Hi guys - I didn't find this exact answer in the FAQ - so I was hoping some of you might know. A fellow brickboarder (thanks Robert!) directed me to a nice leather 960 passenger side seat (power) that I'd like to replace in my 940. The seat is identical to what is in the car - although my current 940 passenger seat is manual. Question (1): I'm assuming I can just swap the seat tracks on the manual / power seats and make the swap. Is this true?

Question (2): Just curious - when I pulled the power RH seat out of the 960, I traced the wiring harness back under the dash and then back through the console. I was going to unplug it if possible and take it as part of the seat, but it seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Do most 940s with leather interior - are they prewired for power seats already? And would heated seats only require the dash-to-seat switches and wiring?

Question (3): The 960 seats had a different power control than my LH 940 power seat. I am also assuming the connectors would be the same - and the different controls were purely cosmetic. Can anyone verify this?

Thanks guys! Best regads, Chris W

Through the 94 model year, I believe that the seats were the same in the 940 and 960. As to getting power to the passenger seat, couldn't you just tap the connector on the driver seat and run wires under the console to the passenger seat?

Paul

Dear Chris,

Good a.m. I've done this recently on a 1994 940 wagon. I will shortly post a detailed, step-by-step procedure. It is easier for me to compose it in a word processor, and then insert it into this reply window.


I acknowledge the help of John Sargent, for telling me where to find a power source for a passenger-side seat.

I did not hook up the seat heaters, as my seats are tan leather. This leather is especially perishable. I do not want to accelerate its deterioration by using heaters. Perhaps John Sargent knows where to find a power source for the heated seats.

First, do not do anything to the seat tracks. The power seat, as it is, will fit perfectly in the bolt holes left by the manual seat.

Second, if you can, go back to the source car and get the wiring harness, including all connectors, that took power from the front, outer corner of the seat to the connector behind the center console. We will call this section of wiring the seat wiring harness.

Third, the passenger seat switch that comes with your power seat should work fine, regardless of the model of the car (940/960), in which the seat is installed. A passenger side power seat will not have memory functions. I would not know how to set up a passenger side power seat to have memory functions, or if it is even feasible to do so.

A car, that does not have a power passenger seat, does not have any connector on the wiring harness inside the front console, into which a seat wiring harness can be connected. When 940s were built, only those destined to have dual powered seats, had connectors on both sides of the front console (I use the term front console, to distinguish it from the center console, which houses the emergency brake).

If you get the harness from the source car, you can do the following:
(a) at the end of the seat wiring harness, that connected to the wiring harness behind the console, remove the individual wires from the connector. You can do this by opening the connector cover. Using a needle-nosed pliers grip the connector by its shank (the metal part that grips the wire) and gently wiggle it, will pulling it out of the connector housing.

The black wire is, of course the ground. I grounded mine to the screw under the center (emergency brake) console, that secures the emergency brake activation switch. The black/white or black/red wire is the positive wire. It needs to have a female spade type connctor put on it. Once you do that, it can be connected at fuse #7 on the fuse block. Once this is done, you will have power to the seat.

More later.

Yours faithfully,

spoook

Hey John and Mr. Spook :O

Thanks for the insight. I certainly appreciate it! Maybe I should clarify my intentions. After looking at the wiring it took to operate the 960 RH power seat (wiring harness plumbed from the RH floorpan across to the tranny hump under the dash and connected partially under the LH dash (under the turbo boost guage). Then, more of the harness plumbed back under the front console - It' looked like a MESS to deal with, so I didn't grab it. Plus, the yard was closing in 10 minutes!

OK - my intentions. I don't necessarily care about having a powered passenger-side seat. The manual seat is fine. I really only bought this seat for the exceptional condition of the leather.

John - you were saying "Don't pull the seat tracks". My goal is to take my manual seat track and put this on the 960 seat - This would allow me to retain the manual RH seat functionality I have grown to love....

But maybe this is an impossiblitity, to switch the seat tracks. Spook, please continue your writeup, as I may go that way in the end. I appreciate you taking the time to do it.

The 960 power seat will bolt directly into the chassis of your 940. Don't try changing the seat tracks from one seat to the other. It isn't necessary, and you will regret it.

In my experience, the wiring for a power seat on the right had side of your car will not be present. You will have to take a wire to the fuse which supplies the driver's seat with power. You will need to pull the Central Electrical Unit out, turn it over, and plug you wire on to one of the extra male spade fittings served by that fuse. I have done that before. You will also need to ground the seat. I used the ground point under the console, near the hand brake.

I don't know where you are, but most 900 series came with heated seats. If the wiring is not present, you need to get it and tap onto the proper fuse as outlined above for the power function.

I don't know if the power connections are the same, or not. They probably are.

You may also have a seat belt issue, as the early 940s don't have the same type seat belts as the 960 series. If the 960 seat does not have a seat belt reel at the seat, you will need to re-use your 940 seat belt. The power console for the 960 seat will work with the plastic side pocket from the 940. Yes, I have done that, too/
--
john