8V RS3 Seat Swap into a Golf MQB

[HOT H2O]

Will be working on a writeup for those interested in the process. For now this is what I have for you..

It's not as straightforward as simply swapping seats, swapping a module, and calling it a day when swapping in Audi seats to a VW on the MQB platform.

- While the seats from any Audi 8V A3/S3/RS3 physically will bolt straight in, they are NOT plug n' play with the MK7.

- aside from the airbag harnesses, nothing else is physically compatible as-is, and even then there are differences.

- Not all MQB Golf / GTI / R have the same main harness(es) - appears to be different with pre-post FL

- Repining of basically ALL wires at level of seat/car coupling is required.

- there is more than one way to 'skin this cat', which for you may or may not require skinning your seats.


As of a few weeks ago everything has been tested and confirmed working 100%. Power, heat, occupancy sensor, airbags, position sensors, seatbelt sensors. Everything was done as if it were from factory including proper crimping of new pins and repining - seats now plug in and out just like the original seats.

Seats also function 100% as intended physically, no issues. The only thing I now have to complete is wiring in the rear ambient footwell lighting. Parts are on order for me to build the necessary harness for this as well.

 

[boostnonu]

That is sick....... an only image how expensive that project was.

 

[stuntnuts]

What are you doing with the old seats?

 

[GTI Jake]

Looks awesome, nice work!

 

[Timo]

Amazing work! Bravo!! I don't think I'll do this to mine but I can't wait to simply just read the DIY. Looking forward to it...

 

[VRCex]

Nice, those seats looks sick! Congrats

I bought a set of B8's S$ for my R and I have two questions

-From where did you get the info about the wires/harness of the Audi seats?
-Did you buy the 5GM 971 391 E harness and adapted the wires on the seat to connect em to the seat and make it plug and play?

Any advise will be so appreciate it.

 

[Charlotte.:R]

That looks great. Congrats on figuring out the swap and making it all work!

 

[HOT H2O]

That is sick....... an only image how expensive that project was.

Thanks! I definitely took a chance and I feel it paid off!

What are you doing with the old seats?

Prob using them as seating area for Forza 7.. Now I just need to buy Forza 7 haha!

Looks awesome, nice work!

Thanks man, much appreciated!

Amazing work! Bravo!! I don't think I'll do this to mine but I can't wait to simply just read the DIY. Looking forward to it...

Cheers! Just need to find some time!

Nice, those seats looks sick! Congrats

I bought a set of B8's S$ for my R and I have two questions

-From where did you get the info about the wires/harness of the Audi seats?
-Did you buy the 5GM 971 391 E harness and adapted the wires on the seat to connect em to the seat and make it plug and play?

Any advise will be so appreciate it.

Sweet! definitely feel free to message me if future questions/convo is easier than in this thread!

I got some wiring diagrams from friends at both VW and Audi, but honestly I found it much more helpful to just study the seats and try to trace the wiring out that way. If you can't get proper wiring/pinout diagrams don't sweat it.

As for extra harnesses I wasn't originally intending to purchase separate harnesses, but I lucked out right before I was about to attack the install, found a couple used harnesses on eBay - PNs 5Gm 971 391 R from a GTI.. While you definitely don't need extra harnesses, if you can get ahold of a couple they can come in handy. For me it allowed me to more easily trace out wiring, as well, I scavenged both the seat position sensors as well as the seatbelt sensor wiring (my Donor seats had the seatbelt sensor wiring cut, and at the time I didn't have enough new pins to properly pin the Audi position sensors so I simply transferred over the VW ones - I do have the proper pins now so I may wire up the Audi seat position sensors since the wiring is still there, so I can get rid of any extraneous wiring under the seats.

I also scavenged the housings from the seat harnesses I picked up, which all in all allowed me to leave my original seats 100% intact, while utilizing necessary pieces from the extra harnesses to make my Audi seats plug n' play. If you are doing this yourself I recommend investing in a proper crimping tool, and repining the audi wires so you can pin them into the VW housings as necessary - this will allow you to make your new seats plug n' play.

That looks great. Congrats on figuring out the swap and making it all work!

Cheers! I am quite pleased with how it all turned out!

 

[ecsta]

Thanks! I definitely took a chance and I feel it paid off!





Prob using them as seating area for Forza 7.. Now I just need to buy Forza 7 haha!





Thanks man, much appreciated!





Cheers! Just need to find some time!






Sweet! definitely feel free to message me if future questions/convo is easier than in this thread!

I got some wiring diagrams from friends at both VW and Audi, but honestly I found it much more helpful to just study the seats and try to trace the wiring out that way. If you can't get proper wiring/pinout diagrams don't sweat it.

As for extra harnesses I wasn't originally intending to purchase separate harnesses, but I lucked out right before I was about to attack the install, found a couple used harnesses on eBay - PNs 5Gm 971 391 R from a GTI.. While you definitely don't need extra harnesses, if you can get ahold of a couple they can come in handy. For me it allowed me to more easily trace out wiring, as well, I scavenged both the seat position sensors as well as the seatbelt sensor wiring (my Donor seats had the seatbelt sensor wiring cut, and at the time I didn't have enough new pins to properly pin the Audi position sensors so I simply transferred over the VW ones - I do have the proper pins now so I may wire up the Audi seat position sensors since the wiring is still there, so I can get rid of any extraneous wiring under the seats.

I also scavenged the housings from the seat harnesses I picked up, which all in all allowed me to leave my original seats 100% intact, while utilizing necessary pieces from the extra harnesses to make my Audi seats plug n' play. If you are doing this yourself I recommend investing in a proper crimping tool, and repining the audi wires so you can pin them into the VW housings as necessary - this will allow you to make your new seats plug n' play.







Cheers! I am quite pleased with how it all turned out!

Great info, ill definitely keep an eye out for a wrecked RS3 seats haha, because it looks amazing.

 

[franzl5]

Congratulations

Hi SK VeeDubR.

Congratulations to your seats, they look really great. And you got them work like original seats,
that is the thing i'm still working on.
It seems that you're having the informations I am looking for...

I have a Mk7 from 2016 (pre FL) and got some seats from a 2014 (sold as Mk7 seats).
Now when I look at the photos of your project I realize that the connector at my 'new' leather seats look like yours from an RS3.

So the facts I can tell are these:

1. GolfMk7 has a black 10pin connector:
=======================================
1 - n/a 2 - br-wh 3 - bl-bk 4 - n/a
9 - n/a 10 - n/a
5 - br 6 - n/a 7 - n/a 8 - rd-wh
Functions from wiring diagram:
brown-white(2) and blue-black(3) - temperature sensor, brown(5) and red-white(8) - seat heating.
Seatbelt lock and seat used recognition(right) are connected over another 4pin connector(black).

2. Audi RS3 has the same 10pin connector, but a fully different cable assignment with 10 cables.
=======================================1 - rd-bk 2 - br-wh 3 - rd-gr 4 - br-gn
9 - br 10 - bl
5 - br 6 - gn-rd 7 - bk-rd 8 - rd-wh

color legend:
rd=red bk=black gr=grey br=brown gn=green
bl=blue wh=white


Your picture of the connector has some of the colors in different chambers pinned than mine.
I studied the Audi wiring diagram but only find 4 connections on that connector: 4+, 5- for seat movement and 2/3 for footwell lights.

So the question of interest is: what are the functions of the pins in the RS3 connector. The fourth picture of your post shows some papers
and I assume you got it




Could you give me any information about that? It would be great. Thanx in advance.


Best regards, Franz (from old germany)

 

[DennisfromBelgium]

To be honest i dont like em but thats my opinion but im still following this seems interesting

 

[Sumfuncomet]

Those look great, I put 2017 Golf R seats into my 2017 Alltrack S, this was a complete plug and play! No splicing or dicking around with anything. Vastly improved seating, I love all the adjustments on the drivers seat!

 

[Cuzoe]

I'm waiting?

 

[Sumfuncomet]

Waiting for...........????

 

[Cuzoe]

The full write up that he said it's coming. Only because I love wiring mods... I've already put in my own imported seats, from a GTD though so very minor wiring compared to this.