EXT electric seat vs manual

cjackgo

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I am considering asking my service dept at my dealer to quote me to swap out the manual driver's seat for the fully electric one, but I want to keep my cloth upholstery seat, just the electric base is what I need changed. Any thoughts, advise, experience, warnings????
Thanks in advance.
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tcl

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Let us know what they say. This is something that I might be interested in as well. I hope that I'm wrong but my guess is that it there are some components underneath the upholstery that are different which would make this more complicated than just changing the base.
 
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cjackgo

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Let us know what they say. This is something that I might be interested in as well. I hope that I'm wrong but my guess is that it there are some components underneath the upholstery that are different which would make this more complicated than just changing the base.
I sent an email to the service manager, will see. I am attending a special event there Wednesday night for all new owners, hopefully he will be there and I can speak directly.
 

hal9000

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I added up some of the parts you'd need. List is around $1,100. If your dealer knocks off 30% you're looking at around $800. They're going to have to reupholster your seat and recalibrate your sensor so maybe 2hrs labor @ $100+ an hr. I would think you're looking at $1,000 plus tax minimum. This is also assuming there is someplace to attach the power harness and that the electronics are set up for it. Also if the dealer doesn't take off the 30% add that back on.
 
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cjackgo

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I added up some of the parts you'd need. List is around $1,100. If your dealer knocks off 30% you're looking at around $800. They're going to have to reupholster your seat and recalibrate your sensor so maybe 2hrs labor @ $100+ an hr. I would think you're looking at $1,000 plus tax minimum. This is also assuming there is someplace to attach the power harness and that the electronics are set up for it. Also if the dealer doesn't take off the 30% add that back on.
I already have cloth seats and don't want leather; I understand all wiring harnesses today are designed to accommodate all electrical options, so they only make/have one harness per model, then only hook up what they need, and I am thinking (maybe wrongly) that the seat itself is built separately from the base which has the buttons and motors to move it and the seat and the base are separate components. No?
In a 2002 Lincoln LS I had with leather, the driver's seat motor seized up while under warranty; the dealer took my seat and attached it to another base and reinstalled it. Took about 35 minutes. I watched them. That seat had the side airbag. The whole thing was "plug & play".
 


hal9000

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Sounds like in your Licoln you were going from power to power. You have no power motor,harness, or buttons to control that power in your EXT seat frame. Under your ext seat frame is only a position sensor. Under the power seat frame is a power harness. You'll be moving both of your cloth covers and both of your cushions onto a new power frame. That frame will need at least the harness, control buttons to move the frame and plastic cover to go over the buttons. The power frame and plastic cover for the buttons alone list for $900+. If the seat plugs into the floor harness..the ext, exl, and touring all have different harnesses.

Edit: Part numbers for manual frame seat cushions are different from those on power seat frame. Not saying they won't fit just different.
 
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I am considering asking my service dept at my dealer to quote me to swap out the manual driver's seat for the fully electric one, but I want to keep my cloth upholstery seat, just the electric base is what I need changed. Any thoughts, advise, experience, warnings????
Thanks in advance.
What are you looking for - just heated seats or the adjustability/ease? Unless you do it yourself (and most likely impossible due to parts & compatibility), bet it's cheaper in the long run to trade ex for Touring, but you'll wind up with leather seats, which is the main reason to get heated seats anyway. PS - Leather seats in warm (read scalding hot) areas need to be cooled also.
 

dick w

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I understand all wiring harnesses today are designed to accommodate all electrical options, so they only make/have one harness per model, then only hook up what they need
Where do you understand that from? Wire is expensive. Assembling harnesses is expensive. And they aren't going to spend more on the higher volume lower trim level harnesses just for fun.

Wire Harness 4 (Floor Wire Harness) for an LX 6MT
Wire Harness 4 (Floor Wire Harness) for an Touring CVT

Didn't check the difference between, say, EX-T and EX-L. Exercise for the student. Bet you find they are different.
 

hal9000

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Didn't check the difference between, say, EX-T and EX-L. Exercise for the student. Bet you find they are different.
They are..I posted above that the floor harnesses in the ext,exl,touring are all different. There are quite a few different harnesses between the models. Different power modules as well..with or without sensing etc.
 
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cjackgo

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Nevermind, sorry I posted.
 


dick w

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Don't be sorry for posting. You asked for insight and we gave you some fact-backed insight. It wouldn't be nearly as easy to do what you are asking as you had hoped. Would it be possible? Sure, Just a matter of time and money. Probably more of either than it would be worth.
 

hal9000

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No need to be sorry. I just didn't want you to get $$$ shock when the dealer replied. Best bet will be wait until some exls/tourings get wrecked. Pick up a used seat maybe with the harness and swap over your cloth covers. Then figure something out with the electronics.
 

Bervzci1

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I added up some of the parts you'd need. List is around $1,100. If your dealer knocks off 30% you're looking at around $800. They're going to have to reupholster your seat and recalibrate your sensor so maybe 2hrs labor @ $100+ an hr. I would think you're looking at $1,000 plus tax minimum. This is also assuming there is someplace to attach the power harness and that the electronics are set up for it. Also if the dealer doesn't take off the 30% add that back on.
I am also looking to swap my seats for leather seats, but dont know if this will work. I have a civic EXT cloth heated seats non power and want to replace with leather power seats. I wanted to see if this will work before I spend the money.
 
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cjackgo

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Hi, I have 2016 EXT with cloth and non-electric seat and was told by service mechanic that it can't be done, wiring harness is not set up to make that change.
 

Sheervic

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Looking to do the same thing on my ext the seats are uncomfortable and would love to get better positioning. Any idea way of just running the power wires to connect elsewhere?
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