Tips and suggestions for replacing destroyed E39 driver seat adjustment control panel

I should mention I had a 50:50 change of getting it right ... so ... I _should_ have pulled the battery but .... being who I am ... I just tried one way and waited for the smoke to tell me whether or not I got it right ....

Luckily, the BMW gods were with me on this one ...

Woo hoo! The $50 set of "grau" outer covers 52107058009 arrived today!
Now I can see all the attachment points!
Notice that only one hole (a rectangular one) has a plug; the rest are open.
Also notice (scratch the inside to see) that this is white plastic painted gray.

Originally Posted by bluebee

....I'm sure in an unbroken situation, it would only go one way ... but it's nice to know that we now know how it hooks up when the new part arrives. I hope the control module isn't too badly damaged that I can still reuse it in the new seat cover.

Donna

Yes. The connector is supposed to have a plastic lever that swings over the connector to secure it to the switch assembly. That makes determines the orientation. But that small lever broke away about a day after the seat cover broke on my car.

I plan to replace the seat covers on my car soon, so any tips you find or pics you take will be welcome.

Steve

I looked at your pics and see that the connector latch got broken off too. I recently had some problems with the Memory seats that lose their memory from time to time. I fixed it by fully latching the connector into the control module (last person to work on this car didn't secure the connector right). If you have memory seats, I would suggest to secure the connector into the module or you might encounter memory seat loss.
I don't want you to have to go through the weeks of troubleshooting I went through

Jayee

Bluebee, while I applaud your ostensible efforts at accuracy, I have to wonder how much inefficiency is involved sometimes, seeing has how the things you "notice" were already covered in my admittedly wordy post #6, and I answered - for a second time - a different question of yours in post #16.

Originally Posted by bluebee

Notice that only one hole (a rectangular one) has a plug; the rest are open.

Originally Posted by PJB.

- The seat covers are sold in a set of two, and come with one out of six holes filled in with a button cover.

Originally Posted by bluebee

Also notice (scratch the inside to see) that this is white plastic painted gray.

Originally Posted by PJB.

Which color would you get? Is it "grau"?
You would get grau, yes. However, notice that your seat cover is scratched and the white plastic is showing through...I would suggest getting...black...because the black seat covers are made of black ABS plastic and not painted, thus a scratch will not take off paint and expose an off-color base material.

Hi PJB,
I do very much appreciate all your help and I'm sorry if I wrote too much. I do spend a LOT of time taking the pics, editing them, annotating them, combining them, and in general, trying to improve the knowledge that is on bimmerfest.

I agree it's in no way efficient for me or for you, if you already know the answer or if you've already provided the answer in this or other threads. In fact, I probably spend twice as much time documenting the problem and the fixes than I do on the fix itself. So, I agree on the efficiency problem.

Sorry.

I hope resurrecting old threads is acceptable etiquette here. This thread is exactly pertinent to my question, and I've already gotten a wealth of information from it (thank you!).

While trying to determine why my tilt steering won't work (I checked fuses, all OK) the backward-forward buttons on my drivers seat stopped working too. Now I realize from this forum that the Memory Module in the driver's seat controls both.

So I took the side seat panel off and found the Memory Module had been jimmy rigged before I bought the car. It was cracked, super glued, and wrapped in electrical tape! I think I found my problem.

In the process I saw that the side panel was broken at both places where the bolts hold it on so I need a new one.


So, two questions:

1. Can anyone tell me what color this is so I can buy the correct one?



2. Where's the best place to buy the black box Memory Module (Seat Control Unit)?

Originally Posted by TenPercenter

While trying to determine why my tilt steering won't work (I checked fuses, all OK) the backward-forward buttons on my drivers seat stopped working too. Now I realize from this forum that the Memory Module in the driver's seat controls both.

Yup. At least three things seemed to have gone whacky when the module was disconected. Certainly the seat would not move in any direction. Neither would the steering wheel. I think, when it was broken, that the mirror memory in the door didn't work either ...

1. Can anyone tell me what color this is so I can buy the correct one?
2. Where's the best place to buy the black box Memory Module (Seat Control Unit)?

Well, "Schwarz" is black; "Grau" is gray; "Marineblau" is likely marine blue; "DKL. Gruen" is probably dark green; which leaves "Sand beige" as the tan interior that seems to be in your picture.

Best places to buy BMW equipment is in this thread ...
*******> ********>*******>********>*******>********>

		bimmerfest - BMW Forums > BMW Model Discussions > 5 Series > E39 (1997 - 2003)
Are these the preferred parts suppliers for OEM (only) by price?

Donna

I would be somewhat surprised if any of the "usual suspects" for replacement parts have the control module. I'm sure the dealer can get it, but at an exhorbitant price. I would think that the module is that kind of thing that may get overlooked at a junkyard, and would try one of those places first. You could get lucky and find one for under $20.

And I'm with bluebee on the beige color.

Originally Posted by PJB.

I would be somewhat surprised if any of the "usual suspects" for replacement parts have the control module.

I'd be careful about one thing ordering a new BMW E39 front seat control module in that I'd double check the part number.

The part number on the sticker on my seat control module, for example, was
61.31.6.910.717 ... but the part number in the REALOEM web site is apparently 61.35.6.901.558 ($175 USD).

Originally Posted by PJB.

The seat control buttons simply pop off, but are held on very securely. It's nerve wracking, but they're just on there tight.

It scared me at first but the two buttons just pried off with a screwdriver.

Here is a photograph of what they look like being pried off so the next person can try it without guessing.

For the record, especially since I had not the benefit of these pictures before doing my outer seat cover replacement, here is what it looks like under the two knobs once you pry off the knobs themselves with a flathead screwdriver.

Make sure you pry directly outward because those frail little posts can break!

Originally Posted by PJB.

- The seat covers ... come with one out of six holes filled in with a button cover ... your controls will fill three more holes...you'll need two button covers

You were totally on the mark here. There were six (6) parts that needed to be transferred from the old cover to the new cover

1. The black rectangular $175 USD seat control module
2. A black squarish plastic clip behind the round hole
3. The grau round hole cover
4. The grau rectangular hole cover
5. The black knob for the seat back control
6. The black knob for the seat bottom control

Here's a pic because I realize that the words don't explain it well enough even though PJB accurately described this, it didn't sink in for me until I did it.

It's not obvious but the black seemingly useless clip inside the round hole needs to be brought over from the old BMW outer seat cover to the new one.

I post this picture so someone who has not done this can see what I mean.

In case someone wishes to know, those two button covers you need to move over from the old BMW E39 seat outer cover to the new seat outer cover are only coming out from behind.

There is no way you're going to remove them without first removing the BMW E39 seat outer cover.

Originally Posted by PJB.

the plastic rivets are in very tight and will likely necessitate destruction for removal. These rivets create a lot of frustration.

You're not kidding that these three plastic expanding rivets create a lot of frustration!

Two of them were still on the original seat cover, which was pulled out from the holes they were in ... but the third ... the one in the back of the seat on the bottom ... had to be cut off with wire cutters!

Originally Posted by PJB.

The seat covers themselves are each held on with two Torx screws and three plastic rivets.

Nobody said WHERE these two torx screws were located, nor what size they were.

Since I had to run to the store to buy a torx screwdriver set, I want the next person to know they are both a #30 torx screw and that one is located in the very front of the BMW E39 outer seat cover and the other is located in the very rear.

HINT: The only way to get to the rear #T30 torx screw is to move the seat back so that it's lying down and out of the way.

Only with the seat back out of the way can you access the rear #30 Torx screw with a torx screwdriver!

Originally Posted by PJB.

The seat covers are held on with two Torx screws and three plastic rivets.

It's difficult to even SEE, let alone get to the three plastic rivet locations, especially the rearmost one at the bottom rear of the seat.

Does anyone have a trick for getting the new plastic rivets in the three holes?

Originally Posted by PJB.

The seat covers are held on with two Torx screws and three plastic rivets.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=842536

This #6 post by PJB covers all the basics but I still was confused as to the LOCATION and SIZE of the two #T30 Torx screws and what the three plastic rivets looked like and their location also. I couldn't find them on my own and I had to literally tear the old BMW seat outer cover off in order to find them. I had to cut them out as they would not come out any other way (PJB was right).

I hope this picture shows it for the next person. Basically, the two #T30 Torx screws are on the top and the three plastic rivets are on the bottom.

One Torx screw is at the very front, the other is at the location where the seat back joins the seat bottom. One plastic rivet is in the front bottom, another in the middle bottom, and the last one (the toughest to see) is at the back bottom.

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF I NEED TO REMOVE THE SEAT BACK (how?) to get to that last rear plastic rivet?

Originally Posted by bluebee

DOES ANYONE KNOW IF I NEED TO REMOVE THE SEAT BACK (how?) to get to that last rear plastic rivet?

Kudos to you bluebee for making everything so explicit. The reason why I didn't post as much detailed information as you is because the RealOEM exploded diagrams typically provide enough information and also list the types of connectors. For example, the T30 Torx screw is listed at RealOEM as an m4x10 and that was enough for me. However I typically fail to realize that this might not be apparent to others; there certainly was a time when I didn't know what that meant. Additionally, I find having the replacement parts right next to me allows me to locate the connections easily.

As for your plastic rivets, the only thing that I can recommend is finesse and force. If I recall, surprisingly, it's also difficult to install the rivets, though not as difficult as it is to remove them. I believe I used the same plastic trim panel tools that I referred to in Post #6. The flat head tools provide ample surface area to distribute the force onto the head of the rivet so as to push it in straight without hurting your fingers. I did not have to remove the seat back to get them in.

Originally Posted by PJB.

m4x10 and that was enough for me

How m4x10 translates to #30 Torx is definitely beyond me. I must have the wrong secret decoder ring setup.

I did not have to remove the seat back to get them in.

I searched and didn't find the procedure to remove the seat back. How is THAT thing stuck onto the back of the seat anyway?

Originally Posted by bluebee

I searched and didn't find the procedure to remove the seat back. How is THAT thing stuck onto the back of the seat anyway?

All I can say is that while swapping out the covers, the connection locations were fresh enough in my mind that I didn't need to search around for them. Is your passenger seat cover still attached? You can check on that seat if so. I'm sure you have your seat moved all the way up and all the way forward; I had to contort myself quite a bit to get down in there, but I was able to see the hole.

Originally Posted by PJB.

I had to contort myself quite a bit to get down in there, but I was able to see the hole.

The new seat cover is on; it just doesn't have all the clips in. Will take a photo of the final job and post when done ... then I'll do the other side ('cuz I don't know what else to do with the second new seat cover that came in with the first)....

But I was just wondering ... even tho I don't need to remove the back cover ... how DOES that seatback come off? It seems stuck on tightly!

Originally Posted by PJB.

I just changed my outer covers last week, so I think I can help here.

"Is this black box with pins part of the cover or is it a separate part to order?"
The black box is a separate part independent of the cover. Personally, I would try the plug first before even considering ordering the black electrical box. Electronics in our cars are insanely expensive, and the cost for that part may very well be close to the cost for a used driver's seat that would come with that part, and more.

Which color would you get? Is it "grau"?
You would get grau, yes. However, notice that your seat cover is scratched and the white plastic is showing through. My grau seat covers were in a similar condition and fixing the cosmetic defect was the genesis of my replacement effort. I would suggest getting schwarz (black, BMW part #52 10 7 058 008), because black will hide the future scratches that are inevitable. This is possible because the black seat covers are made of black ABS plastic and not painted, thus a scratch will not take off paint and expose an off-color base material.

Some tips, since you asked:
- The seat control buttons simply pop off, but are held on very securely. It's nerve wracking, but they're just on there tight.
- The seat covers themselves are each held on with two Torx screws and three plastic rivets. Again, the plastic rivets are in very tight and will likely necessitate destruction for removal. These rivets create a lot of frustration. Replacement plastic rivets are sold in sets of six (BMW part#52 10 8 150 020) and are markedly inexpensive, so I would urge you to get these as well.
- The seat covers are sold in a set of two, and come with one out of six holes filled in with a button cover. Since you have the "basic" electric seat like I do, your controls will fill three more holes, so if you wish to change colors you'll need to purchase the final two button covers, which curiously enough come with two each of the button covers that already come with the seat covers. If you purchase the seat covers and the button covers, you'll end up with two extra button covers per side. Now I'm not sure if this was an idiosyncrasy with my dealer, but a set of seat covers came with two - one for the driver and one for the passenger - while a set of button covers was for only one side. I needed to order an additional set of button covers. To summarize, I purchased one set of seat covers and two sets of button covers. This will fill in all of the holes with four identical button covers to spare. I have leftover buttons in both grau and schwarz, as well as the passenger's side seat cover. If you wish I can sell them to you for a dollar or two over what it will cost me to ship them.

To remove the rivets and the control buttons, I would highly recommend interior trim panel tools. I acquired the first two of the following three sets from Harbor Freight Tools for about five dollars each. The set of yellow tools is particularly durable and desirable and has proven to be worth much more than the asking price to me:



If you need more information, please see the following thread in which these seat covers are discussed ad nauseum:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=842536

I have the yellow ones and they are really nice to use.