Preserving an M Interior: Leather, Alcantara and Sticky Buttons

Bidders forgive a stone chip. They do not forgive a cracked dashboard, a shiny bolster or the sticky soft-touch coating that afflicts every BMW built between roughly 2000 and 2012.

The sticky button problem

The soft-touch coating on switchgear degrades into a tacky film. It can be removed with isopropyl alcohol and patience, then left bare or recoated. It takes an evening and adds real money at sale.

Leather

Clean and condition twice a year with a pH-neutral product. The driver's bolster fails first, always, and reflects the wear of every entry and exit. A single re-dyed bolster is normal; a re-trimmed seat raises questions.

Alcantara

Never use leather conditioner on it. Brush with a soft nylon brush in one direction and clean with a dedicated Alcantara product. Once it goes shiny it cannot be reversed, only replaced.

Dashboards

UV is the enemy. A sunshade in storage is the single cheapest preservation measure available to any owner of an E36, E46 or E9x.