Wiring C5 seats?
Thread Starter
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From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Wiring C5 seats?
I bought a pair of C5 seats. I thought they were passenger side manual and drivers elec. Well it turns out that they're both electric. They are very nice and I'd hate to just cut off all the electric stuff...it seems such a waste.
My question is how would I wire these seats? Here's a pic of the passenger side connector.
Or how do I remove the power tracks? Are they bolted on or rivetted?
Guess it would be easier to simply remove the electric stuff.
Thanks
My question is how would I wire these seats? Here's a pic of the passenger side connector.
Or how do I remove the power tracks? Are they bolted on or rivetted?
Guess it would be easier to simply remove the electric stuff.
Thanks
Thread Starter
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From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Thanks Ed, that's the thread that started me on this project. Nothing in there about wiring or removing the tracks. If they're easy to remove, I stay with manual. I know Patsnitrovette is using his C3 tracks on C5 seats.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
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From: Nichols Florida
Originally Posted by Jughead
Thanks Ed, that's the thread that started me on this project. Nothing in there about wiring or removing the tracks. If they're easy to remove, I stay with manual. I know Patsnitrovette is using his C3 tracks on C5 seats.
Tyler
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From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by Tyler Townsley
I used the C5 tracks on both seats. The tracks are not the clearance problem its a lever that moves the seat that is a clearance problem. For wireing I just ran a wire off the battery under the carpet to a bus bar I put on the bulkhead between the seats and wired it from there. If you use the electric seats you have to raise the seat or notch the floorboard. I used the electric on the drivers side because I wanted to get the best fit for me, the passinger is irrelevant. Besides being comfortable is the last thing he/she is thinking of.
Tyler
Tyler
Thanks Tyler.
You wouldn't happen to have any pictures of this wiring would ya? I know absolutely nothing about wiring and electricity.
Do you just run a wire from the battery? How do you connect it?
Did you remove the little brackets on the front of both the drivers & passenger frames?
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From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by Ed T
I dont know anything about C5 seats but i am interested in your project.
I cant see in your pic how many wires go into that connector on the seat bottom?
Do you know for sure if those motors work? If the motors are beat then 1/2 your problem is solved already
Can you run a couple jumper leads w/ spade terminals to the connector on your seat, attach them to your battery charger, plug it into the wall & work the switch on the seat.............(if it has a switch on the seat.)
You can fuse the hot lead before your installation between the seat connector & fuse box and you can tap the hot lead right to your fuse box. I dont know what size fuse that it would take, maybe 15A? Use the same gage wire that is on that existing connector to run your new leads.
You have to find a good place for a ground, maybe you can get it where the battery grounds to the frame since you are in the area anyway.
Have fun, i like those new seats
I cant see in your pic how many wires go into that connector on the seat bottom?
Do you know for sure if those motors work? If the motors are beat then 1/2 your problem is solved already
Can you run a couple jumper leads w/ spade terminals to the connector on your seat, attach them to your battery charger, plug it into the wall & work the switch on the seat.............(if it has a switch on the seat.)
You can fuse the hot lead before your installation between the seat connector & fuse box and you can tap the hot lead right to your fuse box. I dont know what size fuse that it would take, maybe 15A? Use the same gage wire that is on that existing connector to run your new leads.
You have to find a good place for a ground, maybe you can get it where the battery grounds to the frame since you are in the area anyway.
Have fun, i like those new seats
Thanks Ed, how's your health? Move to Fla yet?
The motors should be good, they came outa a low mileage(3,000) 2003 C5 and they are perfect. As you can see from the seat bottom, they're almost new.
Here's a reply I got from the same topic I posted in C5 Gen.
I took a look at the schematic and it looks like there are two orange wires. Both of them are positive feeds. One goes to the lumbar motor and the other to the seat motors. The one to the lumbar is feed from a 10 amp fuse and the seats a 20 amp fuse. The Black is the ground for both.
This ought to be good. Now I'm going to do electrical work.
Look OUT! 
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From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Without modifications to the pedestel's they sit on, there's no way they'd work. I think using the C3 tracks they'd work just fine. LOTAHP said he just bolted the maual C5 tracks to the floor...no adjustment though.
I emailed you about removing the C5 tracks. How do they come apart?
Here's one from Ebay which was removed from an electric seat.
I really want to use the C3 tracks like you did but can't figure out how to get the C5 seat tracks off. They appear to be rivetted???
Do I just try to pry them apart?
I emailed you about removing the C5 tracks. How do they come apart?
Here's one from Ebay which was removed from an electric seat.
I really want to use the C3 tracks like you did but can't figure out how to get the C5 seat tracks off. They appear to be rivetted???
Do I just try to pry them apart?
Last edited by Jughead; Feb 20, 2005 at 06:44 PM.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Nederland Texas
Originally Posted by Tyler Townsley
I used the C5 tracks on both seats. The tracks are not the clearance problem its a lever that moves the seat that is a clearance problem. For wireing I just ran a wire off the battery under the carpet to a bus bar I put on the bulkhead between the seats and wired it from there. If you use the electric seats you have to raise the seat or notch the floorboard. I used the electric on the drivers side because I wanted to get the best fit for me, the passinger is irrelevant. Besides being comfortable is the last thing he/she is thinking of.
Tyler
Tyler
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,289
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From: Skippack PA
St Jude Donor '13
Originally Posted by Jughead
How would I run wire to the fuse box? Is that something simple I can do? Isn't there a jumper type connector for the fuse box.
This ought to be good. Now I'm going to do electrical work. Look OUT!
This ought to be good. Now I'm going to do electrical work.
Look OUT! 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 3,030
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From: White Pine / Dandridge TN
Originally Posted by TheKomoman
Instead of running from the fuse box and running on existing circuits you could run a wire from the battery, split it and then run in-line fuse connectors with the proper amperage fuses. You should be able to buy the things you need at Radio Shack. All you'd have to do then is figure out which orange lead is which motor.
I would stay away from the fuse box and run directly off the battery with an inline fuse. That way you keep your wiring simple and clean. If you ever have a problem, you don't have to fuss with the fuse box. I purchased an aftermarket connector that replaces the the positive battery cable connector at the battery. It is made to thread into the battery and accept seperate wiring terminals at the same time. This is how I wired my subwoofer.
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From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by Ed T
those must be a steel rivet, no? You should be able to grind off the heads or heat 'em up red with that new torch of yours and bust them off with a chisel.
I've been thinking about the rivets all day and their position. They are almost in an inaccessible "blind" spot, above the track and protected by the track. There's maybe 0.5-0.75" clearance there. I'm thinking a grinding tip or a saws-all. I tried an air-chisel on one of the other "exposed" rivets without much luck. A cut-off wheel might work, but I think I'd need to remove the lower seat covering.
Burning Brakes
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From: Seymour Indiana
Originally Posted by Tyler Townsley
I used the C5 tracks on both seats. If you use the electric seats you have to raise the seat or notch the floorboard. I used the electric on the drivers side
Tyler
Tyler
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From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
I got the frame separated...thanks C4tomcat! There are four bolts up under the foam in the seat. Very hard to get and they're metric. 
The head of these bolts look like rivets which threw me off.... (easy to do)
The head of these bolts look like rivets which threw me off.... (easy to do)
Thread Starter
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From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by Ed T
thats good news. So now what??? are you gonna use the motors or try the C3 tracks.
Well my wife wants me to keep the elec tracks and eventually install them and get them working. She saw a set of vette seats in a street rod last year and said since we have them to try and make them work in our Vette.
But for the time being and to save some time, I'm going to bolt on the old C3 tracks like Pat.
Thread Starter
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From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Well this seat thing has been bugging the crap outa me. 
So I removed the C5 tracks and placed the C3 track down in the seating area of the Vette. The C3 tracks are not attached to the seats at this point, but the seats are sitting right atop the tracks. They just need to be bolted on. I just wanted a trial fit to see if I could stop worrying for a bit.
Well the result? They fit perfect!
I have the seat back reclined in the identical position to the C3 seat and have just about the same head room. Propped up to an almost vertical position and the head clearance goes down to about 1 inch and feels a little cramped.
Thanks Pat!
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So I removed the C5 tracks and placed the C3 track down in the seating area of the Vette. The C3 tracks are not attached to the seats at this point, but the seats are sitting right atop the tracks. They just need to be bolted on. I just wanted a trial fit to see if I could stop worrying for a bit. Well the result? They fit perfect!
I have the seat back reclined in the identical position to the C3 seat and have just about the same head room. Propped up to an almost vertical position and the head clearance goes down to about 1 inch and feels a little cramped.
Thanks Pat!
