I did the same upgrade with my 62. I put electrical plug connectors on the seats too for the adjustments. Just plug the dongle into the 12v socket and connect and adjust. Didn't hardwire them in though. The airbags made me nervous.
Seat Replacement/ Repair Options
- Thread starter SteamerF18
- Start date
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I just picked up some 2007 MB E350 seats with mbtex. It looks like I'll have to bypass the seat ECU and make a custom control panel with rocker switches and relays to run the motors (ordered from eBay vendors). The factory door switch panels, with memory, only have three wire outputs and connect to the CANbus before connecting to the seat ECUs. There are too many sensors, seatbelt pretensioners, airbag controls, the steering column adjustment may be integrated, etc. to decipher. And the block schematics I have aren't detailed enough to make sense of it all. Mine don't have the air bladder adjustments. They should bolt up to brackets similar to the Torfab BMW seat brackets. I have a welder and will make them myself.
The good thing is that, for me, the price was right and the seats should fit the space well and give me the extra headroom I want. I may be able to sell off the switch panels, ECUs, seat belt pretensioners, and wiring harnesses to make a little cash back, or maybe not.
It sure would be simpler to do manual adjust BMW seats...
I tried a pair of Volvo S80 seats (late 90's, early 2000's perhaps). The rails were too far apart and would need to rectify some serious driveline hump intrusion to center them behind the steering wheel. The front of the seats didn't adjust as low as I'd have liked, either.
I won't have time for this project for a few months, then I'll post up.
Before you bypass the seat ecu, try and connect a battery to the connectors for the seat. The seats I got have a 21 pin connector for each seat, but the big black wire was ground and the big red wire was power. So I just powered those two and all the seat controls work. But make sure you disconnect the airbag in the seat before you start sending power to random wires.
But, how do I connect the seat controls (just three skinny black wires) that are door mounted to the seats in the absence of the CANbus?
There is a vast multitude of variations of MB seats and many system interactions (position sensors, seat belt pretension/accident actuation, occupancy detection, steering column adjustment, seat heat/cooling, pneumatically adjusted bolsters, Signal Aquisition/Actuation Module, etc.), even within a single model/yr. If you don't have the VIN of the vehicle they were removed from and know someone with access to the schematics, it's not easy.
I have a similar seat wiring harness and have identified the motor power wires, with exception to how to separate the headrest height and seat back incline (they share one of the wires). Almost there. I may have to rewire the headrest height/incline motors or just preposition the headrest height and omit it from the control panel.
Fun stuff. Apologies for the thread hijack.
There is a vast multitude of variations of MB seats and many system interactions (position sensors, seat belt pretension/accident actuation, occupancy detection, steering column adjustment, seat heat/cooling, pneumatically adjusted bolsters, Signal Aquisition/Actuation Module, etc.), even within a single model/yr. If you don't have the VIN of the vehicle they were removed from and know someone with access to the schematics, it's not easy.
I have a similar seat wiring harness and have identified the motor power wires, with exception to how to separate the headrest height and seat back incline (they share one of the wires). Almost there. I may have to rewire the headrest height/incline motors or just preposition the headrest height and omit it from the control panel.
Fun stuff. Apologies for the thread hijack.
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Is the SOR Factory Bottom Cover at $425 still my best option (Link) to fix this rip in my 62 drivers side seat? I've heard that there could be enough fabric under the seats to have an upholstery shop piece in a fix, but I've not seen any posts or pics of this type of repair. It looks like Id need a strip of the brown factory fabric and some vinyl to match.
Any guidance or advise? Is there someplace I can buy a yard of OEM fabric/vinyl?
Thanks!
Any guidance or advise? Is there someplace I can buy a yard of OEM fabric/vinyl?
Thanks!
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Bump any ideas?
