Front Seat Cushion Swap in 328iC?

[wgarrjr]

The driver's seat cushion springs in my 1997 328iC are a little weakened after
150K miles, and pop and shift sometimes when cornering. The leather is in great shape and matches the front passenger seat well. I am wondering if I can swap the seat cushions for a more comfortable driver's ride, since I rarely drive with a passenger in the car? I am guessing there are issues with the air bag, etc, but if I could swap the cushion only and leave the frame and controls as is, would this work? Anybody have any experience with this? I am new to this forum, and find it to be a BIG help. Thanks!

[pete bogman]

I recently did this in my 95' 325 without a problem and am very happy with the swap. Your 328 is a little newer, so there might be some additional airbag sensors or other electronics that my 95 doesn't have. I did manage to break some of the little plastic clips that hold the seat bottom on, almost impossible not to. The bottoms seem secure with only two of the four clips holding them on, but I am planning on fixing the broken ones. You might want to order a few to have on hand before you start the project to save yourself some work later.

[wgarrjr]

Thanks, Pete! Did you completely remove the seats to do this, or can you disassemble part of the seat frame and remove the cushions? I appreciate the tip on the clips - if they can be broken, I will no doubt accomplish that

[pete bogman]

Didn't need to remove the seat. I have the motorized seat and just tilted it all the way back. They just pry up. You still probably want to wait for someone with more experience on the later e36's to weigh in or do a little more research online to make sure you don't mess up any electronics. I would at least disconnect the battery to avoid an airbag light ruining your day. Make sure you have your radio code. Clips are part # 52-10-8-130-678-M9-50 cents each and there are 4 per seat.

[pete bogman]

You know, it only occurred to me now that there were no springs in my seat cushion- your post mentioned the springs were worn. I had the cushion apart to replace the butt warmer and there was foam, but no springs. You might have a much different seat than I do.

[Manolito]

I have two '97s that my daughters now drive. The leather failed on the back of one of them and on the lower seat on the other, so I bought a seat from the junkyard. On the back, I pulled off the leather, and on the bottom I snapped up the seat, I tried dismantling it and squeezing the snaps to save them. No point. You cannot get to a couple of them, so just pry up the seat and break the snaps, replace them. The snaps are cheap.

I bought the best driver seat I could find, but I saw passenger seats that had perfect leather. The junk yard assured me that neither the base nor the back leather would transfer passenger side to driver side. I subsequently confirmed that this was not true. I wish I had purchased a perfect passenger seat. However, by buying a driver seat, I got a spare driver side seat belt buckle and electric seat control switch bar.

The little shift and pop on corners is common on these seats. On my first '97, I complained about it when the car was new and still on warranty, but the fix the dealer tried would quiet it only for a month or two. It is annoying, and I have not figured out how to stop it. It is not so bad for my 105 lb daughter.

[wgarrjr]

Thanks, Guys! If the shift and pop are common, I think I will just leave well enough alone. The seat still looks great, is comfortable, and it doesn't pop all that often. If it gets worse, I know how to handle it now. I appreciate it!