BMW Performance Seats ?

[1SerieStud]

All,

I currently own a 135i, however, while browsing through the forums, I noticed a few M3 drivers have upgraded their front seats with the BMW performance seats at one point or another.

Can one of you please tell me what needs to be done to make the airbags on the seats compatible with a US model car? I am highly considering the seats, but it is my understanding that the airbags are prone to throwing a light/code since they are not designed to US specs.

All info will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[JSH3]

Originally Posted by 1SerieStud

All,

I currently own a 135i, however, while browsing through the forums, I noticed a few M3 drivers have upgraded their front seats with the BMW performance seats at one point or another.

Can one of you please tell me what needs to be done to make the airbags on the seats compatible with a US model car? I am highly considering the seats, but it is my understanding that the airbags are prone to throwing a light/code since they are not designed to US specs.

All info will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Me, as well. Thanks for the thread,

[Montoya]

There are several posts on this subject, for some reason the search function is not working, but I can summarize for you.

You have an easy option or a hard option.

The easy way is to get someone like EAS to disable the fault codes, but this also disables the passenger air bag.

The hard way is to modify or replace your wire harness to a Euro one. Obviously replacing the harness is not easy and not sure about the need for Euro firmware or not- someone with more experience can chime in.

There is a forum member that successfully modified his harness and claimed everything was functional (I think just air bags IIRC, not seat heaters). He also offered to sell the mod as well. If the search was working I would send you the link...

[Montoya]

OK- This thread got me thinking about the Performance Seats more.

So, like the OP, I'm curious about anyone with successful installation experience with North American cars (everyone in the Rest Of the World can sit on their hands- we know you can get the code upgrade).

I'm really interested in fully functional (passenger airbag and seat heaters) installations. I have an 08 so no worries about the head rests. Has anyone tried installing an occupancy sensor from their old seat to the performance seats?

[klammer]

Originally Posted by Montoya

OK- This thread got me thinking about the Performance Seats more.

So, like the OP, I'm curious about anyone with successful installation experience with North American cars (everyone in the Rest Of the World can sit on their hands- we know you can get the code upgrade).

I'm really interested in fully functional (passenger airbag and seat heaters) installations. I have an 08 so no worries about the head rests. Has anyone tried installing an occupancy sensor from their old seat to the performance seats?

interested in this as well

[hl0m4n]

retrofit bmw perf seats is easy.

w/o head rest restraint: easiest. buy oc3 sensor and bring seat and sensor to upholster shop and have them install it for you. bring it to dealer and get the sensor coded. your done with no errors, etc.

w/ head rest: we can get rid of the oc3 sensor but not the head rest restraint. eas has an emulator for head rest in <40 days so we should be good as well.

oc3 is about $500 and $100 more for coding and about avg $400 for upholster shop to install.

[Montoya]

OK- Anyone in the PacNW with experience retrofitting the OC sensor into the performance seats. Also read that most dealers won't code the seats for you since they are "off road" only- even when you have the correct sensor installed.

Curious about both- local PacNW upholsterer and someone who can code the new sensor.

Thanks!!

[hl0m4n]

^ ah yes forgot to mention about that. coding at your dealership would depend on your relationship with the sa and guys working there which im good on. make sure you find yourself a top line upholster shop and finding coding shouldn't be a problem. gl and post pics if you go through with it .

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

retrofit bmw perf seats is easy.

w/o head rest restraint: easiest. buy oc3 sensor and bring seat and sensor to upholster shop and have them install it for you. bring it to dealer and get the sensor coded. your done with no errors, etc.

w/ head rest: we can get rid of the oc3 sensor but not the head rest restraint. eas has an emulator for head rest in <40 days so we should be good as well.

oc3 is about $500 and $100 more for coding and about avg $400 for upholster shop to install.

FYI: OC3 sensor is embedded into the leather seat covering.

[hl0m4n]

isn't it part #8: http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...31&hg=52&fg=10

doesn't the oc3 sensor sit above the foam as a padding? i remember seeing pics when kev did his euro seat side upgrade...

[Montoya]

Yes, Kev successfully transferred his to his Euro seat bottoms. But this is almost like for like, the side bolsters are just a little bigger. Again wondering how it transfers to performance seats which have a different shape.

Has anyone done it?

[Montoya]

Here it is in the flesh (Occ sensor) posted by Kev:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showpos...1&postcount=21

[hl0m4n]

^ thanks for searching for the pic. when i asked kev, he said that the material is flexible. so although the side bolsters are different on the bmw perf seat, i don't see why it wouldn't fit on there. fansari also managed to retrofit perfect but has decided not to release how he did it.

any high upholster shop should be able to install the oc3 sensor sucessfully.

and while you got that pic up here is the head rest restraint

[Montoya]

Well thanks for that response- If I do this the seats will likely be in SoCal where I have relatives- If Tom at EAS is reading this or anyone else in the SoCal area know where we could take the seats to do the OC insert using my old seat OC sensor?

Also, if I use my old seat sensor- there should be no coding required- correct? Or is coding required to enable the seat heaters (I have seat heaters now- no I-Drive).

Thanks for all the useful information!

[creaminz]

anyone got this resolved? MS module still not available for LCI models?

[creaminz]

Mike@Powerchip can code the Performance seats for any year E9X. M or Non-M.

[GewoW]

Just performance seat or any aftermarket seat? Code in what way...I.e no need to disable passenger airbag?

[Montoya]

Originally Posted by GewoW

Just performance seat or any aftermarket seat? Code in what way...I.e no need to disable passenger airbag?

Yes, please 'splain us....

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by creaminz

Mike@Powerchip can code the Performance seats for any year E9X. M or Non-M.

We can code performance seats as well.

Originally Posted by GewoW

Just performance seat or any aftermarket seat? Code in what way...I.e no need to disable passenger airbag?

With the MS OC3 module, the passenger dashboard airbag is disabled. All other airbags remain functional.

[Montoya]

Still looking for complete functionality other than having to tear apart existing seats for the OC sensor and putting it into the performance seat.

Edit: Which by the way I am thinking of doing if a GT3 doesn't become a reality soon...

[CodeByNight]

Mike Benvo is capable of coding the performance seats in, according to creaminz. creaminz has OEM BMW Performance seats, and Benvo apparently coded full functionality for the seats for his car. Technically, anyone who has access to NCS Expert can add the seats to the vehicle order using the value for the seats, if they are capable of accessing all of the vehicle's modules.

For those who are now confused and lost, changing vehicle order means changing the items that the car sees as "came from factory".

[Montoya]

Originally Posted by CodeByNight

Mike Benvo is capable of coding the performance seats in, according to creaminz. creaminz has OEM BMW Performance seats, and Benvo apparently coded full functionality for the seats for his car. Technically, anyone who has access to NCS Expert can add the seats to the vehicle order using the value for the seats, if they are capable of accessing all of the vehicle's modules.

For those who are now confused and lost, changing vehicle order means changing the items that the car sees as "came from factory".

OK, I know some people on this forum are "famous", but I don't know who this person is, where he is and / or what his contact and company information is.

Sounds good if true, but based on other threads, I think you will still need some sort of Euro wire harness or sensor to make it work right, unless that information is completely bogus.You do know we are referring to US federalized vehicles which are different from rest of the world, right?