DIY car seat repair

In detail: do-it-yourself car seat repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Did you know, dear reader, that the price of car seat repair is very high today. In order for the repairmen in the car service to undertake to replace the seats of your car, they will first issue you a preliminary invoice, which you are unlikely to like. What to do if the seats have become unusable and must be replaced? It's simple. Learn to do it yourself!

Old car seats

The fact that the level of comfort from driving a vehicle depends on the interior decoration and the condition of the seats has been noticed for a long time. And it is not for nothing that in the process of car production, well-known and popular concern brands hire ingenious designers who can decorate everything beautifully inside.

Over time, everything ages, including the upholstery. It is clear that such eye damage will not please. Squeezed-out chairs, in addition to an aesthetically unpleasant perception, also cause discomfort. During the movement, passengers and the driver himself are not able to relax and the seats constantly cause inconvenience.

How to eliminate these flaws with your own hands? In our time, this will not be difficult. You can fix everything: defects in the upholstery, scuffs on the armrests, tears on the backs of the seats, and much more.

Torn car seats

Often forces you to repair an accident. Even the lightest accident can destroy the integrity of the seat frames, and the previous gloss of the interior will disappear.

Before you start changing anything, you should arm yourself with the necessary tools and, most importantly, decide on the material. Much will depend on the material: the complexity of the repair, the price for it, etc. It's not the same thing: working with leather, vinyl or textile fabrics. Although the essence of the repair is the same everywhere - repeated coating of the damaged area with a specially selected composition, and then heat treatment.

Video (click to play).

To begin with, it is useful to choose a color scheme with which we will work. This will depend not only on the taste of the owner, but also on the integrity of the painting. Everything should look harmonious.

We start, of course, by dismantling the old seats. If the seats are upholstered in leather, they will need to be removed. It is advisable to work with a new cover at home, where it will be more convenient to place fragments of leather or Alcantara on the constriction material. It is recommended to sign each part of a standard case, indicating the name of the material from which we will prepare the cut itself. You can use a regular marker for marking.

We remove the standard cover from the car seats. We remind you that the chairs must be removed in order for the work to be carried out comfortably.

We remove the old cover as follows: squeeze out the metal clips located on the back of the seats. The cover always comes off upwards.

After removing the cover, we see a foam rubber frame. It will also need to be removed. This will not cause any difficulties, since the foam rubber frame is held only on paper tape.

Making the lumbar support of the seat

Go ahead. It is recommended to make a lumbar support on the seat, which will noticeably increase the comfort of the seat - both for the driver and for the passenger.

We need a set of the following tools and devices:

nuts with washers;
cold welding;
long bolt;
towing strap;
a homemade plate made of an easily bendable material.

We take a nut and clamp the plate, then press it with cold welding for reliability. We bend the fasteners under the belt.Here it is important to pay attention to the following: the belt itself is thrown over parallel supports and the process of friction occurs only at the edge. Cold welding will help where you need to build up the components so that the belt lies flat.

We fix the belt with a long bolt so that it does not fidget. For fastening the bolt, fixing with glue is provided. Thus, it will not spin and the bolt will not go anywhere.

That's all. Yes, and a comfortable handle is recommended on the adjusting bolt. The same lumbar support crowns the seats of foreign cars, so the first stage of repair and creating a comfortable chair with your own hands has been completed.

Let's move on to work on the material. The removed cover will need to be ripped open first. At the same time, you need to divide it into separate parts in order to use it later on new material.

Each of the pieces of leather or Alcantara is pressed against the new material with weights. Take a gel pen and draw around the edges of the material. To combine the flaps, mark them with short notches around the perimeter. It is worth knowing that alcantara, like leather, can be easily cut with scissors.

Alcantara - a material that looks more like suede than leather, has a short nap. Such a pile is directed in one direction. This is very important to take into account when cutting, since if the direction of the pile is not the same, flaws can form and the interior of the car will look bad.

The next stage in the work involves strengthening the leather or Alcantara with foam rubber. This is a prerequisite for a competent constriction. Do-it-yourself car seat repair is not difficult, but there are many nuances in this work that you should know. And foam rubber is one of the important little things. It is imperative that the thickness of this material is 5 mm, and on the reverse side the material must be on a fabric basis.

The video describes how to repair the upholstery of car seats:

Glue the foam rubber only with spray glue! All pre-cut details of the covers are glued to the foam rubber, not from the side of the fabric, but from the side of the foam rubber.

It is important to know that in no case should you smear the foam rubber for the seat upholstery with a brush. This way you can easily spoil the details. The thing is that the glue is able to penetrate deeply into the pores of the foam rubber and, if you squeeze it a little, glue the entire internal structure of the material. And the foam rubber will not return to the opposite position. Therefore, you need to glue the foam rubber correctly: using a spray can. For example, the German spray adhesive Mah.

When working with Alcantara, it is important when cutting to position the pieces of flaps with the pile in one direction.

Go ahead. Pieces of material glued to the foam are sewn together. In this case, the marks should be combined very carefully and always at the edges of the parts.

Use a good sewing machine when sewing. A sewing machine is suitable that will be able to sew with a triple advance lockstitch. This sewing will allow the drive to slowly advance the material. Such a car costs about 10-30 thousand rubles.

After we have sewn all the parts, you need to glue the seam lapels spread out to the sides from the seamy side. First of all, we cut off the foam rubber strips remaining near the cuffs, and then we clean the leather or Alcantara cuffs for gluing. After that, we spread the cuffs to the side and press them against the foam rubber.

The video details the process of tightening the car seat:

It is important at this stage of the constriction to beat off the seams of the material on the foam rubber. This should be done with an ordinary hammer.Now we sew the cuffs and for this we use a double finishing line. You should know that you do not need to cut off the free edges of the stitching behind the thread, since this will not be noticeable under the foam rubber.We continue to repair leather car seats. We have got a new cover, which we turn out from the inside out and straighten it out.Now you need to put this very cover on the seat. It seems that this is easy to do, but it is not.For everything to work out, you need to start from the back. First, we thread the straps, and only then we pull the cover to the back of the chair.At this stage of work, you can turn a regular driver's seat into a sports one. To do this, we build up the sides of the seat with the help of polyurethane and give them the desired shape. You can simply take pieces of foam rubber and glue it to the side of the seat. Next, you will need to cut out the fiberglass plates of the desired shape and install them on the sides of the seat. Then stick thin foam rubber on them. The whole structure must be strengthened and pulled together like a single chair.After you put the cover on the back, you should go to the "seat" of the chair. Usually, this part of the chair will not be difficult. Everything should go smoothly. Unless, of course, the seat is not embossed. Then you have to use plastic clamps with which the cover is attracted to the frame. These same clamps will need to be threaded through the pillow. There are special holes, and then hook on the knitting needle. As for the edges of the cover, they need to be pulled over the frame of the chair along the contour.Padding of car seats with leatherRepair of the leather of the seats should always end with drying the overtightened parts and steaming them. Leather covers should be warmed up with a jet of hot air from a hair dryer. And it is important not to overdo it, so as not to burn the material. When treating leather cases with a jet of hot air - do not overdo it!After the leather is dry, it will stretch over the chair structure like a drum. It will not hurt to iron the seats with steam, but always through a rag.The banner is finished. It remains to clean the stains left by fingers and glue, as well as various abrasions.Overtightened chairs will serve for a very long time, especially if you make timely repairs and take care of the chairs. During the hauling process, you can improve other elements of the interior of the cabin, that is, doors, ceiling, panel, etc.Repair of leather car seats, as well as the restoration of "seats" made of other material - this is a job that many domestic drivers simply do not undertake. Most car owners are afraid of further aggravating the condition of the seats or permanently ruining them. In fact, there is nothing difficult to repair, and how to improve the condition of these interior parts with your own hands should be considered in more detail.The most susceptible to damage element of the car seat can be confidently considered the upholstery. Its frequent scuffs and holes are associated with the carelessness of the driver and passengers, a factory defect, or simply poor quality. Be that as it may, such situations arise very often, and in order to repair car seats, you need to study the algorithm of work with your own hands.Before proceeding with the restoration, you need to stock up on material for the constriction. Typically, you only need a few pieces of the same fabric that was originally on the seats of the car. It is desirable that the color of the purchased product and the old banner also be in harmony. If you are a creative person, you can purchase a different type of material and sew pieces of it to the seats as patches. To do this, you will also need a special thick thread that will emphasize such a design. Image - DIY car seat repair

Having everything you need in stock, we take scissors and cut the fabric into large pieces. After that, we take a thread and a needle and sew patches to the seats of the car. If the condition of the standard upholstery is very poor, and this is the case in most cases, then it is better to buy a large batch of fabric and re-tighten the seats. In order not to make mistakes in the process of work, you first need to sew the material. For this we need:

roulette;
Scotch;
pencil;
needle and thread;
scissors;
several sheets of A2 paper.

To stretch the seats, it is necessary to dismantle them from the passenger compartment and completely remove the old upholstery.After that, we cut it, for this, dotted lines are visible on the outside of the factory fabric. As soon as you cut the upholstery, and you have the template according to which the sewing took place at the factory, the resulting shapes and sizes can be transferred to paper. To do this, carefully measure the length and width of each element of the car seats using a tape measure. We transfer the same dimensions to paper and draw them with dotted lines.

In principle, you can do without a tape measure, but simply attach the template of the old upholstery to the paper and draw the same shape. However, this can cause the old matter to slide, which will prevent you from redrawing the shape and size correctly. To sew the material as accurately as possible, you need to take into account the fold lines of the new material. They also need to be indicated on paper. For a complete constriction in the drawing, you also need to mark the places for fixing the material on the seat. As a rule, new upholstery is sewn at a distance of 0.5–1 cm from its bottom, top and side edges.

After receiving accurate measurements, you can proceed directly to sewing. To make the work go faster, you can use a sewing machine. If you do not know how to use it, order this service at a sewing workshop. We strongly do not recommend that you start sewing if you are doing it for the first time. To correctly make a constriction, do not try to guess the size of the material or sew "by eye". Follow exactly the pattern of the old upholstery.Another important nuance is the properties of the new material. For example, some products can stretch, and this is a very important factor. If you bought just such a material, then do not rush to cut into smaller pieces than your template requires. Be sure to use the exact measurements, but remember to pull more material to the ends as you sew. Otherwise, it will sail. Try to take into account all factors, and only then you will be satisfied with the results of sewing.

The next step will be the constriction. To do this, take a thick needle and thread and carefully sew the material to the seat. The best place to start is from the top of the chair. This way the matter will not fall on you. Next, we move from the top downward. If you have done the sewing correctly, you will see that you have practically no material left "in reserve". Don't worry, it should be so. For sewing, you need no more than 1–1.5 cm along the edges of the fabric. In the process of tightening the seats, you need to work very carefully.

You won't be able to do this job quickly, or you could pierce and ruin the seat filler. The best option is to sew additional stripes around the perimeter of the new upholstery while it is being sewn. This way you will protect yourself from accidental unpleasant mistakes. After tightening the seats with your own hands, provided that the sewing and the hauling were performed correctly, you will see how much the interior of your car will change. It is possible that the new seat upholstery will look even better than when you bought a car. The main thing is not to rush, and everything will work out.

With regular use of the car, it often becomes necessary to replace the device that is responsible for tilting the car seat. To avoid such situations, you should constantly monitor the serviceability of the mechanisms. As soon as you notice jamming or loud squeaks, they can be repaired with regular lubrication.If the lubricant did not help, that is, the mechanism is completely out of order, then you will have to replace it. Doing it yourself is easy. This will require acting in a specific sequence. First you need to dismantle the facing element, which is located in the seat cushion. We turn off all the bolts holding the lower pivot link at the very base of the seat. Image - DIY car seat repair

At the next stage, you need to dismantle the axis located in the opposite part of the back, after which you need to remove the back itself. The upper part of the hinges will need to be cut off at the very base of the backrest frame. Next, we apply a new mechanism and fasten it with bolts at the base of the pillow. Install the upper pivot link so that all the holes are aligned. Next, using the axis, we attach the pillow to the back of the chair. After that, carefully install the backrest, taking care not to damage the seat filler. Finally, we weld the backrest and the hinges together.

If there is a need to repair an electrically powered and heated seat, you need to remember that when all loops are turned off, most on-board computers give errors that can only be eliminated at a service station. This is what causes car owners to refuse to repair their seats with their own hands. As a result, they take the car to the workshop and pay a lot of money to repair the car. Image - DIY car seat repair

In order not to pay a large amount, you can repair the seats yourself, and take the car to specialists only to correct a computer error. In order to solve the problem with heated seats, you can go in two ways: find the malfunction and try to fix it yourself or completely replace the broken heater. I must say that the second option is more popular because of its reliability and time saving.

In order to change the car seat heater, it is not necessary to buy a new part. You can search for a used item and install it in place of the broken one. Once you have found and bought a heater, you need to start installing it. First you need to remove the seat and take it out of the car. You will see a small black block with wires - this is the seat heating system, which is regulated by the on-board computer and takes power from the battery.

In order to replace the unit, you will need to disconnect it from your computer. This must be done very carefully, it is better to make sure once again that you are pulling out the correct wires.

Next, we unscrew the bolts securing the heater to the bottom of the car and remove the broken device. We install a new block and screw it on. After that, you do not need to try to connect the wires yourself. Let them do it for you in the workshop, because you already saved quite a lot. For example, for all the work on replacing the heater, the service station employees would ask for about 12-15 thousand rubles. At the same time, connecting wires and eliminating a computer error will cost you 2-3 thousand rubles.It is worth noting that many models of universal on-board computers do not give any errors when disconnecting wires. Therefore, be careful - if after replacing the device your computer is “silent”, then nothing needs to be fixed. You only need to configure the operation of the heater via a computer.Do you still think that car diagnostics is difficult? If you are reading these lines, then you have an interest in doing something yourself in the car and really savebecause you already know that:

STO lomat big money for simple computer diagnostics

To find out the error, you need to go to the specialists

Simple wrenches work in the services, but you can't find a good specialist

And of course you are tired of throwing money away, and there is no question of driving around the service station all the time, then you need a simple ELM327 AUTOSSCANER that connects to any car and through a regular smartphone you will always find a problem, pay off CHECK and save a lot.We have tested this scanner ourselves on different machines. and it showed excellent results, now we recommend it to EVERYONE! So that you do not fall for the Chinese counterfeit, we publish here a link to the official website of the AutoScanner.