8-way Seat install question-help!

[RandallNeighbour]

Two weeks ago, I got an outrageously good deal on a pair of nearly new black partial leather seats for my 1997 Boxster. They're 8-way fully electric seats out of a 2002 996.

The company in CA who sold them to me said they were partial electric, just the back rest like the ones I presently have, so when I unwrapped the seats, I was pleasantly surprised I got fully electric seats, which look brand new, for $775 shipped to me.

Last night, I attempted to install the seats. The passenger seat came out fine, and the new one went in fine after I examined the location of the hot and ground pins in the new seat and found they were where the boxster's pins were located. The seat works fine and is fully operational.

However, when I pulled the driver's seat, I discovered the pins had to be moved to line up with the new seat's electrical needs. This took about five minutes and was no big deal. I just pulled the blue retaining clip out, popped them out and moved them. Simple enough.

Here's my problem. The seat, which is getting electricity (I checked the fuse and then re-installed my old seat after moving the power pins back over) is not working at all. No movement, and no blown fuses.

The driver's seat has a lot more electronics in it vs. the passenger seat due to the seat memory module that it came with. However, I know this seat can also be moved manually with the side switches and not having those memory modules hooked up should not prevent the seat from not working, or should it?

This is one of those technical questions that someone who's retrofitted or fiddled with this upgrade will have to answer for me, so if that's you reading this, please respond with whatever experience or guessing you may be able to offer!

I'm going to try running a couple of wires directly from my battery to the pins on the seat to see if it will work, bypassing the car's internal electrical system just to rule out the fact that it may be the car. I do not believe this is the issue though... my factory seat wouldn't work if this was the case. But, before I call the company and whine about a non-functioning seat, I want to do this to be able to tell them it's not my car.

Edited February 9, 2006 by RandallNeighbour

[0586slb]

If you whine about the seat, they may send you a backrest only version by return! :eek:

[Tool Pants]

What are you doing with that POS 1997. Replacing every part one at a time so you can tell people you have a new car.

I think someone on the 996 side asked about this retrofit. Do you have the thing with the buttons that goes in the door sill.

[RandallNeighbour]

What are you doing with that POS 1997. Replacing every part one at a time so you can tell people you have a new car.

I think someone on the 996 side asked about this retrofit. Do you have the thing with the buttons that goes in the door sill.

Jeff, why yes I am replacing every part on my POS 97 Boxster! I'm in too deep now and it's more fun to fix it up than sell it at a whopping loss and buy another that might have a nearly dead engine or RMS. At least I know what I've got with this one... new engine, newer tranny and NO RMS (right now).

I do not have the thingy with the buttons on it that goes in the door sill. What I am wondering is if I can pull the passenger seat (that works fine) and compare the components and remove the stuff in the driver's side that may be keeping it from working. I'll do a search over in the 996 area and see if anything was mentioned over there.

[mkaraoglan]

hi.

sorry to tell you the bad news but what you got was power memory seats for the driver side. you will need need either:

-wiring harness from 996 AND the power seat memory switch plate and buttons to replace door jamb trunk release panel

or

- a really skilled electroncis guy to create a wiring harness to interface between car harness wiring and the seat panel under the seat.

i had EXACT same issue with same seats and same year car.

i was lucky that i knew a Circuit City taleneted ugy to spend time to do this for FREE. it woudl have cost over $500 retail

[RandallNeighbour]

To close this thread, I figured out the 8 way seat would not work in my no frills 97 boxster. Soooo, I carefully removed the seat bottom, leather back, center piece and foam off the nice 8 way seat and installed it all on my old seat frame.

Now the driver's side has a wonderful 8 way seat and the driver's side has a very nice looking leather manual seat with electric back rest control.

Project done! I'm happy, even though I don't have an 8 way seat on the driver's side.