discussion BMW seat wiring harness for SIM cocpkits

[CMetaphor]

Ugh...

Okay, shortish version: Its winter. Im low. Really, really wanted to have my Sim rigs up and running. BUT the one seat I do have is just too damn painful to sit in. No amount of pads or pillows can let me sit comfortably for any amount of time. Solution? I got two BMW multi - contour seats from a FB market ad, like 5ish years ago during covid. I can get them the work for the sim rigs, but there's a problem:
I dont have the BMW wiring harness connectors to create an adapter to power the seats functions.
Ive been wanting to go a "u-pull" place for ages but... well, it hasnt happened.

So, I guess Im wondering what you guys think? Do I just chop into the wiring behind the connector and possibly make them useless if I ever resell them to someone that wants them in their BMW? Can you door-dash / Uber a specialized wiring connector?

I havent been able to find a specific part # for neither the interior harness that connects to these seats, nor the connectors themselves. Tutorials online from the handful of people that have done similar things in the past have given me the pinouts, and ive got a solid plan for using a regular computer PSU to power the seats functions as needed, possibly even with positional memory recall.

But I just havent gotten anywhere with it in ages. So ya, asking advice.

Further info:
They're a matched pair (driver and passenger) of BMW front Multi contour seats, offered on 7-series and X5 models (definitely, but possibly also on some 5 series cars) around 2010-2012 (probably many more years than that).

Photo of the connector:

Im out of motivation, cold, and tired of this project going nowhere (its a long story). So ya, suggestions welcome... thanks hwc.

 

[moocow]

Hmm if you are doing something like this thread then you have to chop off the harness anyway. The only way to resell the seats is to label the wires on both side of the cut.

https://www.reddit.com/r/projectcar/comments/1ab8hj9/how_to_wire_newer_bmw_seats_into_non_bmw_cars_so

 

[Izerous]

Realoem has a good listing of parts. Based on your description I started poking around and these 2 links start having a lot of details on a 2010 x5 seat and wiring (including some part numbers). Might need to go back to the main page and re-enter some details I got wrong for the little specifics you provided above.

RealOEM.com - Online BMW Parts Catalog

BMW parts X5 E70 X5 3.0d Diagram Selection

www.realoem.com

RealOEM.com - Online BMW Parts Catalog

BMW parts X5 E70 X5 3.0d Diagram Selection

www.realoem.com

 

[moocow]

The problem is that parts shown are all on the seat side of the wiring. Ideally, there is a part for the console or bulkhead side of the wiring and you can get a plug for that. Some more poking online and I found this out of stock item off a 1 series. It is the female side and the pattern looks correct.

Seat Wiring Harness Connector / Pigtail 6954588

wolfautoparts.com

EDIT: I think I found it. It say it's for a 3 series but the socket pattern looks correct. You may have to rewire for the correct functions using that circuit diagram from the Reddit thread.

BMW 3 SERIES E90 E91 FRONT SEAT WIRING PLUG 6954588 GENUINE 05-11 | eBay UK

PART NUMBER : 6954588. FRONT SEAT WIRING PLUG. ARTS COMPATIBILITY TABLE IS ONLY A GUIDE. ALL PARTS ARE TESTED AND IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. YEAR : 2005-2011.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[CMetaphor]

@moocow dam nice find there! Guess my Google-fu isnt what it used to be.

That ebay listing doesn't ship to here, but the part # 6954588 gave me a few other options from ebay. Apparently the connector is a bit more common than I thought, and found a seller on ebay with a matched pair (theyre mirrored horizontally for driver and passenger sides) from a Mini Cooper, of all things. But the pinouts look right, and cost far far less than getting 2x from different sellers (almost all of which appear to be drivers -side only). So thanks so much for that!

And I am aware of the 555 chip part, and will be getting a couple of those and other bits once I confirm everything on the seats work with the connectors I just ordered. Thankfully wont need a DC to DC though, as a regular computer PSU will have both the 12v and 5v I need.

Hopefully, in the end ill just have a female PSU 24 pin going into a little black box with a switch on it, and the BMW harness + connector coming out the other end. Connect a PSU, flip the switch, and then.. with fingers very crossed: finally be able to fly sim or drive sim for the first time in years without pain!

Thanks for the help, really.

 

[moocow]

Wouldn't surprise me if Mini shared BMW parts since it has been under BMW for a decade or so. I'm interested in converting a BMW seat into a computer sit but more like a 8020 rig for both sim and work. While E39 is heated only, may try to score a better F10 seat with both heat and cooling. Don't really need a M or sport seat since it ain't moving so the comfort one like you got may be a better idea.

 

[CMetaphor]

Small update:
Seats still don't work. Every DIY project I've find online claims the seats should work for a few seconds just with power and ground.. mine don't.

Posted about it on e90post.com forum (which has had detailed breakdowns of similar projects, years ago): no replies.

I'm thinking either the multi contour seats are just plain different, and always need a canbus signal to function at all, I'm missing a connection in the wiring that isn't required by other seats... or the "brain" is dead.

Don't really know what to do. This project has gone nowhere. No projects getting done. Low weeks.