Seat controller fix?
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 888
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From: Atlanta
'12 E63, E55(sold), C32 (sold), '65 Skylark GS 445 convertible, '12 ML350
Seat controller fix?
Anyone have a list of the wires that need to be cut/spliced on both the passenger & driver seats of an '02 C32?
Both of mine are shot. (Kept draining the battery - had to get a new one)
Along with the driver's side seat heater.
And my radio.
All in one month.
Both of mine are shot. (Kept draining the battery - had to get a new one)
Along with the driver's side seat heater.
And my radio.
All in one month.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 888
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From: Atlanta
'12 E63, E55(sold), C32 (sold), '65 Skylark GS 445 convertible, '12 ML350
Found this:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w203...ower-seat.html
Can anyone on here verify the wire colors?
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w203...ower-seat.html
Can anyone on here verify the wire colors?
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,000
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From: East Bay, Bay Area
2002 C32, 2012 S550
Found this:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w203...ower-seat.html
Can anyone on here verify the wire colors?
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w203...ower-seat.html
Can anyone on here verify the wire colors?
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w203/262131-temjinx2s-20-seat-control-battery-drain-fix.html#post3068555
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 888
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From: Atlanta
'12 E63, E55(sold), C32 (sold), '65 Skylark GS 445 convertible, '12 ML350
This one is less complicated and looks like it will do the trick:
NOTE: This will work on all W203 BUT you may have differnt colors. Please check the voltage before splicing.)
Here is what you need.
2 -Wire Clamp or Splice (I dont know what its called but look at the picture its Blue)
1 -Electrical Tape
1 -Wire Cutter
First Step.
Look under your seat.
Find the connector with the 3 wires. (BROWN),(RED WITH GREEN STRIP),(BLACK WITH WHITE STRIP) and disconnect it.
The Brown Is Ground
The Red Is +Positive Constant 12v
The Black is +Positive only when key is turned on position 12v
Second Step
Remove the Extra electrical tape.
Third Step
Cut the Red wire and Splice it with the Black wire. ( !!!Make sure you tape off the 12v comming in and only use the part of the red wire that gose into the connector.!!!)
Forth Step.
Wrap everything up with electrical tape and your done. Now test.
Thats it your DONE
NOTE: This will work on all W203 BUT you may have differnt colors. Please check the voltage before splicing.)
Here is what you need.
2 -Wire Clamp or Splice (I dont know what its called but look at the picture its Blue)
1 -Electrical Tape
1 -Wire Cutter
First Step.
Look under your seat.
Find the connector with the 3 wires. (BROWN),(RED WITH GREEN STRIP),(BLACK WITH WHITE STRIP) and disconnect it.
The Brown Is Ground
The Red Is +Positive Constant 12v
The Black is +Positive only when key is turned on position 12v
Second Step
Remove the Extra electrical tape.
Third Step
Cut the Red wire and Splice it with the Black wire. ( !!!Make sure you tape off the 12v comming in and only use the part of the red wire that gose into the connector.!!!)
Forth Step.
Wrap everything up with electrical tape and your done. Now test.
Thats it your DONE
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Joined: May 2006
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From: Southern Cal
a C32 AMG & S-Works Tarmac
Pardon my electronics ignorance but, what exactly are you accomplishing here? Are you turning the Seat Controller to an ignition powered device instead of constant?
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From: Brooklyn
2009 Mini Cooper Clubman S
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 888
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From: Atlanta
'12 E63, E55(sold), C32 (sold), '65 Skylark GS 445 convertible, '12 ML350
Yep, you got it. In our cars...the seat controller modules pretty much always fail (well...their "memory" fails and they forget to turn off after 45 seconds of inactivity). What results is a constant draw on your battery. For me - because I travel a lot and my car will sit for over a week at a time at the airport, etc. - this resulted in a dead battery. Twice. And finally killed the battery.
My passenger side went about three months ago - and then my driver's side just went a week and a half ago. They're $700 each.
I just completed this mod and it works PERFECTLY. The only drawback is you can't move your seats when the car is off.
Memory on the seat controllers is still in tact.
Took 15 minutes, $2.33 for the line splices from Radio Shack...saved me $1400 and I can turn the car on whenever I need to move the seats. :-)
AWESOME!
My passenger side went about three months ago - and then my driver's side just went a week and a half ago. They're $700 each.
I just completed this mod and it works PERFECTLY. The only drawback is you can't move your seats when the car is off.
Memory on the seat controllers is still in tact.
Took 15 minutes, $2.33 for the line splices from Radio Shack...saved me $1400 and I can turn the car on whenever I need to move the seats. :-)
AWESOME!
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 587
Likes: 13
From: The Windy City
'02 C32, '10 135i M-Sport, '10 E63, '17 GLE63S
This is fantastic! I knew you could find used ones, but I never knew that you could modify 'e like this to "repair" them 
Just had my extended warranty company shoot me down for replacing these - to Hell with them!
Just had my extended warranty company shoot me down for replacing these - to Hell with them!
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 369
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From: SO CAL
AMG
Yep, you got it. In our cars...the seat controller modules pretty much always fail (well...their "memory" fails and they forget to turn off after 45 seconds of inactivity). What results is a constant draw on your battery. For me - because I travel a lot and my car will sit for over a week at a time at the airport, etc. - this resulted in a dead battery. Twice. And finally killed the battery.
My passenger side went about three months ago - and then my driver's side just went a week and a half ago. They're $700 each.
I just completed this mod and it works PERFECTLY. The only drawback is you can't move your seats when the car is off.
Memory on the seat controllers is still in tact.
Took 15 minutes, $2.33 for the line splices from Radio Shack...saved me $1400 and I can turn the car on whenever I need to move the seats. :-)
AWESOME!
My passenger side went about three months ago - and then my driver's side just went a week and a half ago. They're $700 each.
I just completed this mod and it works PERFECTLY. The only drawback is you can't move your seats when the car is off.
Memory on the seat controllers is still in tact.
Took 15 minutes, $2.33 for the line splices from Radio Shack...saved me $1400 and I can turn the car on whenever I need to move the seats. :-)
AWESOME!
+1 i paid $1400 to fix this becasue they say they have to change both then I found the 3 dollar fix after i got the car back from the dealership
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 888
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From: Atlanta
'12 E63, E55(sold), C32 (sold), '65 Skylark GS 445 convertible, '12 ML350
....uggh....I was seconds away from paying for them myself...but that would have brought my total that day to $2500...so I said skip the seat controllers....went home...and googled the fix. I actually found that on a different board.
Hopefully, we can save some folks in the future.
But look at it this way - you can move your seats when your car is off and I can't. :-)
Hopefully, we can save some folks in the future.
But look at it this way - you can move your seats when your car is off and I can't. :-)
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 369
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From: SO CAL
AMG
and she always brings it up how waisted money on seats 
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From: Where the Army sends me.
GL 350 Bluetec
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 888
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From: Atlanta
'12 E63, E55(sold), C32 (sold), '65 Skylark GS 445 convertible, '12 ML350
And just an update...mod worked great. No drain. Seats are fully functional except for the ignition off functions.
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 125
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From: Marlton
'02 325 xi; '02 C32; '90 ZX; '08 CBR 6RR, '86 V45 Magna
Let me make sure I have this right before I go and start cutting. The crazy thing is I just figured out what was causing the drain, i.e., command fan running 24/7 last night after a couple weeks of fuse pulling and trouble shooting.
I want to cut the constant 12v and tape it off, thus closing the circuit permanently. I then take the end of the constant 12v wire that remains attached to the connector and splice it in to the black. Is that right?
Thanks
I want to cut the constant 12v and tape it off, thus closing the circuit permanently. I then take the end of the constant 12v wire that remains attached to the connector and splice it in to the black. Is that right?
Thanks
Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 125
Likes: 2
From: Marlton
'02 325 xi; '02 C32; '90 ZX; '08 CBR 6RR, '86 V45 Magna
Let me make sure I have this right before I go and start cutting. The crazy thing is I just figured out what was causing the drain, i.e., command fan running 24/7 last night after a couple weeks of fuse pulling and trouble shooting.
I want to cut the constant 12v and tape it off, thus closing the circuit permanently. I then take the end of the constant 12v wire that remains attached to the connector and splice it in to the black. Is that right?
Thanks
I want to cut the constant 12v and tape it off, thus closing the circuit permanently. I then take the end of the constant 12v wire that remains attached to the connector and splice it in to the black. Is that right?
Thanks
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 173
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From: Vegas
02 C32
Does the seat module also control the COMAND cooling fan?
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,539
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From: Southern Cal
a C32 AMG & S-Works Tarmac
Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 173
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From: Vegas
02 C32
Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 173
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From: Vegas
02 C32
It occurs to me I have heard my COMAND fan run after shutting down the car. It was not running the next time I entered the car, so I presume it operated for a prescribed amount of time or until the temperature of the COMAND unit dropped below some threshold. I wonder if any harm will come to the expensive COMAND unit if the fan is unable to run after the car is shutdown. Perhaps a timer could be spliced somewhere into this circuit to maintain power for a set time after the car is stopped, allowing that fan to run when needed. Does such a thing as a solid-state timer exist?
Super Moderator Alumni
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,539
Likes: 4
From: Southern Cal
a C32 AMG & S-Works Tarmac
Super Moderator Alumni
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,539
Likes: 4
From: Southern Cal
a C32 AMG & S-Works Tarmac
It occurs to me I have heard my COMAND fan run after shutting down the car. It was not running the next time I entered the car, so I presume it operated for a prescribed amount of time or until the temperature of the COMAND unit dropped below some threshold. I wonder if any harm will come to the expensive COMAND unit if the fan is unable to run after the car is shutdown. Perhaps a timer could be spliced somewhere into this circuit to maintain power for a set time after the car is stopped, allowing that fan to run when needed. Does such a thing as a solid-state timer exist?
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 125
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From: Marlton
'02 325 xi; '02 C32; '90 ZX; '08 CBR 6RR, '86 V45 Magna
Obviously, this would have been much easier if I had looked to the forum first and tried to pinpoint the symptoms. Nonetheless, I am proud my diligence and patience allowed me to save a look of damn money in easily fixing this problem. Had I been a bit more impulsive and a bit more care free with my cash, I would have taken the car to the MB dealer as soon as I jumped the battery after the first time it died on me. God only knows what kind of damage the dealer would have done, i.e., diagnostics, parts, labor. Easily $1500+.
I did it for $4. It may have taken me the better part of a month using about 30mins after work to perform some fuse pulling/trouble shooting, but it was time well spent. The moral of the story is: Look to the forum when you notice you have a problem, do not wait until you've figured out the problem and need to figure out how to fix it. I figure I would have found an answer or received a response in less than 24 hrs. Well, live and learn.
