Hello all,

I'm not particulairly handy, so I have a friend who will be helping me out with this project. The vinyl seats in my car have bothered me since I purchased it, and a couple weeks ago I saw a full set of black lounge leather seating pop up on eBay. It came with the piano black door trim to replace my checkered silver one as well, which is great. The door panels didn't match my CF dash at all.

I found some instructions here (https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-non-hifi.html) for removing the door panels, but haven't been able to find any instructions for removing the seats. I have new fronts and rears.

Is there anything to keep in mind when doing it? I'm a little worried as this is my first car, and I'd hate for anything to happen to it.

Sorry if this has been posted somewhere

Alex

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ve-to-see.html

I would e-mail Phil. They had to do it on a 1st gen to detail one of their customer's vehicles, but I'm sure he could send you in the right direction.

I had to remove 4 bolts, when I installed my Euro Arm Rest. You will need a T-40 torx bit to remove the seat bolts. Another issue would be with the side air bags.

 

Front are very easy. 4 bolts in each and a connector under the seat.

just remember to disconnect the battery or you will have air bag waring lights that will have to be reset by the dealer.

Back seat are very easy as well. Bottom just snaps into place, Pull up good and hard at the front corner and it will pop off.

Backs have a little retaining tab on each of them between the seat backs that just needs to be pushed with a screw driver and the seat back will release.

 

Front seats:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-removal.html


Rear seats:

http://www.miniacal.com/remove_rear_seats/

 

Thank you to everyone for the info posted - I think I'm going to try to do the swap this weekend, I'll post some pictures if it works out.

 

So. I tried to do the passenger seat today, and it didn't turn out too well. I made sure I disconnected the battery, unclipped the airbag fine, unbolted it and then got the new leather seat in.

I could have swore that I reconnected the airbag connector properly, is there any way it could be a problem with the seats I bought?

 

If they are not from the same year car it could be a problem. Or if they were from another country that could also be a problem.

 

They're from an 07 Mini, mine is an 08. Country wise I believe they're both US spec. Any suggestions for next steps? After sinking a grand into these seats, I'm kind of bummed

 

That is probably where your problem is. Early 07 cars up until production dates in July 07 had a different Airbag Supply system. I.E. the Multi-Restraint Control Module is different and is also wired differently. The change was made sometime in July 07.

This is unfortunately something that is not easily fixable as the Multi-Restraint Control Module is the culprit here, and rather expensive.

So if the seats came out of a car with a build date before or during July 07 then they will not be compatible with car built after July 07.

EDIT: I am not sure if you could change over to the newer control module as they seem to be sired differently.

 

This sounds really bad. Is there any way to take the leather from the new seats, and remove the vinyl from the old ones and somehow swap the covers? I'd really hate to have wasted all of that money for some seats I can't use, and I'm not so sure giving up the side airbags would be a good idea either.

Stupid of me not to do more homework beforehand, I just assumed that any 07+ seats would work.

*Edit* Or would it be possible to swap my 08 Airbag parts into the 07 seats?

 

It is not a matter of swaping the airbag parts it is more a matter of the control unit not working with the 07 seats you have at all.

As for swapping the seat coverings that would only work if the seats were the same design. I.E. sport seat to sport seat, base seat to base seat.

Also in doing the sawp of covers the leather covers may or may not be able to handle the air bags I.E. seams not open properly and thus the air bags deploys in the seat rather than out of it.

When doing things like this you really need to do all of the homework first.

Will the seller take them back if you tell him the screwed up your cars air bag system?

 

I guess the swap is out of the question then. I have the vinyl sport seats from an 08 MCS, and the seats I bought are loungeleather from some form of 07 MC

So it's not possible to swap the covers, or the control units. Would it be out of the question to disable the airbags somehow?

The guy will take them back, less 10%, and I'll have to ship them back to him Freight to IL from Canada. I lose out on the $200 shipping I originally paid, as well as the $60 brokerage, gonna be expensive.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions that would make them usable? I've run out of ideas, I'm kind of worried about it. Would there be any way to disable the side airbags without triggering the airbag light? Do the fronts still work when the light is on?

Sorry, just don't have a lot of experience with these kind of things.

 

Lounge leather seats are sport seats. My guess is that the covers are probably swappable. Realoem.com doesn't list any part number changes for seat covers between 2007 and 2008. If you do this, you should also transfer the lumbar support mechanism (your leatherette seats don't have them).

It's going to be a hassle whatever you decide to do. Sorry to see you get into this situation.

BTW, once the airbag warning light is triggered, it will stay on and won't turn off by itself, even if you fix the condition. You'll need to have a dealer or shop reset the light.

 

Thanks for the help - There's a local shop who specializes in German cars, and will reset the airbag light for $60, which sounds pretty reasonable.

For swapping the covers, sounds like it would be easiest to get an auto-upholstery shop to do it for me, which probably will cost me an arm and a leg.

The lounge leather seats are sport seats?
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ther-club.html

These are the ones I have look like this
http://forsalebyrichard.net/yahoo_si...0228_large.JPG

 

This is true EXCEPT by looking at The actual MINI Parts listing there are different part numbers for the faom padding under the seat covering. Also they are different shapes. This alos shows up in realoem.com

Left Seat:
Sport seat bottom foam 52102751379
Lounge leather seat bottom foam 52102754395

Sport seat backrest foam 52102751381
Lounge leater seat backrest foam 52102754397

So knowing this, changing the covers probably will not work.

 

So sounds like unless the foam can be swapped over, it's not gonna fly. Seems like with all of the additional costs, it may be best to try to send them back to the seller.

The door panels and the leather on the seats are more worn than described, so maybe they'll do it without the restocking fee, since it was through ebay/paypal. Thank you schatzy and rkw for your help, you've been incredible.

 

Unfortunately the passanger seat bottom frame is different between the basic seat and the sport seat.

passenger side bottom
basic seat frame part number 52102751396
sport seat frame no height adjust part number 52102751248
sport seat frame with height adjust part number 52102751248

Drivers side the seat bottom frames are all the same part number.


Drivers side seat back
basic seat frame back part number 52102753613
sport seat frame back part nubmer 52102754359

Som ost likely the foam cusions will not transfer from one seat frame type to another. Especailly for the seat back.

 

I have been following this thread with interest. The seats in my 2010 MCS are killing my back and I just don't know what my options are. Love the car, but these seats are ruining my back. If I could magically switch out these seats for say the 1-series sport seats, I would be set. But it sounds like it's hard enough to switch seats within the MINI brand. Probably impossible to venture into 1-series seat territory.

 

What seats do you have - cloth, pleather, or leather? I have the cloth. The cloth seats do NOT come with lumbar support. If you look at the HowTo section in this forum, there is a mod detailing how you can have lumbar support added to the cloth seats. I had the dealer do this mod for me and it's well worth the $$$.

 

What an unexpected tragedy from a seat swap!

Seat comfort was first on my list of mods, my previous rides had been Turbo LeBaron and Olds 98 Convertibles and no MINI interior; Sport Seats, Lounge Leather, Cloth or Leatherette had the comfort I was used to.

My solution involved Wet Okole Cover Set w/their Lumbar support (and they now offer Heat as well) and a couple bushels of Memory Foam Padding placed where I wanted. (And, of course; the Euro Center Armrest and door Armrests padded as well.)


Comfort is ideal for me now. (22 more PIX in my Gallery.)

A ten hour drive is far less 'comfort-stress' than a three hour before. Choose your 'padding' material with care, Memory Foam is very costly (I spent less than $100 for 'Remenants from a local Foam Shop) and when cold-soaked is stiff as a board, but I am in Florida with a Garage.

Another 'simple' mod that helped was a half-inch shim beneath the front ends of the seat rails, just need a #40 Torx Drive Bit and the bolts are plenty long enough, gave just the seat 'rake' that I wanted.

Best of luck on the return, for the IP....

 

I have the "sport" leather seats with lumbar support - still not comfortable. I've owned quite a few cars... this has got to be the worst. It's just shocking considering BMW makes some of the best sport seats available (my last 2 cars were BMWs).

 

I love my Sport Leather Cloth combo seats with Lumbar support. The car i can not sit in for more than 1-2- hours is my BMW 525iT Wagon. Those sport seats are the worst I have ever had in a car.

Of course this is just my opinion and everyone is different.

I just worry about what other people have done. Like in the case of pilotart what is going to happen if the seat side airbag needs to deploy. With the seat mods he has done it could be a real problem, and then what will the insurance company say if air bags do not work as designed.

 

I have added nothing to interfere with the airbags and the Wet Okole's have cutouts specifically located around the Seat AirBags.

My top photo shows that All the Padding added is on the 'face' of the seat, absolutely nothing added on the sides, where the AirBags are located.

Check out this site:

http://www.wetokole.com/safety.html

Three Video's of AirBag deployments.

Also:Safety is paramont and I have never attempted to disable or mitigate any of my automobile, boat or aircraft's safety protections.

I will admit to being pleased that my MINI came with a fault in that it does not lock transmission in Park (Beyond the latch built into the shift ****) as I often need to roll it a short distance inside the Garage or Hangar.

I am also not complaining that my passenger seat's seatbelt warning does not activate with a package sitting in it, but I still place the seatbelt over the package, because I don't want it to move.

There is no problem with it arming the airbags when a 80+ pound passenger is riding and sounding the warning if the seatbelt is not fastened.

Art

 

Art,

I saw yours a while ago, and was contemplating doing something similar to mine. It looks great, and incredibly comfortable. If I manage to get these seats returned, and end up keeping the Mini I might try something like that.

Not going to lie, part of me has been itching for a Ram or F150 lately

Alex