As you can see in the pics, the leather just above my center vent is sitting above the vent (see pics).


I can't tell if the dash is slightly warped there (heat?) or whether the leather has pulled a bit as these are known to do.

I saw another XKR with the same problem for sale a few months ago so I know mine isn't the only one.

Has anyone on here had this issue and resolved it? If so, what did you do?

Thanks in advance!

 

There are multiple threads dealing with this issue. Use the search box in the upper right corner. This is a fairly common problem which typically comes about from having your vehicle sitting in direct sunlight for prolong periods of time with no protection place over the dash or under the windshield. It can be remedied, so be sure to check out one or more of the threads dealing with this issue.

 

Yes, I did that (I've been on here for quite some time) but didn't find anything directly related to my issue.

I found lots of post on the leather pulling...lots of posts on it separating...a couple of excellent DIY threads on pulling the dash...but nothing on dealing with the issue that is limited to right above the vent.

Hence, my post. If I missed something, please feel free to share it.

 

Yes, super common issue discussed extensively on these forums.

 

Going from memory ... Some folks removed the dash and delivered to upholstery shop for repair. Turned out nice.
The easy method was Dash-Mat.
Good luck.
Post photos of your results.

 

Still the same issue, yours just pulled away at the near side of the dash instead of by the windshield (which gets more sun exposure).
The fix is the same, stretch, reglue, and staple if you can (to prevent recurrence).

 

You may be right about that....thanks for the input!

 

Thanks!

 

Just finished this repair on my 09 two months ago. Here are a few pointers:
1. Start by applying liberal amounts of leather moisturizer or mink oil to the area between the speaker grill and the vent multiple times over a period of days.
2. In order to remove the air vent you will have to remove the wood trim as well as pulling the head unit away from the center mount. You should still be able to keep everything in the head unit hooked up which is the much safer route versus full removal.
3. Get some wide vice grips and use wood popsicle sticks on both sides of the leather and apply moderate pulling force all the way across the top multiple times over a period of time in order to give it a chance to stretch.
4. I then used contact adhesive to reglue. I stretched it just enough to get it to cover under the vent but did not manage to staple it so I am hoping it will last a couple of years with the new glue.

PM me if you want a photo of the completed job. It's nice to get it done since it is visually in about the worst spot imaginable.

 

This is a huge help and is exactly what I was looking for when I posted this. I sent you a PM with a couple of follow up questions.

Thanks again!

 

I wanted to follow up on this post with a big "Thank You" to @kenbowen for sharing the procedure he used to resolve this issue.

I followed his instructions and they worked perfectly. Like him, couldn't get quite enough room to staple the edges but since my car is garaged and doesn't spend too much time in the sun I am hopeful that the glue (Weldwood Contact Cement) will hold up for a while.

I spent a solid week conditioning the leather and then I stretched it over three days.

I used sheet metal vise grips with a thick piece of dense cardboard to grab the leather and clamped it using c-clamp vise grips while I pulled on them to stretch it. Then I would leave it stretched and clamped for about 24 hours before doing the same thing again. After the third day I had enough room to glue it down.

Before gluing the edge, I lifted the loose section up and went as far back as I could (toward the speaker) with contact cement. I glued that part down, let it set for a few hours, and then did the last couple of inches at the front.

I am happy with the final results and the best part was that it was not necessary to pull the dash.

 

It came out perfect. Kudos!

 

Nice job and thank you so much for the detailed follow up! My 2008 isn’t doing that yet but it may be just a matter of time.

 

I have/had the same condition. Here's how I fixed it. I soaked a microfiber towel with water and placed it on top of the area. I let it soak for several hours. I pulled on the area after soaking and found it was stretching. I had purchased some "tarp clamps" off Amazon, some leather glue, and 6, 24" , bungee cords. I attached 6 clamps to the leather. I attached a bungee cord to each clamp. I moved my seats all the way forward and upright. I put a pole behind the headrests and stretched the bungee cords to the pole and secured them. I moved the seats back to put tension on the cords. I left it like this overnight. I checked the cords several times during that time and moved the seats to add more tension.
in the morning I found the leather to he stretched as much and more than I needed to fold over the dash. The leather was dry and I removed the clamps.
I applied leather contact cement according to directions and folded the leather into place. I probably had more than Jaguar originally had used. I placed a book on top of the dash area and put a 25# weight on top of it. The book conformed to the dash arch. I used the claps along the fold and left it for 24 hours.
Now as good or better than new.

Clamps and bungees

Adding tension with the seats

Clamps attached to the leather. Used cardboar under them to avoind the clamp marks

Let the stretching begin and continue

Stretched more than enough to fix

Glued, weighted, and clamped

 

genius

 

 

That's one hellava MacGyver, great color coordination with the red bungees.

 

PHD level Mcgyver right there.

 

When I first bought my car nearly 11 years and 212,000 miles ago, (actually 144,000 miles ago, the car now has 212,000), my dashboard was a mess. The area over the passenger airbag was completely loose like laundry flapping in the wind on a clothesline. The center piece surrounding the center grill and down the sloping sides was completely bubbled, and the leather edge against the windshield was detached from the frame and loose. I had already arranged for an auto upholstery shop to re-upholster the dash, and I arranged for the body shop that was doing some customization to my car to pull the dash so that I could get the dash done at the same time as the body work. Once the dash was out, it was all too apparent what the problem was. Jaguar ( and many other manufacturers) decided that stapling the leather to the frame was not necessary as opposed to just gluing it and that would be enough would to deal with the heat, the actual shrinkage of the leather etc. WRONG. Once I had the dash out, and saw this, I took it to my own furniture upholster (as I am in the interior design and decorating industry) and in a couple of hours my dash was repaired. I picked it up the next morning. He stapled the edge of the leather along the windshield to the frame, stapled to the frame all around the opening under the center grill as well as using a high heat adhesive to reglue the leather to the foam attached to the frame for the rest of the dash. My car has never spent even one night in a garage, it sits outside in my driveway. I live in the hottest part of Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, where typically every summer's day if over 100*F and often at that temperature during the spring with 90* weather in January/February. Ten years since we did the repair, and it still looks like the day we did it, absolutely perfect. Any repair done just by regluing will not be a permanent fix, but may last long enough until you sell the car. Without stapling, there is nothing anchoring the leather, and too much is asked of an adhesive to be practical. I doubt anyone on this X150 forum has as much mileage as my car. It is used everyday and still so good, I don't even think about selling it (and what's the market for a 212,000 mile Jaguar anyway?!) My repair has stood the test of time and extreme weather conditions and is still going strong.

I admire the creative fixes that other forum members have come up with to at least make their cars acceptable for themselves. Kudos to all of you.