my new car I'm just a little concerned.

Thanks

Krikkit

26,528 posts

181 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Surely no-one would be crazy enough to do a warranty claim on that? Pull the seat, change the cover, reinstall, it's got to be 2h at least of a job...

R.G

Original Poster:

45 posts

86 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Well it's like this, I contacted my local BMW dealership and sent the photo. They came back the following day and said their warranty dept have given the go-ahead.

If it's being offered under warranty, I figured what's the point in carrying out a repair?

Or am I wrong, and missing something here?!?

Centurion07

10,381 posts

247 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Wow. Just wow.

shake n bake

2,221 posts

207 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
I'm pretty sure they'll replace your seat cover with a bin liner and damage every surface of the interior in the process.

Biker's Nemesis

38,666 posts

208 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Its a piece of piss, take no notice of this lot.

R.G

Original Poster:

45 posts

86 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
The Crack Fox said:
They'll take the seats out, seatbelts, carpets, runners, pedals and lower dashboard. The airbags will be discharged (safely). The fabric will be unstitched. The boys in the workshop will all take turns to fart on the foam base. Some may even wipe their loveplums on the seatbelts. The miniscule snag in the fabric will be removed with a pair of scissors. Takes about 5 seconds. The whole lot will be shoved back together by the trainee, airbags re-fitted and almost certainly wired in correctly, a moist yellow sponge rubbed all over the paint as a courtesy 'valet' and a cup of too-strong coffee offered to you on collection by the receptionist who looks quite hot when viewed through the showroom window but will actually remind you of an elderly aunt when you get closer than 10 feet. Following this, and when noticing that your interior now looks quite shonky, you'll come on here asking for advice, be laughed at a bit, then send a firmly worded email to the dealer principle who will fob you off with a cut n paste special template head office issue for precisely this kind of scenario. You'll then vow NEVER to buy another (whatever it is) again, retire to live in Chapel St Leonards, take up ping pong, and eventually die a premature death from athlete's foot brought on by wearing a pair of Dunlop Green Flash you picked up in the bargain bin at Sports Direct.






ETA - They'll snip it with scissors while you wait. That's it.

Edited by The Crack Fox on Tuesday 28th March 21:00
I like you. I think your forum name is bang-on

P.S - they are replacing the seat cover, not reparing.


Edited by R.G on Tuesday 28th March 21:56

R.G

Original Poster:

45 posts

86 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Biker's Nemesis said:
Its a piece of piss, take no notice of this lot.
Thanks.

R.G

Original Poster:

45 posts

86 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Centurion07 said:
Wow. Just wow.
Why?! Because I'm letting them do the work, or because they have offered to cover on warranty??

Jim AK

4,029 posts

124 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
RG. Stop worrying about it.

Drop car off on appointed day, go about your daily business & await a call telling you the work is complete, then collect it.

Christ! Even a BMW dealer can sort this out I think..... Probably...... Maybe...... 50/50?

Muddle238

3,898 posts

113 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
I must ask, is this fabric-upholstered 1-series going in a museum?

R.G

Original Poster:

45 posts

86 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
quotequote all
Muddle238 said:
I must ask, is this fabric-upholstered 1-series going in a museum?
Yes, it is.

Centurion07

10,381 posts

247 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
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R.G said:
Centurion07 said:
Wow. Just wow.
Why?! Because I'm letting them do the work, or because they have offered to cover on warranty??
1. Cut the tuft off yourself and have a near invisible repair.

2. Leave it as is.

3. Take it to the dealer and let them repair it.


Why you can't pick one yourself is beyond me. It's a poxy little tuft on a fabric interior and as I already pointed out, give it 6 months and there'll be numerous other marks and chips and things to piss you off.

The thought of letting the dealer dismantle your car for such a minor thing obviously bothers you so it's either 1 or 2, neither of which anyone can decide for you.

Cold

15,247 posts

90 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
quotequote all
If they are just replacing the seat cover then no need to panic about the potential for further problems arising from the work. The seat will come out after undoing four bolts and observing any air bag/curtain precautions.

The cover itself is held onto the seat by a series of hidden clips, ties and/or a series of other fairly low-tech fixings. Once undone the cover is slipped off the seat back like a tight t-shirt. The new one goes with a bit of pulling and stretching, no big deal really. I've replaced a few in the past and there's no secret to the process.

GC8

19,910 posts

190 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
quotequote all
'Cut it off' suggestions are foolish.

If it is a loop, shich is likely, then thread cotton through and pull it back through by pushing the needle into and through the squab. When the thread has been pulled through you cut the thread.

anonymous-user

54 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
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I suppose the upshot of this is that we now all know that BMW fabric seats are as crap as their Dakota "leather" hehe

KungFuPanda

4,333 posts

170 months

Wednesday 29th March 2017
quotequote all
OP, good on you for managing to get this sorted under warranty.

Removing the seat will be a piece of piss if it's anything like my Audi A8. Remove battery. Remove trim from the front and back of the seat rails which will reveal four bolts. Remove those bolts and seat will lift out. There will be some electrical plugs to be undone and that's it. Seat comes out. The covers will be held on by clips and under tension. Once those are removed, the new cover can be fitted. Refitting is the reverse as removal as the old Haynes manual says. They might have to knock out the airbag light once the seat is refitted.