What do you guys use to maintain the leather dashboard? The same stuff you use for the seats? I never had a leather dash so I really don't know.

 

Yes - Connolly's Hide Food on everything once a month, maybe I'll skip the rear quarter panels some times...

 

With respect...the Hide Food is next to useless (used it years ago until I realised it didn't work, still have a near-full jar),,,,use the same GOOD conditioner (not a commercial one with silicones) - the same on the seats and dash, as often as possible. I use Lexol, but there are other good ones as well: Leatherique and others. Leather is skin; it needs conditioning or else it dries out. Dry leather shrinks and pulls the stitching.

 

Agreed, Lexol works great on all leather...used it for years.

 

I've been using Leatherique for many years on all my British cars leather

 

Leather Master

 

Living in Las Vegas "leather Master" has another meaning entirely.

 

Why is the Connolly conditioner useless? Forgive my ignorance, I know next to nothing about leather products. I use the Connolly conditioner, but I am by no means loyal to it.

 

My comment regarding Hide Food was based on my experience of it and other conditioners with Jaguar leather (I have restored more than 20 Jaguars). If you read the label you will note that you are advised to keep this product from freezing. Water and leather and not a good mix! I have found this product time-consuming to use, with unimpressive results. What automobile leather needs is the replacement of original oils lost through heat and sun damage; further, a major cause of leather deterioration is just plain DIRT.Leather needs to be kept clean and nourished with oils to keep it soft and to prevent cracking. It does NOT need any product that contains silicones or waxes (this is not a reference to Hide Food - but it does refer to many of the "commercial" conditioners, especially those produce by car wax companies (!). The best products (and here I have mentioned just two of my favourites, but there are others: Leatherique and Lexol) replenish the oils while at the same time drawing dirt to the surface of the leather where it can be cleaned away. The amount of dirt in automotive leather is astounding! Here is the test: a good conditioning product will NOT leave the leather smooth and glossy on application. A good product, allowed to penetrate the leather, will leave it somewhat sticky - that is the DIRT brought to the surface,. This has to be cleaned away, even buffed away with a clean cloth - doing so can be alarming because you might think you are removing dye. Not so; it is DIRT. the process should be repeated until the cloth comes away clean. By that time (and it may take a dozen applications) the leather will be soft and supple.

 

Interesting link: TOGWT

 

Auto glym

 

Used Lexol for years but with an XJR black interior the dash with Lexol always looked dull.
Switched to Meguiars "Rich Leather" . Am really liking the resulting non invasive shine.
Still looking like new 3 months after application.
Gave the Lexol away to BMW owner.

 

Started using Meguiars, then switched to Lexol after suggestion from a Jaguar expert in Victoria, BC. While the Lexol is a higher priced, I liked both products. Sticking with the Lexol based on advice and the reputation of the brand. Car is garage kept so I do the leather interior every 60 days to keep it fresh and smelling fresh.

 

I use the cleaner from Jaguar (green labeled bottle) as it does good job of moisturizing and cleaning the leather and Autoglym Leather Conditioner from the local Bentley dealer.

What i like about the Autoglym is natural finish that it leaves.....can't stand the oily, shiny surfaces.

 

Hmmm...have you considered WHY the shine is still there after months? it is because you have coated the surface with silicones - which effectively prevents any further absorption of conditioning oils, A good leather conditioner will be absorbed by the leather and any soft gloss left on the surface will quickly disappear (in about 24 hours - the leather should be buffed again). The conditioner you are using is what I call a "commercial" conditioner - there are lots of these, most produced by the car wax companies - I have it, I have tried it (ONCE)- along with virtually every other product) and I have relegated it to the back of the shelf, where the Hide Food resides. The conditioner should not impart an artificial shine (and this one does - as I said, I have used it). My choice for modern Jaguar leather (which is Italian leather)is Lexol, and there are other very good conditioners as well. The test: no shine after 2 days - just soft,"full". glowing leather because the conditioner has been fully absorbed.

 

I started using Griot's last month. It brings out the leather smell. Or it smells like leather, I'm not sure which.

 

I do not believe that the dashboard in a 2001 XJR is actually leather....perhaps that is why Lexol gave poor results.

 

Ah...right...well, Lexol is for leather, not vinyl, and the ("old") XK8 does not, as far as I know, have a leather dash. The thread started regarding the leather dash on the "new" XK - and that indeed responds to a good (non-silicone) leather conditioner.

 

Conditioned all my leather today with Autoglym