How to tell Finished Leather?

[hondajake]

How do I tell if the leather in my Saab 9-7x is finished?

Thanks!

[CharlesW]

How do I tell if the leather in my Saab 9-7x is finished?

Thanks!I have read that a drop of water will soak into unfinished leather and will run off finished leather.
I can't vouch for that since I haven't had anything other than finished leather for a long time.

[ScottB]

Since Saab is owned by GM ... likely coated leather. (joke)

[supercharged]

I have read that a drop of water will soak into unfinished leather and will run off finished leather.
I can't vouch for that since I haven't had anything other than finished leather for a long time.
:iagree::whs:

[gary26]

Leatherique has a great site with lots of info.

[hondajake]

the manual says, I can use a mild soap and water to clean the leather. So it must be finished?

[judyb]

Generally speaking leather in cars is finished leather ie. it has some sort of clear coat finish on the top surface of the leather. However it is always wise to check before embarking on any cleaning operation as some high end models and older cars do have more absorbent leathers which will restrict the amount of cleaning that can be done and the subsequent results.
You can test a finished leather by putting some foam cleaner onto the surface of the leather and seeing the absorbency rate. A finished leather will allow the foam to sit on the surface whereas an unfinished leather (or one with a more absorbent finish) you will see that the cleaning foam is being absorbed. The rate of this absorption will dictate how much cleaning can be done.
The test is best done with a foam cleaner rather than water as some leather are hydrophobated which makes them water repellant - in these cases a foam cleaner will break that surface tension and give a more accurate reading.

Hope this helps

[img]

These are 9-7x seats. you can tell by the sheen that they are finished.
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/saabseats.JPG