E46 330 Seats into an E36? Answers please...

INFAMOU$ · 03-07-2010, 09:40 PM

A good friend of mine was nice enough to hook me up with a pair of 330 coupe seats which are power and heated. Just wondering if these bolt in to an e36?

Some say you need to weld a plate then bolt in.. others say to hone out the holes.. Anyone ever try this? I have searched but don't have enough time and need some direct answers.. Otherwise I will wait until after the show.

If anyone has the wiring info for the e46 seats that would be great too as they will need power to move!

Eurostyle · 03-07-2010, 10:11 PM

Your friend doesnt happen to work (at/close to) Stark auto? Set of black coupe seats "went missing" from a car i got there...

INFAMOU$ · 03-08-2010, 09:00 AM

No he has had them for years from an upgrade he did...

euroguy · 03-08-2010, 09:11 AM

I installed a pair E46 coupe seats (sports/power/lumbar/non-heated) into a E36 sedan. Didn't have to weld anything, holes lined up properly(no welding,no cutting,no drillin), used the bolts from the e36. Power/lumbar functions worked, power wire was spliced into the first constant power that I found, don't remember where exactly. Seatbelt recepticles you had to play around with a little bet to make them work. I had to remove the side handles on the top bolsters from the seat though as they were touching a little bet on the side but that's because the e36 was a sedan.
Goodluck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by INFAMOU$

A good friend of mine was nice enough to hook me up with a pair of 330 coupe seats which are power and heated. Just wondering if these bolt in to an e36?

Some say you need to weld a plate then bolt in.. others say to hone out the holes.. Anyone ever try this? I have searched but don't have enough time and need some direct answers.. Otherwise I will wait until after the show.

If anyone has the wiring info for the e46 seats that would be great too as they will need power to move!

INFAMOU$ · 03-08-2010, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by euroguy

I installed a pair E46 coupe seats (sports/power/lumbar/non-heated) into a E36 sedan. Didn't have to weld anything, holes lined up properly(no welding,no cutting,no drillin), used the bolts from the e36. Power/lumbar functions worked, power wire was spliced into the first constant power that I found, don't remember where exactly. Seatbelt recepticles you had to play around with a little bet to make them work. I had to remove the side handles on the top bolsters from the seat though as they were touching a little bet on the side but that's because the e36 was a sedan.
Goodluck.

Great to hear! I will try swapping them in for the show then.. Did your seats have the Memory settings and all that on the drivers side? I don't care about the heat.. just want the power to work..

JazzM · 03-08-2010, 10:17 AM

e46 seats bolt right up to an e36. Including e46 M3. For power to work, you just need to wire up the ground and the power. For the sensor you can either wire up a resistor or transplant the occupancy sensor from your donor seat.

Another option are the z3 M roadster/M coupe seats (also used as sport seats on the Z4):

T.

INFAMOU$ · 03-08-2010, 10:43 AM

Anyone have a diagram of the clip for under the e46 seats for the power?

theblue · 03-08-2010, 03:22 PM

E46 seats do NOT bolt right into an E36, but it is close. I have E46 sports seats in my E36. You have to file forward from the rear seat holes until you can get the bolts to go in. The seat belt clips right into the E46 seats without any modification. Getting the power functions to work is as easy as adding power and ground, but I do have an airbag light since I haven't been able to figure out how to wire that part in (and I've done a lot of research on this).

see this thread for more info:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=395727

my seats:

INFAMOU$ · 03-08-2010, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theblue

E46 seats do NOT bolt right into an E36, but it is close. I have E46 sports seats in my E36. You have to file forward from the rear seat holes until you can get the bolts to go in. The seat belt clips right into the E46 seats without any modification. Getting the power functions to work is as easy as adding power and ground, but I do have an airbag light since I haven't been able to figure out how to wire that part in (and I've done a lot of research on this).

see this thread for more info:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=395727

my seats:

LOL I actually read your thread and that's where i got the info about having to file the holes!

Thanks for the info.

euroguy · 03-08-2010, 03:43 PM

I have to disagree here. When I personally installed the seats, didn't have to file or anything. Bolted right in, which I was even personally surprised.
This shouldn't make a difference but my seats came out of 2003 330 coupe and went into 97 sedan.
Lumbar worked as soon as power was connected, memory settings we didn't play around with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by INFAMOU$

LOL I actually read your thread and that's where i got the info about having to file the holes!

Thanks for the info.

JazzM · 03-08-2010, 03:52 PM

Yeah, I had the same experience... perhaps the donor seats that were used had a bent track on them.

From my experience (e46 m3 seats in 328i) they bolt right in.

T.

theblue · 03-08-2010, 06:01 PM

weird... you guys are the first I've heard that where able to bolt the seats right in, and I've read a lot of write ups.

I'd have to see it to believe it.

INFAMOU$ · 03-08-2010, 10:33 PM

I'll let you guys know on Wednesday when i bolt them in.. I found the power and ground wires so all should be very straight forward.

JetBlackE46 · 03-13-2010, 02:47 AM

perhaps there are minor differences between coupe/sedan/convertible?

doogee · 03-13-2010, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by euroguy

I have to disagree here. When I personally installed the seats, didn't have to file or anything. Bolted right in, which I was even personally surprised.
This shouldn't make a difference but my seats came out of 2003 330 coupe and went into 97 sedan.
Lumbar worked as soon as power was connected, memory settings we didn't play around with.

Witnessed this myself!