Retrofit M5 Interior

[Espen]

I recently got a 1988 535 with a worn out interior, so I scanned the web for an black M5 leather interior and got a complete set very cheap in Sweden.

I started the swap today, and quickly found out that my car doesnt have the right harness for the new seats.

The new seats have full electric adjustment, heated seats, and the memory module. The old seats had none of the above.
The new drivers seat have a yellow (20 or so pins, looks like the one behind the OBC) connector and 2 bigger 4 pin connectors
The passenger seat do not have the memory module, and hence not the yellow connector.
Under the carpet I only found a 12 pin white connector.. (wich was full av that green rust)

So the cable under my carpet doesnt fit any of the seats.. On my last e34, a 1992 525, i retrofittet a electric adjusted interior, there it was no problems with the connector.

So what im looking for is if anone have done this retrofit before, does a adapter harness exist? Or maybe a schema of the connectors pinout.

I could live without the heated seats and the memory, but the adjustment is a must.

(I have pictures of all the connectors, but the cable to my camera is at work)

[Espen]

Underneath the seat:

http://pyrabel.net/535/bilder/m5skinn/m5driverseat.JPG
http://pyrabel.net/535/bilder/m5skinn/m5driverseat3.JPG

This is how the connector under the carpet looked like:
http://pyrabel.net/535/bilder/m5skinn/undercarpet.JPG

[Brandon J]

The connectors might not fit, but you can still mate the 2. The M5 seats have memory so there are more connections than your e34 has. So, find wiring diagrams for your year and model e34 and compare the wiring deagrams of the year of that M5. Then connect the power, ground, etc. Since you don't have matching pigtails you can crimp your own connectors. I like to wrap the connectors I use in electrical tape since it isn't as safe as a pigtail connector. Good luck and I am looking forward to seeing the finished install.

[Espen]

Any hints on where to find the diagrams for a 1988 535 and a 1990 M5?

[uscharalph]

Any hints on where to find the diagrams for a 1988 535 and a 1990 M5?
Bentley repair manual.

[Espen]

And where would i get one? I would need one for the M5 and one for the 535?

Last time I was working on a bmw i had this russian site wich had all the diagrams for the e34. I cant seem to remeber what it was called.

Ok i found the schematics for a 1990 535, its here:
http://pyrabel.net/535/doc/fig15.pdf

This shows me the pinout on whats under the seats i think.. Now i need to find out what the pinouts is for the 12pin connector in the car.

[Ross]

You can remove the wires from the M seats plug and reinstall th needed ones into the old plug once you know which is which.
There has been treads about adding memory seats before so there is a way.
Shogun is probably your man on this job.

[uscharalph]

And where would i get one? I would need one for the M5 and one for the 535?

Last time I was working on a bmw i had this russian site wich had all the diagrams for the e34. I cant seem to remeber what it was called.

Ok i found the schematics for a 1990 535, its here:
http://pyrabel.net/535/doc/fig15.pdf

This shows me the pinout on whats under the seats i think.. Now i need to find out what the pinouts is for the 12pin connector in the car.
I got mine on eBay.

[Espen]

I found a old thread started by "e34it" where Javier did alot of nice work on documenting the convertion of memoryseats to buypass the memory module

the original thread:
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9272&highlight=memory+seats

(why does it say bimmernut.com not bimmer.info? )


Do not hesitate to ask for clarifications or further instructions if you find any discrepancy. Remember I'm using drawings and manuals, not the actual seat.

Javier

Edit: Links to missing pictures
http://www.bimmer.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=774&stc=1
http://www.bimmer.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=775&stc=1
http://www.bimmer.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=776&stc=1

I have mirrored the files provided by Javier.
http://pyrabel.net/535/doc/memseat/Instructions.doc
http://pyrabel.net/535/doc/memseat/wiring.xls

He is referring to a black 12pin connector called X603.. Is this the same one im holding on the last picture in my post above? Mine is white though, but its still a 12pin.

edit: guess not
http://www.bimmer.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=774&stc=1

Also, he explains that i need to pllwires from this 12pin connector up to each of the motors inside the seat.
I kinda think that is unnesescary(i had a hard time trying to spell that word) because all the motor is allready connected to one of the 3 connectors under the seat, arent they?

[karl1171]

The Yellow connector is to control the mirrors: I briefly had a 535 which I bought for the leather seats. Just as a matter of interest, the car the seats were taken from wiould no longer be able to operate its electric mirrors without this connection.

Of course the car(s) I put it in after that didn't have this connector but did have the white 12 pin connector yours has. The memory and all movement will work using this 12 pin connector.

I'm no sure what access to the underside of your seat is like, but do the colours of the wires to the plug in the seat match the colours of the wires on the white plug?

Also some wiring diagrams can be found on
http://www.e38.org/e34
dont think it has an M5 diagram though.

[Espen]

Im not sure if i can check the colorcodes on the yellow connector as it is directly fitted to the BOSCH module.

I dont have the 12pin connector on the seat, its only under the carpet.

[Espen]

Here is a closer picture of the memory module.. cant see the colorcodes on the wires..

http://pyrabel.net/535/bilder/m5skinn/memorymodule4.JPG

This is the only connector on the seat besides the yellow one on the memory module
http://pyrabel.net/535/bilder/m5skinn/dseatconnector.JPG

I fitted the passenger seat, the conenctor was the same type, a 12pin, but one of the wires had a different position.

On the seat:
http://pyrabel.net/535/bilder/m5skinn/pseatconnector.JPG

On the car
http://pyrabel.net/535/bilder/m5skinn/pseat_undercarpet.JPG

The last wire doesnt have the same color code, so i left it untouched, and everything on the seat works, except the headrest adjustment, wich i think is not related to the wire, as i can hear the motor running.

Havent tested the heated seat function yet, but i guess it works.

[Espen]

And the backseat, how do i remove it without breaking it? I cant get to the 3x 8mm bolts under the headrest without bending the seat like this.
http://pyrabel.net/535/bilder/m5skinn/backseat.JPG

[Morgenster]

Remove headrests entirely and all bolts on the underside of the backrest. Then bull it up vertically without twisting it like you did in your pics. It should come right off. Getting it back in is much harder if you have to do it alone.

EDIT: forgot to add that there's at least two bolts that are will remain sticking outwards towards the front so you have to twist it just a little to get over that. Also, if you already twisted the backrest too far it might be harder to get it out.

EDIT2: headrests alone is not enough. Best to also remove the plastic slides on top of the backrest. turning the large plastic screws 90 degrees should make them come out easily.

[BMWCCA1]

Just trying to remove a rear-seat backrest with headrests? Simply pull straight up on the headrest itself and it will pop out. Then 1/4 turn on the plastic screw heads (either way) and they pull out. Then lift up on the plastic base plate, it's just snapped to the headrest mounting. The seat back should come out by lifting upward without having to remove anything underneath related to the headrest mounting bracket as long as you've removed the plastic nuts at both bottom corners of the backrest (seat bottom removed) and the two fasteners under the flap behind the center armrest.

[Espen]

I got it out after taking out those 3 8mm bolts.. but man, my arms are sore..

Back in was pretty easy, I fitted the headrest mounts first, fitted the seat, and last pushed down the headrests.

I still need some help with the wiring to the drivers seat. :)

[Espen]

Bumping

[Paul in NZ]

why cant you just trace the colour wires used on the passenger seat and use just those on the drivers seat.ttrace where the wires go from the motors(on the passengers seat) and wire them up only on the drivers...or are you determined to get memory?

[Espen]

Hmm I guess i could do that. You think that would work?
I mean, alle the connectors to the different motor`s are connected to the memory module on the drivers seat. On the passenger seat they ae spliced onto the harness that ends in the 12pin connector.

Im not thinking of gettin the memory to work,

[Kalevera]

I have a better solution.

Buy the intermediary memory wiring harness.

It plugs into the 12 pin body harness connector, then into the seat's memory control module. Plug and play, all seat functions will work fine. Just be sure to get the early harness, not the late one (later cars, sometime during '93 production, use a different MCM).

You can probably source on in Europe for less money, but if you end up needing it, I have three or four of them at the moment. Shipping would be killer, though.


Also have a bunch of pictures on how it all goes together, if you need them.

[Espen]

Wow i didnt know such thing existed.
Do you know the partnumber? I guess wi would have to find one on ebay, as the dealer proberbly will take alot of $$$$

Where do you live? Shipping a harness couldnt cost that much? I would ofcourse pay all costs.

[Espen]

Sorry for bringin up this old thread, I just wanted to write down the solution, wich of course was bying the harness from Kalevera.
It was 100% plug and play, and everything works like a charm.

[filip00]

it's never late for a post-up, someone might need the info :)

[leicesterboy15]

Nice, does the memory work as well?

[Espen]

Yes everything works, except for memory mirrors.