McFuzz

Hi all,

We got our '14 A6 couple weeks ago and, since we have a 2 year old, strapped our Diono RXT car seat right away. Tonight, it dawned upon me that unlike our old Passat, the A6 has real leather (the Passat hat leatherette seating surface) and the prospect of damaging the leather caused slight elevation of blood pressure.

Indeed, upon removing the seat, I noticed indentations from the edges of the Diono in the leather on the top portion of the back support; don't know if it will ever return back to normal shape but hopefully it will.

For the time being I've put some felt stickers on the sharper edges on the Diono and actually found a cheap source for the Diono car seat cover that supposedly protects the leather. But that said - anyone in the same boat as I (with kids and car seats) has any suggestions of what worked best for them?

Thanks!

A7_TDI

For my kids I used a mat that protected the seat cushion bottom and seat back. I can't recall the mat manufacturer name but the kids were in Britax seats so maybe the mat was made by Britax too. Anyway, it was made from really thick plastic and protected both the seat bottom and back. So the leather seats looked fine after the kids outgrew their infant seats.

Also be sure to check for any dropped 'things' as they can eventually fall into the holes by seatbelt anchors, and promptly clean up any liquid spills. Don't let any spills dry while the seat is strapped in or it can really mess up the leather. Same for dirt and sand falling off the kids shoes. It'll act like sandpaper between the infant seat (or mat) and leather. Just loosen the infant seat and vacuum under it occasionally. My old A6 survived the kids just fine...

2014a6tdi

I too have the britax (marathon) and I really crank down on the LATCH.

I don't have the plastic pad, but, I bet that'd be a good idea to spread out the load. I guess I'm too lazy/cheap to do that, but, I'll only let my kids drink water in the car after an unfortunate "milk event"

I think keeping the leather clean/plyable is the most important thing so I remove everything/vac very well and lexol the seats every quarter or so. If that isn't enough, then I guess oh well.

My old car, lexus gs had two britax for 4 years and there really wasn't a problem after I removed the seats and sold the car, though there were indentations for a week or so. I did the clean/lexol quarterly on that too. Cannot believe the audi will be different.

u2jrmw

I have the same concern. I use mats by Prince Lionheart under mine (both under the seat and against the back upright). Strictly speaking the seat manufacturers say you shouldn't put anything under the seats. I didn't do it with my infant seat, but as soon as they graduated to regular seats I did.

My old A4 had a year or two of car seats with mats, and they did indeed leave impressions on the seat and seatback. I spent 5 or so hours gently working the leather with among other things a hair dryer and I managed to get it to a point that you really wouldn't notice unless you were looking for it.

I suspect I will have the same problem with my A6 as the seats will be in there for even longer. Not much you can do about it really, especially as you want those seats in as tight as humanly possible.

u2jrmw

I also don't really let the kids eat or drink in the Audi, that's what the minivan is for, and that thing is a mess.

Taking the seats out of the car on a regular basis for a few days is probably a good idea, but I am too lazy to do that so far...

feralc

I am not sure if this is the Diono protector that you have but if it is dont worry, it works perfectly and it does not transfer color even on tan leather (which is what my Cayenne and my A7 have)

When I was looking for a car seat to replace the infant one I opted for a Recaro performance sport because it was the best along with other brands I believe BUT the base was flush no corners or edges that would leave a mark
After using the Diono protector for 18 months now with two kinds of car seat the leather is perfect in the Cayenne and I have used it in my A7 as well a couple of times and no problem

feralc

Also I use a Diono for the back of the front seat and it has worked perfectly too

feralc

AND eating in the car is forbidden BUT my wife is not exactly the kind that follows my rules when I am not around, at least she only does it in her car

NoahWeb

It's a car and you have kids...get used to it. It will never be as clean as pre-kids. Ever. Accecpt this.

For the leather, I would recommend a leather sealant such as Wolf's Nano Leather Sealant. Detailers Domain used to carry it, but I don't see it on their web-site any more. I treated all of my leather surfaces about 4 months ago and have no worries about spills or accidents. Everything beads right off, or is easily wiped up. Great product and will help a great deal!!

Wolf’s Chemicals Nano Leather Sealant

tenspeed

Search eBay using "car seat protector mat". There's a couple hundred listings.

Everything from a cover that goes on the back of the front seats to a entire rear seat cover suitable for kids and pets.