[Augster]

Not so hard a retrofit as I completed it within a couple hours as I finally got around to installing the fold-down seats after sitting in storage for six months. The only difficulty was getting the longer left seat fully engaged onto the long pivot rod of the shorter right seat: the side brackets should be installed first on the sides of the seats (otherwise getting a Torx bit to tighten their screws would be almost impossible) but they make the seats very tight in their installed positions and inhibit wiggle room to easily slide the left seat onto the pivot rod.

To answer my own question about the bracket: the center support bracket needs to have the rounded side down to match the welded body bracket which has a rounded bottom edge to it.




I opted to install the two-piece center seat belt in order to prevent the original one-piece seat belt from interfering with large, bulky cargo with the seats down. Here are some notes for those also performing this part of the retrofit:

The rear window shelf needs to be removed and modified to install the plastic end-buckle stowage holder (aka Cap, Lock Tongue, PN 51468208863). There should be many other DIY's that detail removing the shelf, but be careful prying out the speaker cover; the aging plastic tabs will probably break off unless you know exactly where each tab is to apply pressure via a trim removal tool (I broke the side tabs).



The shelf is pre-scored for the plastic stowage holder. I simply used a box cutter (with new blade) and poked through from the bottom following the scoring.




Then carefully cleaned up the opening from the top and installed the holder. Tightening the its plastic nut will gradually pull the holder nice and flush onto the surface of the shelf.





I'm now enjoying the newly expanded cargo capacity that I had sorely missed with my E46 with its fold-down seats. It seems this option wasn't as widely selected/available with the E90's, being mostly sold in more northernly/wintery locales.

[A13x]

how much did it all cost you overall and is there a picture of the seats folded down

[Augster]

Originally Posted by A13x

how much did it all cost you overall and is there a picture of the seats folded down

The bulk of the cost would be dependent upon how lucky you are in finding a deal on the fold-down seats, and whether you are able to get the ancillary parts with those seats.

For me, I had been religiously scanning Craigslist and eBay for over a year and finally pulled the trigger on a pristine front seat/rear seat Leatherette combo with only 15,000 miles on them for $550 (my drivers' seat bottom cover is ripped in several places so I thought it was a "great" find to get a complete seat set). It was located in northern Cali so I had to factor in the cost of driving up and back to get the seats. But only a scant couple months later, there was a local ad for a complete front/rear seat fold-down combo for $600. I tracked it and for two months it didn't sell. The seller probably gave up and dropped the total price to $100 and it sold within a couple days of the new advertised price. The rear seat cover looked like it was replaced because it had too many wrinkles and waves in it, but for $100 for both front and rear seats, that's still a steal.

Another part that may need to be ordered but wasn't mentioned in the original writeup is the child seat tether covers for the lower cushion. Mine were missing three of the four covers, and the fourth cover had broken tabs. BMW doesn't sell the covers by themselves so I had to buy complete assemblies, Cover ISOFIX, Black, PN 52207118674 at $15 each ($60 added to my retrofit cost).

All the ancillary parts listed by the OP came out to about $213 from three different sources (ECS Tuning, BMW Parts Pros, and local BMW dealer) and includes any shipping, handling, and applicable sales tax. The two-piece seat belt cost me another $170 from ECS Tuning.

Thus, my total expenditure came close to $1,000, but keep in mind that included front seats. I probably won't be able to recoup much from reselling my original seat set.

[Augster]

Here are photos showing the seats folded down.

BTW, mine came with the ski bag. Though I will never haul skis that way (I'd use my roof rack for that), the cassette does pop out easily enough allowing me to transport long, narrow items through the armrest opening without having to fold-down the seats if need be.

[superfreshdude]

Sorry to bring up an old post but I wanted to ask something.

If I were to do the retrofit do I need the Whole rear seat cushion set?
as in, If i were to do just the rear seats do I need to top and bottom? can I just buy the top Cushion?
I would be getting the seats in the same color as my current seats. I just want it to fold down.


I really want to do this retrofit.

[Augster]

Originally Posted by superfreshdude

If I were to do the retrofit do I need the Whole rear seat cushion set?
as in, If i were to do just the rear seats do I need to top and bottom? can I just buy the top Cushion?

You need the entire set of components designed specifically for fold-down application: side bolsters, seat bottom, left seat back, and right seat back. The fold-down seat bottom has a lower, deeper rear edge to accommodate the longer, lower edge of the seat backs which allows the backs to fold down as low as possible.

The only interchangeable components are the headrests.

You could still use the non-folddown center seat belt, but since it's one permanently continuous belt and stays connected with the seat backs folded down, it may interfere with cargo straddling the interior and trunk.

[HB E90]

subd

[HB E90]

is it possible to tell if it has the folding seats by just looking at a pic of the interior back seat?

[Agent11br]

Originally Posted by HB E90

is it possible to tell if it has the folding seats by just looking at a pic of the interior back seat?

Definitely. Look for the bottom crease where they fold. If the car cannot fold, no bottom crease. You can also tell by looking at trunk pics.

SEE PICS

[jim.e.]

Just completed this DIY last night - thanks for the clear pics and instructions!!!!

[rdlink]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Tech

I got em off Ebay removed from an 08 wrecker with 5k

Resurrecting an old post. You have (had) an 06 330i, and put the seats from an 08 in them. How did the leather match?

I've got an 06 330xi, and I'm looking at a set of seats from an '11 335. The cushions, etc, are all the same part numbers from 06 until 2011. But the covers change part numbers after 07. I'm wondering why.

[3.1L Z]

I swaped from an 06 into an 08. Same black interior. One was leatherette and one was Dakota leather. No problem. No difference except for the material

[mxa121]

Great...Another thing I "need" to spend money on!

[aymen_a22]

Another resurrection.

I plan to move larger things in my 06 E90, but not very often.

Can I remove the back rest and re-install the base (to make the floor level), then transport my things with the back rest removed from the car.

Once finished, just re-install the back rest, two T50 screws, and go use the car as usual.

I am just thinking outside the box to save the hassle and cost of locating and installing a new rear bench.

[Augster]

Originally Posted by aymen_a22

Another resurrection.

I plan to move larger things in my 06 E90, but not very often.

Can I remove the back rest and re-install the base (to make the floor level), then transport my things with the back rest removed from the car.

Once finished, just re-install the back rest, two T50 screws, and go use the car as usual.

I am just thinking outside the box to save the hassle and cost of locating and installing a new rear bench.

Of course, you can do that.

But that requires advance planning and knowledge that you need additional room and must remove the seat back prior to your departure because you will have no room to store the seat back in your car along with whatever obtuse item you need to haul.

Having a built-in folding seat option, however, allows you to handle any unexpected situations.

It can be difficult to find a pristine folding seat back assembly, so I understand the inquiry. It really depends upon how often you find yourself needing that folding seat option. I needed enough to actively seek and install one.

Another option is to invest in roof racks and cargo basket/carrier.

[aymen_a22]

Thanks for your quick response.

I mostly plan to move things then do it, e.g bike ride, need to get bike in the car.

I do have a roof rack already, but sometimes it is much easier to throw it in the back of the car.

Do you know the tightening torque for the 2x T50 screws?

[Augster]

Originally Posted by aymen_a22

Thanks for your quick response.

I mostly plan to move things then do it, e.g bike ride, need to get bike in the car.

I do have a roof rack already, but sometimes it is much easier to throw it in the back of the car.

Do you know the tightening torque for the 2x T50 screws?

To be honest, if you do any appreciable riding like I did (mountain biking every other day or so) or a remote semblance to regularity, then pulling out the rear seat and reinstalling will become extremely inconvenient and time consuming. Add to that the headache dealing with the dirt and grime that will require carrying a large blanket to protect your interior and truck space, especially against that greasy chain. Even with quick release hubs, removing and installing both wheels can be time consuming, and again messy due to dealing with that chain.

And there's always the chance of scratching or dinging the paint as you're stowing and retrieving the bike out of the trunk.

Believe me, I did the bike-in-the-trunk initially, and it got old real fast. I then tried a truck mounted carrier and discovered the paint getting slightly scuffed. I bought locking roof racks and a bike carrier (both BMW branded Thule models) and it was best investment while saving me a ton of time; I could quickly load and unload the bike in under a minute. Installing and removing the rack and carrier a few more minutes.

Anyways, I don't know what the torque spec is, but add that as another time consuming task if your intention is to always use a torque wrench whenever reinstalling the seat back.

[OmahaDZL]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Tech

Seat carrier, rear 1x 52207133818 $48.24
Foam section, seat 1x 52207133822 $207.89
FOAM PLASTIC PART LEFT BACKREST 1x 52207151645 $125.76
Foam section, backrest, right 1x 52207151646 $80.03
SEAT COVER LEATHER SCHWARZ 1x 52207146944 $957.97
COVER BACKREST LEATHER LEFT SCHWARZ 1x 52209119136 $506.15
COVER BACKREST LEATHER RIGHT SCHWARZ 1x 52207146956 $429.66
LATERAL TRIM PANEL LEFT SCHWARZ 1x 52207162499 $272.55
LATERAL TRIM PANEL RIGHT SCHWARZ 1x 52207162500 $272.55
Cover isofix SCHWARZ 4x 52207118674 $13.83
Frame, backrest left 1x 52207141907 $341.01
Frame, backrest right 1x 52207146973 $227.34
Lock left 1x 52207112863 $35.49
Lock right 1x 52207112864 $35.49
Cable holder 4x 72118177700 $0.52
Hex head screw ST4,8X16-ZNS3 4x 07119901299 $0.25
Expanding nut ST 4.8 4x 63121374075 $0.23
Support 2x 52207118701 $7.87
Bush 2x 52207134124 $7.75
Torx bolt ISA M6X28 2x 07146952304 $5.62
Supporting bracket, center 1x 52207161259 $6.30
Fillister head screw with collar M10X15 2x 07147161279 $0.80
Trim backrest, left 1x 52207163500 $103.39
Trim backrest, right 1x 52207163501 $57.39


Thats over $1,800 , that doesnt include the ski bag or the rear armrest.

Thank you for the DIY...pretty solid and helped me out a ton....However...my seller lost the end bracket and bolt....and it looks like you have an incorrect part number.... You list 07146952304, but I believe it should be 07-14-7-116-970. (discovered after ordering wrong part)

Also, the plastic inserts for the handles....my seller also didnt include those but I found them at Ace Hardware.

Please review the part number and modify if I am correct.

[MILLER335I]

As for me I had to remove the rear parcel tray to fish the cables through. The sharp turn in the padding (curving from outside to the center) did not allow me to get it through, your chances may vary!

[reefhobby]

Thank you so much for the great instructions. I would get mine done very soon.

[Nickco43]

I did this for 22$ with a set of junkyard seats. Thanks for the info

[GnomeChild]

Warning

Not for the faint of back