Can wire tap for electric seats

totalguy · 10-03-2021, 09:15 AM

i put electric seats in my E90 2006 I need to wire up the can connections for the driver's seat to function with power.

so im trying to find the nearest location and colour of wires where I can tap into the canbus

im fine with the power side of things that is much easier to do.

I'm very new to BMW so dont know where things are and im absolutely shit at wiring diagrams. But given i only need to find 2 wires and their colours pretty sure I can do this. done wiring on loads of cars before but being new to BMW its a whole new process.

i have seen the DIY guides on here the only thing I found useful is the pinout of the connector at the seat. My plan is to take the pins out of the connector i chopped from the car the seats came from lengthen the wires with the correct gauge and just get it all working.

i managed to move the driver's seat to fit it but i need to be able to move it. i had to bypass the seat module just to move it back and forth just enough to get me home really the passenger side was easier i used the chopped off connector and put a 12v supply on the 2 thick wires but the drivers one wont move without the canbus so im told.

ctuna · 10-03-2021, 12:42 PM

There is a big thread on seat retrofits at the general forum.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...highlight=seat

This subforum is for Entertainment system stuff.

totalguy · 10-03-2021, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctuna

There is a big thread on seat retrofits at the general forum.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...highlight=seat

This subforum is for Entertainment system stuff.

i couldnt find anything else for electrical on the forum list unless you can show me where?

yes ive been through that and its many links its talking about connectors and stuff i dont have a clue about. All im asking for is wire colours and where is the closest place for tapping into the can wiring.

ctuna · 10-04-2021, 03:09 AM

In order to get block wiring diagrams you need Ista D/ plus now that
the tis site is down.

totalguy · 10-04-2021, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctuna

In order to get block wiring diagrams you need Ista D/ plus now that
the tis site is down.

i already said im shit with wiring diagrams i work with visuals much better but there are no pictures of wires to tap

i was told the airbag module under the centre console i could possibly tap the wires there but i dont know which ones

Tambohamilton · 10-04-2021, 10:24 AM

Canbus wires are easy to recognise; they're always a pair twisted together, and if I remember rightly one is blue and the other white

Edit: I stand corrected on the colours - see below

ptpending · 10-04-2021, 10:27 AM

the closed e9x can-bus is going from radio to drivers footwell near seat frame (don't ask why it is going that way, it is by special design for audio parts of the wiring harness which is disconnected in drivers footwell
the e9x can-bus pair is green and orange pair twisted.

totalguy · 10-04-2021, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ptpending

the closed e9x can-bus is going from radio to drivers footwell near seat frame (don't ask why it is going that way, it is by special design for audio parts of the wiring harness which is disconnected in drivers footwell
the e9x can-bus pair is green and orange pair twisted.

thank you thats great im sure i can find under the carpet now

totalguy · 10-11-2021, 12:07 PM

fyi for others doing this i tapped into the canbus wires under the centre console ok it was out so it was easier but it meant i could tuck the wires under the carpet split and under the seat rail under the carpet as well. if your lucky you might be able to get the bunch of wires by reaching under and grabbing them on the drivers side but i expect you wont have enough room to strip the wires and tap into them DONT USE Scotch locks!! thise things are awful and the canbus system can be funny and sensitive so i wouldnt want to risk using those things.

i had pinned out the connector on the floor loom adding the 2 can wires and also adding 1 thick red wire and 1 thick brown wire. drivers side i put the ground wire on a bolt under the centre console so it was out of the way. on the passenger side i had got the whole brown wire so i just pulled the carpet back at the bulkhead and put the brown wire onto one of the blocks that are bolted to the bulkhead so that was easy.

for the positive wire i used a piggyback fuse holder running 2 fuses on it i put the 30a in the main slot and another 30a on the output which went off to the seats. i teed off the wire so it was split for each seat.

the fuse location i used was 36 i was going to use the one in 32 but there were no connections in that fuse location. I believe 36 is for the electric windows so it should be fine there. and its not like im going to move both seats and open the windows at the same time anyway lol.

im going to do a video on what i did not a full how to just the jist of what i did and how i did it because i could not find this info anywhere in picture or video form.

thanks, ptpretending you were spot on with the wire colours! in hindsight though i should have looked at the pinout i had for the seat connectors as I would have seen the colours!! we live and learn though eh!

10-03-2021, 09:15 AM	#1
totalguy Private 6 Rep 53 Posts Drives: BMW E90 Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: South Wales iTrader: (0)	Can wire tap for electric seats i put electric seats in my E90 2006 I need to wire up the can connections for the driver's seat to function with power. so im trying to find the nearest location and colour of wires where I can tap into the canbus im fine with the power side of things that is much easier to do. I'm very new to BMW so dont know where things are and im absolutely shit at wiring diagrams. But given i only need to find 2 wires and their colours pretty sure I can do this. done wiring on loads of cars before but being new to BMW its a whole new process. i have seen the DIY guides on here the only thing I found useful is the pinout of the connector at the seat. My plan is to take the pins out of the connector i chopped from the car the seats came from lengthen the wires with the correct gauge and just get it all working. i managed to move the driver's seat to fit it but i need to be able to move it. i had to bypass the seat module just to move it back and forth just enough to get me home really the passenger side was easier i used the chopped off connector and put a 12v supply on the 2 thick wires but the drivers one wont move without the canbus so im told.
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10-03-2021, 12:42 PM	#2
ctuna Lieutenant General 1911 Rep 13,101 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	There is a big thread on seat retrofits at the general forum. https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...highlight=seat This subforum is for Entertainment system stuff. Last edited by ctuna; 10-03-2021 at 12:56 PM..
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10-04-2021, 10:24 AM	#6
Tambohamilton Brigadier General 3058 Rep 3,909 Posts Drives: E91 330d Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Herefordshire iTrader: (0)	Canbus wires are easy to recognise; they're always a pair twisted together, and if I remember rightly one is blue and the other white Edit: I stand corrected on the colours - see below
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10-04-2021, 10:27 AM	#7
ptpending Colonel 456 Rep 2,747 Posts Drives: e91 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Poland iTrader: (1)	the closed e9x can-bus is going from radio to drivers footwell near seat frame (don't ask why it is going that way, it is by special design for audio parts of the wiring harness which is disconnected in drivers footwell the e9x can-bus pair is green and orange pair twisted. __________________ E81 2007 130i 6cylinder Montego blue Retrofits: Harman Kardon, High-beam assistant, Removable tow hitch. Auto-dim folding exterior mirrors. Lumbar support. Perfomance Brakes.
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10-11-2021, 12:07 PM	#9
totalguy Private 6 Rep 53 Posts Drives: BMW E90 Join Date: Oct 2021 Location: South Wales iTrader: (0)	fyi for others doing this i tapped into the canbus wires under the centre console ok it was out so it was easier but it meant i could tuck the wires under the carpet split and under the seat rail under the carpet as well. if your lucky you might be able to get the bunch of wires by reaching under and grabbing them on the drivers side but i expect you wont have enough room to strip the wires and tap into them DONT USE Scotch locks!! thise things are awful and the canbus system can be funny and sensitive so i wouldnt want to risk using those things. i had pinned out the connector on the floor loom adding the 2 can wires and also adding 1 thick red wire and 1 thick brown wire. drivers side i put the ground wire on a bolt under the centre console so it was out of the way. on the passenger side i had got the whole brown wire so i just pulled the carpet back at the bulkhead and put the brown wire onto one of the blocks that are bolted to the bulkhead so that was easy. for the positive wire i used a piggyback fuse holder running 2 fuses on it i put the 30a in the main slot and another 30a on the output which went off to the seats. i teed off the wire so it was split for each seat. the fuse location i used was 36 i was going to use the one in 32 but there were no connections in that fuse location. I believe 36 is for the electric windows so it should be fine there. and its not like im going to move both seats and open the windows at the same time anyway lol. im going to do a video on what i did not a full how to just the jist of what i did and how i did it because i could not find this info anywhere in picture or video form. thanks, ptpretending you were spot on with the wire colours! in hindsight though i should have looked at the pinout i had for the seat connectors as I would have seen the colours!! we live and learn though eh!
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