Upgrading seats.

[Revfrost]

Hi I’m just looking for some advice please. I have a mk7 golf estate 1.6 tdi. It the basic model but I’m slowly updating it. I’ve got an opportunity to buy some great condition gtd seats. They are heated but my car isn’t set up for that but I’m not bothered about that but the connectors are different. The air bag is the same but on the new seats there just one big connection for the seat belt and heating controls. Is it a hard job to modify the connect to fit my small connector for the seat belt control. Can I use the wiring from the base seats for the seat belt wiring or would that be trouble.

 

[southpawboston]

If you are not concerned about having the seat warmers activated on the new seats, you can remove the lower seat harness from your original seats and swap into to the replacement seats. I've done this, it's not hard. Just snap a few pics of the harness before removing it (to keep track of all the original attachment points) so you have a template for reinstalling them on the new seats. You'll need a trim fastener removal tool (a screwdriver will do, in a pinch). The harness integrates the connections for the seat warmers, seat belt warning, air bag, seat occupancy detector, etc, all into one big harness.

 

[Revfrost]

If you are not concerned about having the seat warmers activated on the new seats, you can remove the lower seat harness from your original seats and swap into to the replacement seats. I've done this, it's not hard. Just snap a few pics of the harness before removing it (to keep track of all the original attachment points) so you have a template for reinstalling them on the new seats. You'll need a trim fastener removal tool (a screwdriver will do, in a pinch). The harness integrates the connections for the seat warmers, seat belt warning, air bag, seat occupancy detector, etc, all into one big harness.

Thanks for your advice. I presume doing it this way means it’s a tidier job instead of cutting wires etc. So the air bag wire I presume is completely separate from the seat belt harness cable?

 

[southpawboston]

Thanks for your advice. I presume doing it this way means it’s a tidier job instead of cutting wires etc. So the air bag wire I presume is completely separate from the seat belt harness cable?

Correct, under no circumstances should you cut and splice wires. Everything on the seat end of the harness should be plug and play between the original and replacement seats. Only the car end of the harness is different. And yes, the airbag wires should be their own separate harness that follows the main harness. I believe its connectors are yellow to designate this?

Caveat-- I am speaking from experience with a US car, not UK/EU, so not all that I describe may apply to your seats...

 

[Revfrost]

Correct, under no circumstances should you cut and splice wires. Everything on the seat end of the harness should be plug and play between the original and replacement seats. Only the car end of the harness is different. And yes, the airbag wires should be their own separate harness that follows the main harness. I believe its connectors are yellow to designate this?

Caveat-- I am speaking from experience with a US car, not UK/EU, so not all that I describe may apply to your seats...

Thanks again for you advice. Yes my air bag connection is yellow so I know I’m safe there. I’ll do as you kindly suggest and just swop the harness cables