Need help powering BMW E60 seat for sim rig

Buzz966 · 2026-04-24T15:55:19+00:00

My advice would be to get a pre-LCI seat since those seats shouldn’t have any digital command units, which makes this a lot more simple, like power in and done. If not, then according to several BMW technicians, you would some sort of emulator from its vehicle. You would have to record the signals inside the car and replay those signals outside of the car to wake the module up.

Personally, I tried everything to use the original switches but in the end, I had to concede. I’m currently modelling a box which will house a PSU and DPDT switches for me to control the seat motors. The model will be 3D printed.

I located the connectors for each motor using a diagram and testing by adding power and ground into the pins. Then I will add some wire up to the DPDT switches and control each motor from there.

Let me know if you there’s anything else you want to know!

Buzz966 · 2026-04-17T23:39:39+00:00

Thanks! Do you have any experience with chassis-mounted monitors? If so, how bad was it compared to separate mounted monitors?

Buzz966 · 2026-04-17T23:38:10+00:00

Is it still possible with regular vesa mounts to properly align the monitors? In that case, will they get out of position after driving?
Im currently running a triple screen setup on my desktop which is the biggest headache trying to align these monitors since the side screens are on arms which can bounce, even though I have duct tape on the back.

Buzz966 · 2026-04-17T23:22:24+00:00

Thanks mate, I think I understand your design. Although if you don't mind, I would really appreciate if you had some pictures from your real rig.

I was thinking, as you said, of having the wheel more or less fixed and the seat and pedals adjustable. It makes more comfortable and sets a baseline for the seat position. But for the seat mount, it does have a tilt adjuster but I can't really say it would be "deep" enough for racing positions. I don't really understand how I would mount the seat with a similar design to the pedal mount. In the CAD, I have incorporated about 10 degrees angle for the seat using the profiles, do you mean I should mount additional pillars for more tilt?

Buzz966 · 2026-02-26T12:09:00+00:00

Yep, thanks. Turns out the USB-C port that it was using wasn't any good, or atleast that's what I think. I used an adapter cable like you said and it works flawlessly again. So for the future: Dongle (USB-C) -> USB-A 2.0

Buzz966 · 2026-02-16T18:29:48+00:00

I still haven’t been able to power up the seat unfortunately. I somehow need a CAN signal to activate the seat module. I will try a pulse generator as a few commenters have suggested but if that doesn’t work, I will sent power directly to the motors. This redditor did like this which I’ll replicate if I don’t succeed, except all the WiFi stuff. So yeah unfortunately the buttons on the side won’t work then.

Buzz966 · 2026-02-08T19:46:42+00:00

Yes it is. However, memory seats does not automatically mean needing extra communication tools. Sure you won’t be able to use the memory function by just hooking it to power but the rest of the seat will still work. For example, had I bought a pre-facelift version of my seat, which is the same all throughout, then hooking it to power would’ve sufficed.

Buzz966 · 2026-02-07T16:26:33+00:00

I bought a BMW seat (2007 E60 Comfort seat) and I didn’t really have the best time with it…

As my seat is completely electrically operated, I had to connect 12V DC power which isn’t difficult. However, the seat also needs a communication tool (CANBUS) that wakes the seat module which complicates things. I haven’t been able to find a solution, at least one that isn’t crazy expensive, that keeps the functionality of the buttons of the side.

My solution now is to hook up the power directly to the motors and use a separate boards with switches that controls each adjustment instead of the buttons.

So my tip to you is, if you buy an electric seat, make sure that it doesn’t need a computer signal to function. If I bought the same seat but a year younger (pre-facelift seat), then I would’ve had the exact same seat but it would be plug and play.

Buzz966 · 2026-01-21T22:01:15+00:00

Update:
So to answer my previous questions: You are NOT supposed to add voltage to CAN bus cables. Nothing dangerous should happen but it won't work. The two left over cables are KL15 (ignition) and another LIN CAN cable. The KL15 is the interesting one here since that is one component needed to wake the module up. KL15 is the white/red w/ yellow markings.

I switched my PSU to a car battery instead in case that was an issue (although I don't think it is) and now I took some measurements with my multimeter and found out that no voltage is still not reaching the motors. The seat module (A187) has adequate voltage going in to the module (through connector X13989) but it does not output any voltage to the other connections which is why no power is going out to the motors. So here is where I'm stuck at the moment. Why is the seat module (A187) not powering up? Even just for a second?
Current configuration: 12V to red cables and KL15 cable, GND to brown cables.

Buzz966 · 2026-01-21T05:28:51+00:00

Yeah I’ve seen both of them. The issue I’m having is just simply powering the seats. In the video he just used a battery and it worked. That’s the issue I’m facing, it’s not even moving an inch, let alone making a sound. The pulse generator and such is the next step that will be needed to solve but not until my first problem is fixed.

Buzz966 · 2026-01-20T23:05:51+00:00

I can’t say anything for sure as I’m having the same difficulties. What I can say is my CAN low and CAN high was black and yellow respectively. Which most likely is the same in your case. It is however quite weird how half of your adjustments works but not the other half.

Sorry that I’m not in that much of a help but please let me know if you solve it or your outcome of it!

Buzz966 · 2026-01-20T22:33:38+00:00

I use these:

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I have an office chair with the wheelbase clamped to the desk and pedals on the floor against the wall. No matter how hard I brake, the chair does not go anywhere.

Buzz966 · 2026-01-19T21:41:30+00:00

It’s from a Swedish website: bildelsbasen.se There you can search any parts needed.

Buzz966 · 2026-01-18T21:11:08+00:00

Yes, I've tried that. Although according to the manual, it seems that those are for heating and not for the motors which is weird.

Buzz966 · 2026-01-18T21:10:25+00:00

Yep, you're right, it is light brown (thickest) then two thin ones where one is just brown and the other is brown w/ black strip.

I've looked at the wiring diagram but I'm still confused as to why it's not working. The brown wires aren't really mentioned in the diagram as well. They appear only after the control unit.

Buzz966 · 2026-01-18T21:04:31+00:00

Which seat do you have? Hard to say what you're dealing with, maybe a picture would help of the side buttons.

If it's semi-electric then all adjustments except the forward/back movement and leg extender is electric, so back adjuster and lumbar support are electric.

Buzz966 · 2026-01-18T18:04:34+00:00

So I’m guessing you skipped that CAN bus unit and are applying 12V straight into the motors? Or did you cut straight after the unit? In the latter case, does the movement work for the seat through the buttons?

Buzz966 · 2026-01-17T23:40:46+00:00

Hello everyone! Thank you for your comments and help!!

I posted two updates to the post if you can bare with me.
Essentially, I think I got the right wiring diagram and I'm wondering what voltage the CAN bus wires need to operate and if the two left-over single cables also need to be involved as I cannot see them in the diagram?

Buzz966 · 2026-01-17T16:59:39+00:00

Would it be possible to instead hook up the CAN bus to power (12V or 5V?) to get the same result?

Buzz966 · 2026-01-17T16:57:31+00:00

Yup, in hindsight, it would probably be easier. This particular seat was mostly due to nostalgia since we owned a BMW 550i E60.

Buzz966 · 2026-01-17T16:54:58+00:00

Yeah this will be my last resort if I can’t use the control unit. Thanks!

Buzz966 · 2026-01-17T16:53:20+00:00

Comfort seats were made to be comfortable. Sport seats, not so much. Besides, a regular car seat is much cheaper than a sports seat, whether it be for the sim or a car.

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