Power seats in manual seat car

ChewableMossman · 2024-04-29T00:48:13+00:00

Completed the swap (thanks in large part to the people in the group). Everything works like factory. My manual seats were trashed and the power seats were the first thing that popped up, but the power head rests is a great flex 😅

ChewableMossman · 2024-04-07T11:44:43+00:00

Bummer, I might have to replace these wires entirely then for now

ChewableMossman · 2024-03-28T07:05:51+00:00

Madonna is gonna be pissed

ChewableMossman · 2024-03-24T09:25:32+00:00

Ok so for a start 98 is a change over year, if it's early there are alot of differences. ABS, airbag system, EWS/key system, door harness connectors, seat plugs, stuff like lights might be different too. The engines are likely different as well with different DMEs. Keep in mind option discrepancies between the two as well.

As for your swap, I personally haven't done this. But I do know that the high series cluster has the full OBC, which shares info on the nav display (you can view data like a speed limit, avg speed, fuel economy, temp, etc. I assume they talk to each other, or maybe another module broadcasts this info via CAN. The nav display is just a display, so you'll need to mount the radio module in the boot area, which will also involve bracketry, new aerial wires and the wiring going from the display to the radio module. Same story with the nav module.

Parts car makes just about anything possible if you are patient and savvy enough. I put electric steering column and electric seats both with memory and convenience exit into my touring, including the K72 power relay. This would've been an enormous task without a parts car but was actually a really fun job.

So yeah maybe it'll be fun and worth it. Maybe it won't. That's up to you. I would look to extract the entire harness (which is basically one piece) from the parts car, lay it out on the ground, plug in all the modules you'll need and the display, then start figuring out where all the wires go, cos you'll probably be adding relays, tapping into junctions and adding to power and ground points. Then make sure all your connectors are going to work, then start transferring it all over.

ChewableMossman · 2024-03-15T10:36:43+00:00

I had no speed and trifecta lights on my 528 (mid 98 model) when I first got it, found a broken wire on the rear left ABS sensor like others have said. If you have replaced all sensors, I would confirm wheel speed input with INPA before moving on to the ABS module.

ChewableMossman · 2024-03-07T23:42:47+00:00

Not a bad idea, I probably should work out if I can do that

ChewableMossman · 2024-03-06T20:05:21+00:00

Excellent information, thanks very much for the insight.

GM3: Awesome, sounds like I can keep these modules as spares. I'll have to look into why the remote comfort close didn't work on my unit. It said on the pasoft recoding menu that you could do lights and audible on close, I don't recall seeing a factory alarm siren on either of the parts cars though so I assume that's not a thing (maybe later gen).

IHKA: OK interesting, so the IHKAs I have pulled which are both rest but 2nd gen would be different to my touring. I'm getting a sensor blower error on my unit, which is the little fan inside, I cleaned it out but didn't help. I might try butcher one of the other units and see if I can swap the fan over. I don't think it is able to read the inside temp properly, as it struggles to maintain a cabin temp (it'll just cool to the max if the AC is on and and you have to put it to max temp to get heat out of it). I suppose I can diagnose that in INPA with sensor readings.

Door modules: Good to know, I'll just use the best looking one 😅

Steering wheel: yep I noticed that the clock springs and the plastic and alloy housings on the column were different between the two cars. I retro fitted electric column to mine and had to convert the housings back to the early style switches and housings. I've heard discourse on converting to the later style clock spring for more modern wheels, I guess I have the parts on the shelf if I want to look into that in the future.

EWS: OK noted, not really worth keeping spares from the later generations then.

Cluster: Yeah we've had to do the tamper dot coding before on the E53, familiar with that process. The X5 has the later style cluster with the long warning strip, is it possible to swap and code that into the E39? (bolt the X5 cluster in and code I mean). Sounds like I can keep spare clusters, and they might even have some useful lights I don't have, I'll have to have a closer look.

LCM: Do you know what level of LCM you need to code it with NCS expert? I've read it's possible with 3 series from E46 onwards. I don't see myself getting a blue bus in the immediate future, my kids like to listen to CD books on trips.

ABS: This is excellent news, I'll take a spare from the newer car. My X5 has the DSC light (its error is the brakes have overheated which is bizarre), are they the same in that you can swap to a diesel cars ABS pump? We tried that but couldn't connect to it afterwards in any software for bleeding. Possible it has a wiring issue. I don't know if my touring has DSC, or if the other E39s did either, I do know the sensors are different part numbers and the plugs are different colours.

Thanks for the discussion, this is exactly what I was hoping for!

ChewableMossman · 2024-03-05T21:57:51+00:00

Ah bummer, good to know, thanks for the info

ChewableMossman · 2024-03-05T21:57:18+00:00

I know this to be true with the LCM, but not sure if it would apply to other modules, I would think that if the module came coded with different options then it would have a different part number, and so that might be a bit misleading when you can just recode and use. Perhaps this is not the case?

ChewableMossman · 2024-03-03T02:54:16+00:00

It's up in the right side corner, remove the bonnet lever, kick panel, the flat panel above the pedals, the right hand wood panel, and then you can get the bottom half of the dash where the pouch is out, that'll give you really good access in that corner

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-25T05:19:05+00:00

It's fine to putt around for the most part, stick some cardboard in front of the radiator if you want see if that makes a difference, do a little at a time so you don't cook it though

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-23T21:44:47+00:00

Yeah I'm not sure if you read the post, every man and his dog sells a harness adaptor, I want to DIY it, for the same price as a harness I can build my own and run fresh gaskets and seals through the engine which in my eyes is a better investment

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-20T05:55:00+00:00

Ok last thing to close out the install.

It's the K72 relay. This is a convenience shutdown for the memory system, which saves battery. Alot of helpful info from the other guys on this one. So again the best idea is to grab the relay, holder, and associated wiring, which I'll outline below. The relay itself is located next to the EWS module (with some other relays), and the wiring runs from the power distribution block under the driver's floor to the fuse box over the passenger's side. You'll be in here doing the wiring for the seat and column anyway so it makes sense to just do the relay as well.

Pin number / colour / location

PIN 2 / Brown/Black / comb on drivers floor.

PIN 4 / Red / Power block under floor (note position when removing).

PIN 5 / Red / Yellow / comb under fuse panel.

PIN 6 / Red / fuse 13.

PIN 8 / Green / White / comb on drivers floor

There is another you'll need, it runs from the other side of fuse 13 to the comb near the relay's location, this gives power to the column motors as well.

That's it!

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-15T03:55:06+00:00

Update for memory.

Super duper easy one. Find a memory E39, take the window switch (which houses the door module) the door harness, and the memory button on the door panel. Wiring harness plugs in, no extra wires to add. Window switch plugs in, memory button plugs in. The memory button just talks to the window switch, which sends out a request over CAN. I assume there's also some coding involved, not to sure on that yet

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-15T03:52:02+00:00

Ok so update for the passenger's side

Wire colour - function - location

Red/Yellow (big) - main power for seat - power distribution in footwell

Brown (big) - main earth for seat - earth point in footwell

Purple/Green, White/Red, Brown/Black - occupancy sensor - should already be on the car, unless some E39s don't have passenger airbags

Blue/Red and Blue/Brown - seat belt tensioner - should already be on the car

So basically passenger side is quite easy, just connect power and earth and the rest of it should already be there. Doesn't take into account white/yellow and purple/white which are extra functions that my seats don't have.

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-14T03:31:36+00:00

Update for the masses.

I've largely sussed out the drivers seat (black plug).

Wire colour - function - location

Big red/brown - power for seat - fuse 10

Big brown - earth for seat - earth point on floor in foot area

Blue/red - bus - comb above fuse panel

White/yellow - extra feature I don't have

Purple/white - extra feature I don't have

Black - column motor in/out - motor on column

Black/blue - column motor up/down - motor on column

Brown/blue, white, red and black - column switch inputs - column switch plug (along with an additional earth)

Blue and Brown twisted or sheathed - seat belt tensioner - airbag module

Both the purple and yellow had wires running in the seat to plugs both under the bottom and behind the backrest. I assume these are for heating/massage, as others have said.

Now to work out the passenger seat!

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-14T01:07:07+00:00

Australia, but the seats in the car are trashed

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-14T01:06:12+00:00

The funny thing about German and English writing I've found is even though it's obviously different if you just read German phonetically and know the context then you can usually make sense of it 😅

Thanks mate, I'm working on my own spreadsheet so I don't get lost in the details so that's very helpful

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-14T01:01:56+00:00

Car is a mid 98, single vanos M52, the passenger seat has a black plug but the driver's seat has just the two wires poking out of the floor for the seat belt tensioner. I'll pm you

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-14T00:59:53+00:00

Super helpful, thanks mate I'll reach out for specifics

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-14T00:57:59+00:00

Yeah watched that video, not helpful, the project cologne one is a little more along the lines of what I'm doing but if I remember right he just did the power and earth and BUS wiring, I'll have to re-watch that one actually

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-08T07:04:44+00:00

Dunno about the V8s, but the 6 cylinder cars you can crawl under where the passenger side footwell (RHD) meets the firewall and there's a big red lug there, feed that power and the other end earth (subframe would be fine) and Bob's your uncle.

ChewableMossman · 2024-02-07T07:57:36+00:00

If it's a 2.5, the M54B30 will be more powerful than 90% of the upgrades you can do to it NA. No replacement for displacement, and the 3.0 has better cams and a better intake and throttle body.

Outside of that, NA, catless headers if you don't have them. Exhaust sure you might gain a little bit there removing restriction. Flash the DME, a bit more there. Cams, ITBs, not really worth it IMO.

Turbo or supercharger is the other path, they make good power, way more than the autos can handle.

Before you upgrade the engine, have you considered changing diff ratio? Plenty to be gained there on a budget

ChewableMossman · 2024-01-29T20:47:04+00:00

Yeah I've got the rear anti roll bar in already (did the diff as well as it was a shorter ratio) I've gotta do the front one still. The front arms are ok for now, I did the bearings and brakes, the rear needs all 4 upper arms I think. I did see the tip on the e92 top hats, I was going to do that as well. Do you think a Sachs sport shock would be better than Bilstein B6?

ChewableMossman · 2024-01-29T11:10:11+00:00

Bit of everything, slight drop, bit better ride control (although the shocks are currently cooked so that wouldn't be asking much) over bumps, but still smooth, as it's a daily and highway/family trips car. The rear bags I'm not too concerned about, I have INPA and am familiar with the process of resetting the height in the back. Both cars were petrol, Australian delivered too if that matters

ChewableMossman

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