I didn’t realize I need a separate account to access Peach Parts to post this Mercedes repair. I’ll post the repair here until I create an account there.
PROBLEM:
MB Tex stinks. Right about when my warranty expired my driver’s seat began to peel and tear. Black duct tape slowed/stopped the damage but was esthetically unacceptable.
I tried using a seat patch/repair kit which actually gave a good result but under the weight of the driver, and location the repair didn’t last too long.
There are replacement covers available between $210 (vinyl) to $250 (leather). The problem with this solution is you need to use your existing seat frame and remove the seat heating element and install it in the new cover. Ultimately my main drawback from using a cover is you basically need to reupholster the seat, not for the feint of heart.
Working with an eBay seller I verified the E350 coupe seat bottom (W207) was the same seat bottom as my C350 coupe seat bottom (W204).
The seat bottom I sourced was the same style/color as my original MbTex (vinyl) cover except this seat was the MB Anthracite full leather.
Cost $218 + shipping/tax= $270
The beauty of this project is you can remove the seat bottom separately from the entire seat by removing only 2 T30 torx screws and unplugging the seat heater connection. No need to remove the seat from the vehicle. The side airbag is housed elsewhere, so no AirBag light.
The process took 30 minutes, overall I am very pleased, the car looks 100 times better. To the concourse eye, yes there is a little difference. However, for a daily driver this is more than acceptable.
I have not verified the functionality of seat heater, but I will worry about that when winter rolls around.
Since I now have an extra seat bottom frame I can practice reupholstery for my Porsches.