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View Full Version : WTB: Black E46 M3 Front Seats w/ Heating and Power (Lumbar and Bolster)



BMWCurves
12-03-2015, 07:58 PM
I'm looking for good condition front E46 M3 seats in black leather to swap into my 330Ci. Heat and power (lumber and bolster) are highly preferred.

I know it's a long shot, but I figure worst case I never find them.

The closer to Portland, OR the better but I am willing to travel a good distance to pick them up. $50 finder's fee.

slater
12-04-2015, 04:54 AM
;)

NoVAphotog
12-04-2015, 04:59 AM
GLWSearch!

BMWCurves
12-04-2015, 08:05 AM
Thanks!

I have aspirations of long distance driving comfort and better lateral support.

Pip
12-04-2015, 08:10 AM
Thanks!

I have aspirations of long distance driving comfort and better lateral support.
If you find the seats I'm confident you'll love them. They do seem to have a little less padding on the seat portion but I love the lumbar and side support. My next car will need seats as comfortable as the m3 seats.

Sent from my OnePlus 2

slater
12-04-2015, 08:40 AM
Thanks!

I have aspirations of long distance driving comfort and better lateral support.

make sure you get the ones with adjustable bolsters - it was a rare option.

BMWCurves
12-04-2015, 09:14 AM
make sure you get the ones with adjustable bolsters - it was a rare option.

That's the plan. Lumbar and side bolster power adjustment. I'm not missing anything else? I'm not actually all that familiar with the options on M3 seats, but assume there's just power movement, power lumbar support, power side bolster adjustment, and heated seats, correct?

Simmsled
12-04-2015, 09:33 AM
I have these exact seats (power/lumbar/heat/inflatable bolsters) and they popped up on a prayer.

There is a guy on Fanatics that parts out M3s all day long... I believe he is in California.

BMWCurves
12-04-2015, 10:06 AM
I have these exact seats (power/lumbar/heat/inflatable bolsters) and they popped up on a prayer.

There is a guy on Fanatics that parts out M3s all day long... I believe he is in California.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll keep my eyes peeled for that seller (I've been checking daily now over there). How much did you pay for your set, if you don't mind my asking? Were they local?

slater
12-04-2015, 10:07 AM
I have these exact seats (power/lumbar/heat/inflatable bolsters) and they popped up on a prayer.

There is a guy on Fanatics that parts out M3s all day long... I believe he is in California.

yep, mine were the same thing - they actually were listed on a local site about a year ago, no one could contact the seller... so i tried... and tried... and tried... and then he got back to me. really nice guy, really busy, not on the forums much. i happened to be traveling near where he was located, stopped by to see them - they were perfect. sold. :)

i'll keep my eye out for another set - they're worth shipping if you can find a good set. i know anando on here is looking for a set, too. :)

Vas
12-04-2015, 10:18 AM
I have these exact seats (power/lumbar/heat/inflatable bolsters) and they popped up on a prayer.

There is a guy on Fanatics that parts out M3s all day long... I believe he is in California.

I wish you still had your factory seats since I really wanted them.

slater
12-04-2015, 10:54 AM
I wish you still had your factory seats since I really wanted them.

what specs? i might have a set of black leather w/ lumbar, memory, power, heated, etc... available soon.

anandoc
12-04-2015, 11:37 AM
i'll keep my eye out for another set - they're worth shipping if you can find a good set. i know anando on here is looking for a set, too. :)

Yeah man, ever since I went on a ride in your ZHP, I fell in love with the M3 seats.

Vas
12-04-2015, 12:15 PM
what specs? i might have a set of black leather w/ lumbar, memory, power, heated, etc... available soon.

Need to be black leather, heated, and power. Just the leather has to be in really really good shape.

slater
12-04-2015, 12:22 PM
Yeah man, ever since I went on a ride in your ZHP, I fell in love with the M3 seats.

haha. :) we'll find you a set when you're ready. :cheers



Need to be black leather, heated, and power. Just the leather has to be in really really good shape.

yeah. these are OK but not stellar. if they become available (i.e., if i part the car out), i'll send you some pics.

NoVAphotog
12-06-2015, 08:01 AM
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1092473

BMWCurves
12-06-2015, 06:01 PM
"Too big to ship, pickup/meet up only"

Also on sedan rails. Would be good for someone else though.

I'm semi eyeing this set:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/pts/5339583345.html

Sockethead
12-07-2015, 06:28 AM
Need to be black leather, heated, and power. Just the leather has to be in really really good shape.


http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1092473

Daniel, are you a member over there? I'm interested in those seats but I'm not on that forum.

VAS, my seats are in excellent condition. Maybe we can work something out.

san
12-07-2015, 06:30 AM
"Too big to ship, pickup/meet up only"

Also on sedan rails. Would be good for someone else though.

I'm semi eyeing this set:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/pts/5339583345.html

:drool


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Vas
12-07-2015, 06:45 AM
Daniel, are you a member over there? I'm interested in those seats but I'm not on that forum.

VAS, my seats are in excellent condition. Maybe we can work something out.
Hmm maybe we can.

slater
12-07-2015, 06:52 AM
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1092473


Daniel, are you a member over there? I'm interested in those seats but I'm not on that forum.

those are nice, but no lumbar support and no adjustable bolsters. if you don't need that stuff that's cool, but to me, it's really only worth the effort if you get that stuff.




I'm semi eyeing this set:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/pts/5339583345.html

those are sweet - do it!!! rare color, full setup. love it.

peter

NoVAphotog
12-07-2015, 06:53 AM
Daniel, are you a member over there? I'm interested in those seats but I'm not on that forum.

VAS, my seats are in excellent condition. Maybe we can work something out.

Rob, just sent seller a PM asking for contact info. Will pass along to you.

NoVAphotog
12-07-2015, 07:02 AM
I'm semi eyeing this set:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/pts/5339583345.html

dooooooooo eeeiiiiiiiiiittttt!!!

Orient Blue over Imola... :drool :drool :drool

Sockethead
12-07-2015, 07:28 AM
those are nice, but no lumbar support and no adjustable bolsters. if you don't need that stuff that's cool, but to me, it's really only worth the effort if you get that stuff.

Hmm something to think about...adjustable bolsters would be sweet since I'm a skinny dude

BMWCurves
12-07-2015, 09:38 AM
those are sweet - do it!!! rare color, full setup. love it.

peter

I want to. Some people think a red interior is a bit too much but I think it would look great if all the pieces are in as good of shape as my current interior. Unfortunately the seller doesn't have better photos (texted me pretty much the same resolution photos). I'm going up to Seattle on the 22nd to watch the new Star Wars (!) in a theater with a massive 70mm projection screen, so if the interior is still around I'll check them out. Maybe I'll see if I can find a local Mafia member who would be willing to scope them out for me...


dooooooooo eeeiiiiiiiiiittttt!!!

Orient Blue over Imola... :drool :drool :drool

Exactly, I think it would look fantastic. Sadly this is not a decision or expense I expected to be faced with so quickly haha.


Hmm something to think about...adjustable bolsters would be sweet since I'm a skinny dude

I'm quite skinny as well (6 feet tall, 31 inch waist) and I will say that I greatly prefer the seats in my father's '98 540i because the bolsters are wider and connect to form a narrower seat back, which hold me much better in the seat and are more comfortable. I hope to achieve that with the M3 seats.

Simmsled
12-07-2015, 10:49 AM
Thanks for the heads up, I'll keep my eyes peeled for that seller (I've been checking daily now over there). How much did you pay for your set, if you don't mind my asking? Were they local?

I paid $600 I think. Believe it or not, the guy was about 20 minutes from me.
Seats had 60k miles and were from 2003 M3.

Vas
12-07-2015, 11:01 AM
Everybody wants to have some Imola in their zhp.

That interior looks hot.

slater
12-07-2015, 12:13 PM
I paid $600 I think. Believe it or not, the guy was about 20 minutes from me.
Seats had 60k miles and were from 2003 M3.

wow. nice deal. i paid $750CAD for mine, which was comparable - also a steal. :)

peter

BMWCurves
12-09-2015, 11:39 PM
Anyone know anyone in the Seattle area that could take a look at that Imola interior I linked earlier? I'm starting to be very interested. Sadly Marysville is about a 40 minute trip north of Seattle.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/pts/5339583345.html

az3579
12-10-2015, 04:42 AM
Anyone know anyone in the Seattle area that could take a look at that Imola interior I linked earlier? I'm starting to be very interested. Sadly Marysville is about a 40 minute trip north of Seattle.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/pts/5339583345.html


That is an amazing price... easy fixes for sure.

Karl Lazlo
12-10-2015, 05:05 AM
Anyone know anyone in the Seattle area that could take a look at that Imola interior I linked earlier?

Dead sexy.

az3579
12-10-2015, 05:07 AM
Dead sexy.
http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/a3/a36c5ea64c7ac23dc68f2eb68a32b2af222976c86a3ce4548f 82097e0bf45ee0.jpg

sent from my Droid Turbo

slater
12-10-2015, 05:25 AM
Anyone know anyone in the Seattle area that could take a look at that Imola interior I linked earlier? I'm starting to be very interested. Sadly Marysville is about a 40 minute trip north of Seattle.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/pts/5339583345.html

now that i look at it again, he mentions it's the driver's seat, but the pic of the broken bit is the passenger seat. hmmm.

not sure how replaceable that part is - it's part of the front height adjustment motor, so you'd need to swap over that part of your front seats.

hmmm. likely worth the effort for the rarity of the seats, but i would negotiate accordingly.

az3579
12-10-2015, 06:10 AM
hmmm. likely worth the effort for the rarity of the seats, but i would negotiate accordingly.

The price is pretty reflective of these kinds of issues. Imola interiors in nice shape usually get listed at a lot more $$ than this.

BMWCurves
12-10-2015, 08:52 AM
I would have to do a few things if I got these seats:

Swap the mounting bracket on one of the seats with mine
Swap the speaker grill on the passenger door card
Swap the seat backs of the front seats (sagging rope basket things)
Clean it all up.

Seller also seems to be missing the triangle bits that sit in between the rear seats and the rear cards, or at least they're not displayed.

Can you swap the trim off of the armrest or is it all one piece? I assume not and if that's the case I'll want to source some similar trim, which is sad since I like the black cube trim.

BMWCurves
12-17-2015, 04:12 PM
No response from the seller of the Imola interior. Peter is in contact with someone that has a set of black seats so I'm waiting to see some higher-res photos.

slater
12-18-2015, 05:35 AM
No response from the seller of the Imola interior. Peter is in contact with someone that has a set of black seats so I'm waiting to see some higher-res photos.

well, looks like those nice black ones are sold. crap!

back to the drawing board...

BMWCurves
01-18-2016, 11:09 PM
I found this set and reached out to the seller. Thoughts?

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pts/5407621091.html

az3579
01-19-2016, 05:04 AM
I found this set and reached out to the seller. Thoughts?

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pts/5407621091.html

Might as well go HAM and do the full matching interior. That one looks really well kept.

NoVAphotog
01-19-2016, 05:45 AM
I found this set and reached out to the seller. Thoughts?

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pts/5407621091.html

The only thing I don't like is the brushed aluminum trim compared to the cube trim from the ZHP, otherwise go for it.

slater
01-19-2016, 07:28 AM
i agree with BP and daniel, looks very well-kept. i'd perhaps try to negotiate if you don't want the door panels and trim bits, otherwise that's not a bad price considering it is a FULL interior. it's hard finding one so complete and so clean. you'd want to verify all seat functions work before shelling out that kind of dough, though. easy enough to swap in and test.

you could always swap your cube trim into it and then sell the aluminum to recoup some costs - and, of course, selling your stock seats to recoup costs too if you want to (i did - they live on in charlie's ZHP!).

peter

BMWCurves
01-19-2016, 10:34 AM
The only thing I don't like is the brushed aluminum trim compared to the cube trim from the ZHP, otherwise go for it.

You can swap the trim out on the arm rests, though, can't you? My plan would be to revert it all to my Black Cube.

EDIT: How much does a good condition non-M interior go for?

slater
01-19-2016, 11:34 AM
You can swap the trim out on the arm rests, though, can't you? My plan would be to revert it all to my Black Cube.

EDIT: How much does a good condition non-M interior go for?

do you have power lumbar and heat? if so, i would say probably $850 for the full set (including rear seat, door cards, etc)..

BMWCurves
01-19-2016, 11:42 AM
The front seats are heated but no lumbar. Otherwise the interior is in excellent shape. The back seats were literally never sat in by the previous owners (childless older couple) and very rarely sat in since my ownership. Door cards are also in great shape minus one small scuff on the driver's door card.

slater
01-19-2016, 12:25 PM
The front seats are heated but no lumbar. Otherwise the interior is in excellent shape. The back seats were literally never sat in by the previous owners (childless older couple) and very rarely sat in since my ownership. Door cards are also in great shape minus one small scuff on the driver's door card.

i would expect less without lumbar, but you should still be able to get ~$700 if they are clean enough. that offsets the investment significantly!

BMWCurves
01-19-2016, 01:22 PM
Hmm...now I have to think! It is awful enticing. What does a brushed aluminum trim set, including the armrests but minus the center dash piece go for? I've found old FS threads but haven't found any sort of useful price range. $100? $200?

az3579
01-19-2016, 01:39 PM
Hmm...now I have to think! It is awful enticing. What does a brushed aluminum trim set, including the armrests but minus the center dash piece go for? I've found old FS threads but haven't found any sort of useful price range. $100? $200?


Coupe trim is more expensive than sedan trim. If it's awesome condition, I'm sure you can get a few hun'ned for 'em...
Look for comparable sets on eBay and see what they're listed at to get an idea.

Your interior can probably be sold for a cool $800-900 or so if they're in excellent shape. Black is a dime-a-dozen so that doesn't help for value, but the condition will definitely be a deciding factor. It sounds about right; this M3 interior is a few hundred more, so it seems reasonable to me to price it around 800-900 assuming you're selling a full set with door cards.

BMWCurves
01-19-2016, 01:43 PM
Great, thank you both! I really appreciate it.

I'm texting with the seller now, he/she doesn't want to sell the front seats separately unless they get a good price for them. At that rate, I might as well go for the full interior swap if I can get $800 for my interior plus $100-200 for the aluminum trim, I'm only out of pocket a few hundred for better leather and seats.

az3579
01-19-2016, 01:49 PM
Great, thank you both! I really appreciate it.

I'm texting with the seller now, he/she doesn't want to sell the front seats separately unless they get a good price for them. At that rate, I might as well go for the full interior swap if I can get $800 for my interior plus $100-200 for the aluminum trim, I'm only out of pocket a few hundred for better leather and seats.


The difference is about what you'd pay for just the fronts anyway, and that's without having matching rears. Sounds like a deal to me...

slater
01-19-2016, 02:28 PM
Great, thank you both! I really appreciate it.

I'm texting with the seller now, he/she doesn't want to sell the front seats separately unless they get a good price for them. At that rate, I might as well go for the full interior swap if I can get $800 for my interior plus $100-200 for the aluminum trim, I'm only out of pocket a few hundred for better leather and seats.

amen, brother! go get 'em! :cheers

BMWCurves
01-20-2016, 04:18 PM
UPDATE:

So I spoke with the seller and he sent me a link to higher resolution photos:

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipObqWX3MeJqjUvvUj2C5hSvaOs65Y8TlDt9aMFI0XAWXy rjGVnYX6dkrqOVSvQjSg?key=QWJpWmhqVEp5TG9JR1dhTE5ja 1h1VG5LMmd4eVFn

They look pretty good to me. I asked him some questions:
Has the car that that the interior is coming out of had been in an accident?
Answer: no, he's just selling his interior after he bought an Imola interior (I have a feeling he bought the Imola interior I was eyeing back in December).

Have the seats been treated/detailed during their lifetime?
Answer: They have been detailed at BMW of Seattle and have been treated over their lifetime, but are due for another Leatherique treatment.

One of the metal rods on the rear headrest is bent and I was wondering if that was normal.
Answer: "Is normal, the metal arm moves, is adjustable."

Do the front seats' electronics all function properly i.e. side bolster, lumbar, seat position, and heat all work properly?
Answer: "Everything works. Except that side, but I am working to fix this issue, is a simple fix. Or you can and i can offer a discount."

It seems the right side bolster on the passenger front seat is pushing in on the leather in the middle of the back of the seat. Is that just a weird photo or is there some issue there?
Answer: "New lumbar support pump are $95.25. I can replace them or you can, again I can offer a discount. Very easy to do. Is a common issue."

Are there any other issues such as significant scratches or scuffs in the trim or leather, broken tabs in the door cards or trim, or loose netting on the back of the front seats?
Answer: "I took the pictures with a dslr Nikon camera to get the best detail of is current condition. Took the photos last Sunday. The front dash trim has some clip holder broken off. It's really hard to remove this trim with out damaging them. I tried to show this in the pictures."

His responses seem pretty genuine to me. Can anyone speak to the cost and ease of the side bolster repair he's referring to?

If it is easy and not too expensive, I think I'll pull the trigger on these!

san
01-20-2016, 04:26 PM
I have no idea about the cost to fix the bolsters but they do look good...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BMWCurves
01-20-2016, 05:59 PM
This is what the seller sent me after I asked for some clarification regarding what needed to be repaired:

http://workshop-manuals.com/bmw/3_series_e46/m3_s54_coupe/2_repair_instructions/52__seats/13__front_seat_normal_manual/9_ra__removing_and_installing___replacing_valve_ho using_for_left_or_right_lumbar_suppo/

He followed up again with "Is the passenger seat. The right side lumbar support" and the following link for more details:

http://www.tmk.com/lumbar/

UdubBadger
01-22-2016, 06:35 AM
Not sure about the pump but the leather can be heated and tightened pretty easily. We have a guy who comes and works on some of our cars who does it for like $20 per car - it's that easy.


GoingHAM mobile

BMWCurves
01-22-2016, 09:07 AM
Not sure about the pump but the leather can be heated and tightened pretty easily. We have a guy who comes and works on some of our cars who does it for like $20 per car - it's that easy.

Good to know!

After looking at the repair that the seller said needed to be done, I Googled the part (52107115693 - Lumbar support pump), and everywhere I looked said the part was discontinued. It seems it was superseded by 67807025381, but that part seems to only adjust the lumbar only, not lumbar and side bolster. In the end I decided to take the seller up on his offer of having them repair it before I purchase. He also offered to have the seats treated by BMW of Seattle at no additional expense. Not sure how good BMW's leather treatment is though...

Now I wait to hear when the repair is done

UdubBadger
01-22-2016, 12:23 PM
Cool!


GoingHAM mobile

Sockethead
01-22-2016, 06:38 PM
good find... that's what I need

BMWCurves
02-06-2016, 11:44 PM
So I picked up the interior today. The seller was very nice. He recently swapped his black interior that I purchased with an Imola interior. I asked if it was the same Imola interior I had seen around in December, but he said it was from someone else. The interior came out of a 2006 Leguna Seca M3 (I still need to get the VIN from him for my own records).

As for the interior, the front seats are in fantastic shape! I am very pleased. The only blemish I really see is the middle panel on the driver's seat bottom. The leather by the stitching has stretched a bit and sort of folded over on itself, but really isn't noticeable. Otherwise fantastic and they feel great to just sit in.

The rear seats are in pretty darn good shape as well for a 10 year old car. There is a small scuff on the seat bottom, but I think a small touch up could be performed. In the fold down arm rest and one of the triangle pieces the leather is stretched in sort of a point, probably from people leaning on the seat belt buckles (male part) while they're not being used. Seth mentioned someone might be able to fix it. The only other issues are the rear cards have small tears on them on the hard leather part, but I believe they're covered by the seat and the felt that goes around the rear windows so you wouldn't see them. Otherwise they're in great condition.

I am very pleased. If I can get those small issues solved for relatively cheap, I'll do a full swap! I plan to take in two of the rear pieces to my local BMW shop and see who they might normally contact to detail these issues.

As for the trim, it's in pretty good shape. There are some scuffs on the arm rest trim from the seat belt buckle hitting it, but not terrible. The trim pieces around the radio has a broken and missing trim pin that I'll purchase and epoxy. Hopefully I can clean them up and get a decent price for the set.

Another issue I have to consider is do I swap out my speakers for the ones included in the cards, or do I keep the ones that came with my car and sell the M3 speakers with my ZHP door cards? Decisions decisions...


Not sure about the pump but the leather can be heated and tightened pretty easily. We have a guy who comes and works on some of our cars who does it for like $20 per car - it's that easy.

I mentioned this earlier in my post, but who might I contact for that kind of service? Just go to the dealer as I have planned?

Again, thank you all for your help and input!

UdubBadger
02-07-2016, 05:38 AM
No you can try an auto upholstery place or actually DIY.


GoingHAM mobile

Simmsled
02-07-2016, 08:35 PM
Congrats and welcome to the club!
The M3 seats are on another level with the added adjustment capability.
Enjoy!

BMWCurves
02-07-2016, 10:53 PM
Congrats and welcome to the club!
The M3 seats are on another level with the added adjustment capability.
Enjoy!

Thanks! I plan to swap out the front seats tomorrow even though I'll remove them again if I put in the rear seats/cards. I figure I want to double check everything's in working order, plus I can't wait to have them in AND there will be some delay between having the rear seats inspected/detailed and when they'll be swapped into my car.

BMWCurves
02-08-2016, 01:49 PM
So...first, the driver's side seat swap went off without a hitch. It's comfy, and looks great in there.

Bad news is that the side bolster support on the passenger's side isn't working, despite the seller having said he had it specifically repaired. The button is broken on the release side (I didn't notice it was this bad when I first inspected it). By broken I mean when I push the button on the side facing the rear of the car to release air, I don't feel any resistance. After pushing it that way, it will actually stay "pushed" because it's loose. Pushing the button in the other direction to increase the air in the side bolster results in a click and then nothing, but it has resistance like the button should. I removed the button. Notice how it sits leaning to the left because there's no spring or whatever is in there to provide resistance:

http://i.imgur.com/fz39C0D.jpg

Given that the seat position and the lumbar support all work, do you guys agree that the most likely culprit for my problem is the switch? The part number is 52102695396, seems to be about $40 depending where you look.

I'm texting with the seller now.

slater
02-08-2016, 01:54 PM
hey william,

an easy way to test is to swap over the switch from the passenger seat (they don't need the bolster adjustment anyway ;) ) to see if it's working.

they come apart easily and you will be able to see where the issue lies. there's a piece of molded rubber in there to keep the button 'in place' and actually make the switch work. i bought a spare one on ebay for about $15 (my passenger side one wasn't working 100%). if you need that part, let me know, i should have a spare.

BMWCurves
02-08-2016, 01:57 PM
Duh, should have thought about that...:facepalm

I'm assuming they're interchangeable? They are different part numbers for right and left.

slater
02-08-2016, 06:37 PM
Duh, should have thought about that...:facepalm

I'm assuming they're interchangeable? They are different part numbers for right and left.

really? they should be interchangeable.

BMWCurves
02-08-2016, 06:53 PM
So after the setback of the passenger seat side bolster not work, I opened up the side bolster switch for the passenger seat. It revealed that the little rubber spring had collapse and then ripped, so it was no longer useful. I went ahead and followed Peter's advice and pulled the side bolster switch from the driver's side which was a real big pain in the ass because one of the clips on the side trim of the seat refused to let go. I swore at that fucker for what had to be 30 minutes but it finally gave up the goods. Thankfully I didn't have to remove the seat in order to remove the trim like I had initially feared.

Unfortunately, swapping the functional driver's side side bolster switch into the passenger side revealed that the switch is not the issue. With the driver's side switch installed, the passenger seat side bolsters will fill the bladders with air, but won't release them. So now I'm not sure if it's a pump issue or a bladder issue. In either case I assume it's a release valve that's broken somewhere. It's really frustrating since I paid for the interior with the understanding that this issue had been repaired. Speaking with the seller I'm not sure how much financial help I'll get from him. Sigh.

That said, side bolsters for the passenger aren't incredibly essential so I'll order a new switch, (or slater, if you're willing to sell me your spare I will gladly take it off your hands), and wait for it to arrive. In the mean time I'll leave the front seats installed because OMG they're comfy as f*ck. I have yet to go out into some twisty roads to feel the new lateral support but I can already tell I'll be pleased. It'll also give me time to locate a good leather upholstery guy to see what it'll cost me to detail the remainder of the M3 interior and to gauge if it's worth installing.


really? they should be interchangeable.

Yup, they're definitely side-specific. You can plug either switch into either side, but they'll be backward: pushing on the left side of the passenger button releases the air, while pushing on the left side of the driver's button increases the bolstering. I was further annoyed because I attempted to swap over the button cover from the passenger side button since the driver's side button is a little smudged (the headrest portion of the seat icon is wiped away), but you can't. I got both switches apart but all the parts are mirror images and you cannot swap out the parts. So very frustrating.

BMWCurves
02-09-2016, 08:52 AM
Ordered a new side bolster switch for the passenger seat (52102695396) and two trim pins to sell with the aluminum M3 trim (2x 51458266808).

slater
02-09-2016, 09:26 AM
sorry man, i didn't realize they were different. at least you can get them!

does the lumbar support bladder deflate properly on the passenger side?

BMWCurves
02-09-2016, 10:22 AM
It's really surprising, you would think BMW would make it so parts were a little more interchangeable, but then again...it's BMW haha.

I think you might have it backwards, the driver's side seat works perfectly, no issues. The passenger's side is the one with the broken side bolster button and non-deflating side bolsters.

As always, thanks for the help everyone!

slater
02-09-2016, 11:04 AM
I think you might have it backwards, the driver's side seat works perfectly, no issues. The passenger's side is the one with the broken side bolster button and non-deflating side bolsters.

i did initially; i've got it straight now. ;) glad the driver's seat works - how do you like the bolster adjustment on the driver's seat? :)

BMWCurves
02-09-2016, 12:38 PM
i did initially; i've got it straight now. ;) glad the driver's seat works - how do you like the bolster adjustment on the driver's seat? :)

I'm in heaven. It's so comfortable and supportive. I had a quick blast out one of my favorite roads this morning. It feels so good. I'm a pretty skinny guy (6', 160 lbs), so I practically slid around in the normal seats.

Thanks is due to you and everyone else for talking me into this upgrade.

slater
02-09-2016, 01:04 PM
I'm in heaven. It's so comfortable and supportive. I had a quick blast out one of my favorite roads this morning. It feels so good. I'm a pretty skinny guy (6', 160 lbs), so I practically slid around in the normal seats.

Thanks is due to you and everyone else for talking me into this upgrade.

you're welcome. ;)

glad you're enjoying it! to me, it's possibly the one mod i like best i've done to the car.