zipper type attachment holding the seat cover on back of front seat has come apart on my 2008 Touring convertible. Is there a special tool to close it or can an upholstery shope fix it

no different then when the zipper on your pants comes apart, usually one of the teeth (I'm sure a seamstress has a proper name for a zipper tooth) has fallen out. Try the same thing that you do on your pants or yes a person that knows how to replace zippers is what you need. My buddy's wife has done one or two for me on pants and it's a job that requires some skill to get it looking straight and neat.

there is no clasping part to it like a zipper on your pants, wish there was. There is what looks like a zipper

here's a pix

another pix

wierd looking - but I'd say if you want to have in look good when fixed then you are going to need an upholsterer , my only other idea is if you know anyone that works on boat tops/upholstery.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. It started as a 1/2 inch coming apart and then I got in the car(wifes car) and seen it had traveled

I am having the same exact issue same exact car, I bought a zipper replacement kit and tried to put a new zipper on it, but it wouldnt clasp. Did you have any luck?

purchase #5 slider (or kit) at fabric store & feed top end of zipper through to zip down. will need to remove plastic cover around seat belt to access top end of zipper. This is assuming the zipper & teeth are not damaged.

I tried the #5 slider. Tried with no luck. Any suggestions?

Just fixed mine, not hard. I used a #4 zippier pull from Jo-Ann fabric store. First remove the seat belt cover at top of seat by pushing forward (from back) and a bit down in front to detach it from its clip. Second, remove staple from end of zipper (which is put in to keep the zipper from coming apart at the end. Third, pull the upholstery down at the bottom (with two hands grasping the upholstery at the bottom of the back of the seat). Rotate the bottom edge backward to release the edge from its clip at the bottom. Fourth, pullout the folded under part of the zipper and feed the ends into the pull, note that the pull tab is in the inside so the outside of the zipper is like you would see it on the inside of a pants zipper. The teeth start at about one inch from the end. Fifth, Feed the two ends separately into the larger side of the pull till it gets to the where the teeth start. Hold the two ends, pull the sides close together and pull the zipper pull about one inch down the teeth. At this point the teeth will probably not engage, but not to worry. Put the teeth together by hand, one tooth at a time, working backward from the pull from the end you started from. Do this by bending the zipper sides sideways to spread the teeth apart enough to insert a tooth on one side between two on the other side. Sixth, now pull the pull backward over about half of the teeth you just put together. This basically primes the zippier. Seventh, now pull the pull forward and the teeth should engage properly. Zip the zipper the whole way to the bottom and let the pull come off the bottom end. Finally, either staple across the zipper at the top and bottom ends (slightly inside the toothed zone) or stitch around the teeth a few times there. This keeps the teeth from coming apart. Reattach the bottom edge of the upholstery and put the seat belt cover back on, working on the opposite manner as when wou took them off. DONE! Sounds like a lot but that’s just cause I tried to give as much detail as possible. I never did it before and it still only took less than 30 minutes start to finish. Good luck!

Fixed mine, too! Secret for me was the orientation of the slider: the tapes (zipper sides before the teeth begin) have to be fed through the TOP of the slider...) I found that advice to 'pull upwards and slowly' worked...had to do it twice, but as stated above, the first time seemed to line things up. Thanks!