SLK Convert To Electric Seats?

[daveandfleur]

I've just bought a black interior from ebay to replace our black/grey one. The seats are electric. Ours are manual. I could just swap the covers and stay with the manual operation but is there much work/cost involved in changing to electric? The seats are apparently coming with the switch panel. Also, are all electric seats heated or is that a different option?

Any help appreciated.

Dave
SLK 230K 1999
Vito 108CDI 2000

 

[Diesel Benz]

I had a quick look at the seats, these look really self-contained when even the control buttons are located at the seats. If I got it right, the only external part is the convenience function which could be skipped but even that does not seem too complicated (it allows seats being adjusted when ignition is off, if one door is open etc.). I would definitely look after installing the whole electric seats.

I don't know about seat heating, usually leather seats are always heated (excluding perhaps Arizona in the US or similar market areas).

 

[NW_Merc]

Make sure you try and find a car that has electric seats already installed, take the vin to the stealer and buy the correct looms. If the seats have heated elements installed then and only then will they be heated. If you have the correct looms, wiring them in is not a major problem.

 

[Diesel Benz]

Make sure you try and find a car that has electric seats already installed, take the vin to the stealer and buy the correct looms. If the seats have heated elements installed then and only then will they be heated. If you have the correct looms, wiring them in is not a major problem.

I did not check this but the wiring is often combined together with the rest of the wiring in the car. If there is a separate wiring for the electric seats power supply, then you don't need a VIN from another car, you can pick up the harness from EPC. If it is integrated, I would build a custom harness instead of changing the whole bunch.

I assumed the original seats were heated but that wasn't actually mentioned. Are they?

 

[Dieselman]

The cost of the looms is horrendous, just buy the connectors and make your own up.

 

[daveandfleur]

Thanks for the advice folks. To clarify, no, my car doesn't have heated seats. i suspect the new ones, being electric, will be heated.

I'm guessing that the electric seats (which are yet to arrive) will only need a live and earth feed to function if the switching is incorporated in the seats? Obviously this needs to be from a source with a high enough rating. The heated seats however may be more complicated as I'll presumably need the switch panel and relays.

Thanks again

Dave

 

[Diesel Benz]

Thanks for the advice folks. To clarify, no, my car doesn't have heated seats. i suspect the new ones, being electric, will be heated.

I'm guessing that the electric seats (which are yet to arrive) will only need a live and earth feed to function if the switching is incorporated in the seats? Obviously this needs to be from a source with a high enough rating. The heated seats however may be more complicated as I'll presumably need the switch panel and relays.

Thanks again

Dave

Wasn't this an R170 car? As I mentioned earlier, the wiring from the factory is more complex for the electric seats than just ground and power. The reason being that the seat adjustment power is controlled more than just from the ignition switch on/off.

The heated seats would not be that complicated either, the switches and heated seats control module. You would not have to do it all in one go but I would definitely make use of the HS option if the seats are ready with it.

 

[daveandfleur]

Well I now have the seats and (other than the airbag sensor wires) there is only a live and earth wire so looks like they are not heated. Don't know about the factory wiring but seems to me that it would be desirable to have them working whenever the car is unlocked (or failing that wired permanantly live), otherwise one has to switch on ignition before being able to move the seat. Any ideas where to take a feed from?

Thanks
Dave

 

[Diesel Benz]

Ideally you should use F21 and F22 from F1 fuse box for each seat as from factory. But power to these fuses would come via the convenience relay, if you don't want to install that, you could wire it from the fuse and relay box terminal block 15R or 30, depending if you want them on all the time or switched with ignition.

Personally I would prefer as few electronic devices active as possible when ignition is off, but you would lose some convenience of use at some scenarios.

 

[daveandfleur]

Ideally you should use F21 and F22 from F1 fuse box for each seat as from factory. But power to these fuses would come via the convenience relay, if you don't want to install that, you could wire it from the fuse and relay box terminal block 15R or 30, depending if you want them on all the time or switched with ignition.

Personally I would prefer as few electronic devices active as possible when ignition is off, but you would lose some convenience of use at some scenarios.

Thanks so much for that. Made it so much easier than trying to trace all the feeds. The seats and centre console are now in and working. Much softer leather than the originals as well as bigger side bolsters so big improvement.