Wiring problem 95 540 sport seats into 90 525

[mancini_mark]

Hi,

I know this has been done, and I was reading through Shogun's and Javier's threads, and particularly the word instruction sheet and excel sheet, but I am still having some trouble wiring up the driver's seat.

I have a 1990 (built sept 89) 525 M20 that I am putting sport seats from a 95 540i sport (basiclly M5 seats). My car had basic heated cloth seats with no memory. The sport seats have the memory function. The wiring harness coming from my floor is white. The seat has a black harness that doesn't hook up. I started trying to pull the pins out of the white harness (like Javier), but already broke a couple. I am having a hard time finding the X603, etc. referred to in Javier's instructions, and I am thinking maybe my car or the seat is a bit different. I could care less about the memory function, but adjusting it would be nice. Even the schematic in bentley has different wire colours listed for the motor functions.

I am a bit lost. I suck at electrical work. Please help.

Thanks,

Mark

[mancini_mark]

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9272&highlight=memory+seats&page=3

[tim eh?]

so you had cloth seats too? maybe it's a GWN thing... i had cloth seats and I've seen at least 3 other early canadian models with cloth.

I'm not sure how much help I can be but I put heated/power seats in to replace my heated/manual ones and had to fool with the wiring a bit.

I'm assuming our white harness plugs are the same, but still the wiring could be different. All info applies to MY car (ie use at your own risk:))

DS
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6848&stc=1&d=1244983341

PS
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6849&stc=1&d=1244983341


here's what I know...

start with the easy one brown is ground
the green/black with yellow dots is + for the seat heaters, hot in start/run
skinny grey/black is interior light fader (ie for the bulbs in the heater switch)
on the DS the red/yellow is + for power seat switch, always hot (!)
on the PS the red/black is + for power seat switch, always hot

IIRC it's pretty easy to trace which wire goes to the power seat switch, I think that ought to get it moving at least.

took a while to get ps heat working - problem was 3-fold... bad heater switch in new seats, a relay inside the seatback had to be powered, and... the seatbelt has to be connected (there is a switch in the buckle) for the circuit to be complete (aaaargh I can remember banging my head against the back of the seat a few times after I had finally figured this out :D) Maybe ps heat isn't a priority for you but you might encounter a similar issue with the memory module which I believe is also buried in the seat itself somewhere. The power to the relay was supposed to come from a connector to the driver seat but I didn't have the connector. Instead I used the + for the passenger lumbar support (which the PS seat doesn't have so it was unused). I think it was blue, it's there in the photo but it must be hidden at least I can't see it.

have you tried the shogun extractor? it makes things so much easier.
http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40844

and this is how to unlock the plugs, doesn't mention the glue... all my plugs are factory-glued locked :(.
http://www.e38.org/breakoutboxesandconenctors.pdf

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6658&stc=1&d=1238280904

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6655&stc=1&d=1238280638

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6653&stc=1&d=1238280638

good luck... hope this helps

[mancini_mark]

Hmm. So you went with the splice method. I was sort of thinking to re-arrange the pins on the black receptor plug to match the setup on the passenger seat )it works beautifully). So I can plug/unplug if needed. Except I already broke 2 pins. Check your PM's!

Mark

[tim eh?]

No, I did exactly that except I rearranged the female ends on the white plug, I don't have a tool for the male ends. Those pics are from a different plug. I didn't splice anything on the seat install, but now that your pins are gone you might have to. See those blue connectors? They are regular crimpable 'female bullet connectors' and they fit around the factory female ends perfectly - I highly recommend you get a pack of those. (canadian tire or anywhere with auto electrical stuff)

PM checked... I might be able to swing that...

[nirvana19]

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/showthread.php?p=303582&mode=linear&highlight=seat#post303582

Is this the issue you're having? The memory seats use a completely different wiring harness that has a connection to that white plug in your car and connections to all the memory parts in the car as well as an independent ground. I believe the bentley has the schematic for this wiring harness. I ripped the harness out of the donor car (tore out the entire interior to get at it) and it works flawlessly, even the memory seat function works. If you're not concerned about the memory function you might want to try swapping the motors and wires from your old seat (when you say basic heated cloth seat I'm assuming that's the power cloth seat).

[mancini_mark]

F-me. The wire colours for the passenger seat are different again. So much for copying that. There is a brown wire on the black driver's harness, but it is amaller. Plus there is no big fat red wire. I'm about to give up and pay to have it done.

Time for a beer.

[tim eh?]

F-me. The wire colours for the passenger seat are different again. So much for copying that. There is a brown wire on the black driver's harness, but it is amaller. Plus there is no big fat red wire. I'm about to give up and pay to have it done.

Time for a beer.

The small brown wire is probably a ground for the heater switch bulbs or some other light. There has to be a couple fat wires on the driver's harness maybe another colour no? PM sent!

[mancini_mark]

Ok, I think I have the donor's wiring harness coming my way this week. Hopefully that does the trick.

Mark

[mancini_mark]

Ok, so I am trying to do what you did. Where does the harness go? To the dead pedal? Higher?

Mark

[mancini_mark]

Is it #3 on RealOem?

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HE53&mospid=47410&btnr=61_0309&hg=61&fg=10

http://http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HE53&mospid=47410&btnr=61_0309&hg=61&fg=10

[mancini_mark]

Ok, there seem to be 2 different harnesses:

1. from 09/1990 to 03/1993 No. 61128355159

2. from 09/1993 No. 61128366855

I am trying to put 95 540 memory sport seats (like M5) into an early 09/08 built 525 with no memory. Which harness do I need? The late one is a LOT cheaper! $135 vs. $226 at the stealer.

Mark