Trying to add passenger seat memory feature, do any of you guys have that option?

Howdy folks,

I have a question for you. I'm installing some sport seats in my car and I figured before installing them I would fiddle with a small project I've had in mind. I wanted to add the seat memory function to the PASSENGER side seat. At first I didn't think it would be that hard to do, but after taking a look at the underside of the driver seat I was VERY surprised at the amount of wires and connectors spread all around the seat (see pic below). Never in my life have I seen such a complicated unit...but in any case, here's where i need your help.

As far as I know the passenger memory feature was an option offered through the Individual program and not many of those were sent to the states so I have a better chance asking you guys in Europe. Looking at seat/mirror memory module there is a blank connector of which I can't find any information in the 91 ETM (see pix below). I'm curious to see if this has anything to do with the passenger side seat memory. This would be the ideal "sunny side" scenario if I can just source a harness and run it somehow to the passenger side. Otherwise the goal is going to be a lot trickier to achieve. Essentially I envision having to run a second memory module only tied to the passenger side seat and controlling only its functions.

So, if any of you have that feature on your 8, I wanted to see if you are able to snap pictures of the underside of your seats so I could reference. If I get this to work, it should be pretty easy to do on LHD or RHD cars :). Oh, and also I may need some help sourcing a used drivers side seat memory switch for the UK RHD car (and connector and a bit of harness if possible) which I'm hoping will fit right into the US LHD pasenger seat.

Thanks for any assistance guys.

Just my luck only 5 8ers came with that option.

It's funny those two exact pictures are the only ones I have displaying that feature. I became more intrigued when I saw the for sale ad for CC41611 some time ago.

You do provide some good information Reinhard. For one thing you confirm the fact that there was another memory module used. I was going to ask Gery about it after seeing the seat thread below:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com…s&highlight=removing+seat

I guess first thing is trying to source a RHD driver sports seat harness and check out the wiring....then figure out how everything ties in.

Challenge accepted! hehe

Zitat von Timm;109290

I would have thought that the hard bit is getting the potentiometers into the passenger seat. This was the roadblock I came up against when trying to retro-fit the memory function to the manual sports seats.

I've reached out to a couple people about the harness.

Timm...if you have any input from your attempt it would be greatly appreciated friend.

Thanks for your replies guys. This is in fact a lot more involved than I thought. Particularly because I was not familiar with the way the seats are designed with all the potentiometers and riple counters, etc. I was going to ask you guys for an explanation, but a quick search online yielded the attached PDF which, although not specific to the 8, does provide very good explanation of how the seats and seat memory systems work (in addition to other bmw features). Hopefully someone can find it as helpful as I.

Regarding the connectors, i was looking at the few pictures I snapped and also referenced the 91 ETM and they appear to be exactly the same. The ETM points to the same connector below (figure 01) I'm assuming with Male and Female variants. Just to be sure I will check the sport seats tonight. If they are in fact the same what I plan to do is remove the comfort seat in my car and test it on the passenger side to see if all the features work. I'd have to give a quick check to the pin outs just to make sure i'm not connecting anything that may result in sparks . That's also the reason I'm testing the comfort seat and not the sport...just in case .

At least that way we will know if a RHD (and vice versa i presume) seat can be installed with no problem. From what I gather all the memory functions for the drivers seat are enclosed within the entire seat assembly (motors, sensors, switches, control unit, etc) so the straight swap that Reinhard mentions makes sense.

Wow...well it turns out there are three (not two) HUGE 12 pin connectors on the drivers side versus only one on the passenger side. It's weird because on Gerry's CSi there appear to be four connectors coming out from the carpet, but I guess that difference comes from the change in memory modules. All of these 12 pin connectors are exactly the same with the exception of color. Driver side has two white and one black, passenger side has one white.

I'm with you guys, i'm thinking one connector has the more 'basic' wires powering the seat. Since you are connecting the drivers seat to the ORIGINAL passenger wiring none of the other stuff from the secondary module ties into existing system (mirrors, steering column, Gen Module, EKM, etc) and as long as the seat has power the memory function on the passenger side works because all the necessary components are housed within the seat. This is probably what BMW Individual did. I have a hunch all the pin outs in this 'basic' connector are the same on driver and passenger side...can't be a coincidence with these germans . I just gotta verify with the ETM.

I find it amazing at how much more wiring the memory functions add. Both seats perform the same things more or less, with the exception of the memory feature and I think the seat belt sensor on the driver's side. On the drivers side all three connectors coming from under the carpet have wires going to them from the main harness with the exception of one terminal...so thats 35 wires!!! The 12 pin connector for the passenger side seat is not even full...there are only 6 wires going to that seat.

I'll keep fiddling with this , at this point is more for funsies since the easiest, less stressful way is clear to be just getting a RHD seat.

Just as a follow up, I'm about to install my sports seats so while removing my old seats I tested my current driver side memory seat and plugged it up to the seat connector on the passenger side and...lo and behold...everything works! All power functions work including the memory settings!

Conclusion....if you want to add the passenger side memory function to your 8, look for a driver's side seat for a RHD/LHD...whatever's opposite to yours

Now to keep an eye out for a moderately priced drivers RHD sports seat in black