[ethanjoon]

As the title suggests, I dyed the leather in my E92 335i from Black to Blue. Tobago Blue, to be exact, which I’ve only seen previously on an E38 7-series and E31 8-series. I used the 32oz leather recoloring kit from Leather World Tech, which I highly recommend. I spoke to Brandon a few times during the process, and he was very helpful.

I decided to post a little DIY on the process. Below are some pictures of the finished product, and a small time-lapse video of the process.
Before I begin, I want to point out that doing any work on your car is inherently risky. If you decide to perform this on your car, I am not responsible for any loss or damage to your car, self, house, tools, or anything else that may occur when performing this task. I also want to note that this DIY is specific to Leather World Tech’s color dying process; it is highly possible that other companies’ dye kits will require a slightly different process.

Supplies:
- 32oz leather dye
- Grey scuff pad, or ~800 grit sandpaper (the kit includes a medium coarseness grey scuff pad)
- Sponge (included, but you might want to purchase an extra one)
- Leather Prep and Cleaner (included)
- Protection cream (included)
- Painters/masking tape
- Gloves
- Fine tip paint brush (optional)
- Lots of patience

Step 1: Strip the interior from the car. There are lots of DIYs on the forum surrounding this process, so I didn’t feel it necessary to create a write-up on this part. You want to also tape off any pieces that you do not want to dye, including but not limited to plastic trim pieces. You can use painters tape to mask off areas, but I have heard from some sources that painters tape doesn’t provide the best barrier between the dye and plastic trim (and hence runs the risk of seeping through and coloring the trim pieces). As you might be able to see from my pictures, I did get some dye on the plastic trim, and I plan on fixing this when I find the time.

Step 2: Spray the Leather Prep and Cleaner solution onto the leather and scuff the surface with a medium coarseness scuff pad or ~800 grit sandpaper. The kit from Leather World Tech includes a grey scuff pad, which I used for the entire process. Don’t apply too much pressure when scuffing, or you risk scratching the leather. Once sprayed down and scuffed completely, wipe down the leather with a clean microfiber towel. If you’re already familiar with the leather dyeing process, you have probably heard many times that prepping the surface is key; without proper preparation/scuffing, the new dye will not adhere or bond to the leather. Therefore, you want to make sure you properly scuff and wipe down every square inch of leather surface to which you will be applying the dye.

Step 3: Apply the leather dye to the sponge and spread the dye onto the leather (in sections) and dab/push the dye into the leather to promote proper adhesion. Light coats are key here — less is more. At least 5 coats are recommended; I did 10 coats in total. Recommended drying time between coats is 1.5 hours; I waited between 3 to 24 hours between each coat. I also wiped down the leather with a microfiber towel and scuffed all surfaces (with very LIGHT pressure) between each coat. You want to keep repeating this process until you get a smooth, even finish. You do not want to have thick coats, or you run the risk of runs or a plasticky feel. It is also important to note that this stage of the process can be done using a spray gun; however, as this was my first time (and since I’m not good with spray guns), I decided to use the sponge to apply the dye. Another important note is that you want to occasionally stir the dye as you apply, so as to prevent the pigment from settling to the bottom.

Step 4: Apply the Protection Cream. Proceed to this step at least 24-48 hours after applying your last coat of dye. You want to apply the cream to a clean microfiber towel, and spread it evenly onto the leather. Pay extra attention to high-use areas like seats and arm rests.

Step 5: WAIT. After you are finished with the entire process, you must let the leather sit/cure for 7 days before handling/reinstalling the seats.

I hope you enjoyed this DIY. I didn’t create a DIY video, but I do have over 20 hours of usable raw footage from the process. I don't know how to upload video content here, but feel free to ask me any questions you have. The only question I have for you guys is: what color should I wrap my car?