Seat removal

[Barty]

Maybe one additional tip for installing electric seats: put them in their rough position first, then connect the cable before securing the bolts and belt. That way, you’ll be able to move the seat around making it easier to line up the holes

Remember to put both seats back in before reconnecting the battery

 

[Usel]

You can move the electric seats outside the car.

The black block connector far right, with pins 13 and 14, you can connect wire with spade connectors onto those pins.

13 is live (red/black wire) 14 is brown (ground) double check this

Then connect the other end onto the battery with crocodile clips or a friend can hold them on for you.



The seller has probably mentioned the pretensioners because maybe they came from a front end crash damaged car and they have fired.

Look down the open hole end and if you can easily see a nut and bolt then they have fired. Also the rubber should look compressed on the outside like this:

 

[meitme]

You can move the electric seats outside the car.

The black block connector far right, with pins 13 and 14, you can connect wire with spade connectors onto those pins.

13 is live (red/black wire) 14 is brown (ground) double check this

Then connect the other end onto the battery with crocodile clips or a friend can hold them on for you.

The seller has probably mentioned the pretensioners because maybe they came from a front end crash damaged car and they have fired.

Look down the open hole end and if you can easily see a nut and bolt then they have fired. Also the rubber should look compressed on the outside like this:

Ah, that's where they are; many thanks. I take it if they've fired then I can simply swap over the ones from my old seats? Those pictures are really helpful, thank you very much. I shall certainly look out for the compressed rubber gaiter as a priority.

So pretensioners aren't a worry? I only mention it as the seller said to be aware of pretensioners in his (stock) listing blurb. As far as I can tell I shouldn't be touching the seat belts other than to unhook them though.

They shouldn’t be, provided you’re swapping E85/E86 seats for other E85/E86 seats (so M versus ”comfort”, for instance). You’ll need to unhook them from the guide at the top and also remove them from the rail mount below. Easy enough, and simply reverse for installation.

As for the easiest way in a coupe (to me at least). Remove the bolts, undo the belt top and bottom, tilt forward slightly and rotate towards the centre console, tilting the seatback to the horizontal position over the console. Bearhug at the connection between base and back, and slowly reverse our. Be mindful of the metal rails over the kickplates and side skirts, and rotate away from the door slightly as you exit to prevent the frame from touching the doorpanel. Tip: lower your windows to give yourself more space and less risk of knocking the glass. With a bit of practice, you can remove the seats in 5-10 minutes (waiting time for the airbags not included).

Good luck

This is amazing, thank you very much. So when you say tilt the seatback over the console, you've got the seat leaning forward? I'm going to cover everything I can in cardboard to prevent scratches as much as possible, I may even see if I can wrap some of the bubblewrap the new seats came in around the front of the rails before I pull them out.
Great tip about putting the windows down; I wouldn't have thought about that. I've got to tell myself not to shut the boot too!

Yes, I currently have the standard Si seats in, which are not as good as the seats in my previous cars (I had a TT previously, and if there's one thing it beat the Z4 on hands-down, it's the seats!), and I'm swapping out for E85/6 M Sport seats, so everything should fit okay I think.

 

[meitme]

I've managed to extract a bit of the seat out of its packaging! (I'm not going to unpack them yet as I have to get them to the lockup on the weekend) What do you think? That looks like it hasn't fired to me?




Maybe it's safer to swap over anyway.

Also I take it the first aid box comes out pretty easily?

 

[Barty]

So when you say tilt the seatback over the console, you've got the seat leaning forward?

Correct!

I'm going to cover everything I can in cardboard to prevent scratches as much as possible, I may even see if I can wrap some of the bubblewrap the new seats came in around the front of the rails before I pull them out.

May I suggest old bedsheets? Always worked a charm for me. Socks around the rails was a genius tip too.

I've got to tell myself not to shut the boot too!

There’s a manual lock under the emblem that allows you to open the boot manually without power

 

[Usel]

Thats the passenger pretensioner if your car is right hand drive. If one was likely to fire it would be the drivers as passenger seat not always occupied.

First aid box comes out easily. There's a clip at the top inside you push up and it slides out. Then 3 screws to remove the bracket.

I've never taken seats out of a coupe but I have, with help from a Eastern European guy at a scrap yard, taken seats out from an E89 with the roof closed. Both seats came out of passenger door and said door would also not open fully

 

[meitme]

Cor I don't fancy getting the drivers' over the tunnel! How was your back at the end of the day?

Good point about the pretensioner: I'll have to check the other on the weekend when it's unwrapped. Looking at the photos it seems these both have paddles under the front bolster- what's that for? They are electric so shouldn't need those to slide forward. Does it adjust the front bolster?

 

[Usel]

That's the lap extender or thigh support. They are manual on both types of seats. You'll need Bently seats or something if you want those electric

Back was OK

 

[meitme]

Excellent, thanks- pretty sure my current ones even have those so that's an upgrade already!

 

[meitme]

All fitted now and they're great! Fully functional and feel so much better. The driver's pretensioner had fired, but it wasn't too much trouble to swap them over.
Thanks for your help everyone; now to see if anyone wants to buy the old ones!

 

[Mr Tidy]

Well done getting them swapped over.

The M-Sport seats are so much better. They really should have been standard on a 2 seater. :roll:

Now you know the difference you may find your old ones hard to shift on here, unless someone fancies an upgrade to electric adjustment. If they are heated that would help too.

 

[meitme]

Yes, I must admit I did think it wouldn't be easy! Maybe someone will fancy a swap to black.

The M Sports are much nicer, I've always been disappointed in the other seats. They felt a little lighter to me too, unless I was imagining it.