replace driver's manual seat with power

[paulsti]

Hello fellow Edge owners. Does anyone know if I can replace the manually adjusted driver's seat in the SE model with a power adjusted seat? All I need is the seat adjustment and don't care as much if the memory function or heat function work so no need to wire to dash or door mounted controls. Thanks in advance

[12Edge]

From the service manual:

 

The front seats can be equipped with the following serviceable systems:

• two-way manual seat track
• four-way manual seat track
• six-way power seat track
• manual recline
• power recline
• backrest, without fold-flat
• backrest with fold-flat (optional, passenger only)
• heated seats
• heated/cooled climate controlled seats
• memory driver seat
• manual lumbar
• power lumbar
• adjustable head restraints
• seat side air bags (standard)
• Occupant Classification System (OCS) system (front passenger seat only)

I don't think you even have to replace the whole seat, just what the chair attaches to that in turn attaches to the floor board.

 

I would say so long as the bolt pattern matches up and you can route power and connect it up then it should work.

Edited December 4, 2013 by 12Edge

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

That would be cool if only the "attachments" were needed. I thought the factory option was leather power seats only, not in fabric. Mine are fabric, and I would love to convert the passenger seat to power-enabled.

[12Edge]

If I have time tomorrow or later I will post some images from the service manual but suffice to say there are 4 bolts/holes to attach the seat to the track that are identical in the images for the manual vs power seat tracks and the floor of the car certainly is no different so what does that leave? The track assembly. You would probably have to buy a used on from a junk yard.

[paulsti]

I really appreciate the quick responses. My most important question relates to the wiring. I have seen contradictory information. Some references say that the seat wiring harness is common to all edge models regardless of seat option and when a manually adjusted seat is installed the extra connectors are not used. Other references claim that the harness is different. The dealer said they would not even attempt the switch.

 

In case any one is wondering why I want to switch out the seat it has to do with seating comfort. The manual seat has no front to back rake adjustment of the seat base. I find the front of the seat is higher than I'd like it. it puts a lot of pressure on my thighs and I have to stop and walk around on long drives. I drive from Cincinnati to Longboat Key (near Sarasota FL) 988 miles and I do in one day.

 

I like to have the seat high for good visibility, but since I am 5' 9" my legs are almost vertical. If I lower the seat it feels like I am sitting in a tub (the Edge has a pretty high belt line).

 

With a power seat I can incline the front downward some to relieve the pressure on my thighs. Others have raised the rear attachment of the seat to the floor rails by adding washers but I thing this will weaken the attachment in case of a crash, plus I don't particularly like a jerry rigged solution if there is a better one.

 

Thanks again to all

[12Edge]

Please keep in mind this information is free and as with all things, you get what you pay for. It is also for an 11-13 Edge.

 

So here is what I was able to dig up and I think I see why a dealership would say "We wouldn't even attempt it". If I were attempting it I would just tie in to the power/ground in the 59 pin connector below. I think you would need the whole seat though if you buy from a junk yard because the controls appear as though they are attached to the seat. You might be able to relocate them in to you existing chair.

 

There are two connectors for power seats to the floor board wiring harnesses. My 2012 SE only has this one connector to the seat. It has 12 holes only a few of which are populated. It is for the OCSM, Occupant Classification System Module for the airbags and sensing if someone is in the car. It snakes in some split tubing from just inside the drivers side of the seat across the front of the seat on the floor (mine is pushed all the way back) towards the passenger side. The connector is attacked to the carpet/floor and couples up near the rail and it looks like this:

They are identical for either a power or non power seat as that is not part of the "power/non power" system but rather the Supplemental restraint system.

 

A power seat has this additional 59 pin connector that is populated based on features such as heat/no heat, climate control, memory/no memory etc.. etc.. etc.. The connector looks like this (I didn't bother with the wire info because it didn't explain anything anyway:

 

 

This is there locations in the car, I called the OCSM the air bag connector in the diagram. The other brighter green one in the picture is actually under the car for the evap. canister.:

 

This is what a manual seat looks like from the bottom view. The number 1 in the right half points to the OCSM connector to the floor. The four round holes with a square around them near the corners in the left half showing the chair bottom are the bolt points to the track/rail. You can see the "nut" in the right half of the pic:

 

A power seat looks like this. Again the number 1's on the right side point to the connectors in to the floor wiring. Note the two connectors, one for OCSM and the other is the 59 pin connector (it also shows the same 4 bolt holes to the rail):

 

Finally, here is the wiring diagram JUST for the power seat controls. The White with red stripe wire is the +12V from battery and is pin 25 in the 59 pin connector. The Black with blue stripe wire is the ground and is pin 34 in the 59 pin connector:

 

It might be worth rolling the dice for if you can get it from a salvage yard. I wouldn't use the seat though. I have bought them before and due to exposure to the elements the fabric/padding always smelled weird in high humidity. That is why I mentioned the possibility of migrating the controls to your existing seat.

 

Good Luck!

 

Adding:

 

I should also point out that there is a 10 way power seat with tilt of the backrest and more but I only pulled out the 6 way since it has the front/rear motion you wanted.

Edited December 5, 2013 by 12Edge

[Waldo]

I really appreciate the quick responses. My most important question relates to the wiring. I have seen contradictory information. Some references say that the seat wiring harness is common to all edge models regardless of seat option and when a manually adjusted seat is installed the extra connectors are not used. Other references claim that the harness is different.

 

I think both answers are correct. Ford uses multiple wiring harnesses, but they bundle features in ways that are slightly different then the way you can order things because there are fewer harnesses than orderable combinations. So for example if you have a really base model with no options, you probably would get wire harness "A" which does not have the power seat connector. But if you have an SE with options x and y, then you get wiring harness "B" which does include the power seat connector because harness "B" is also used on an SEL that has options x and y and power seats as standard.

 

So my guess, based on the info provided by 12Edge above, is that you won't have the power seat connector, but you could get a full power seat, plug in the OCSM connector and then create your own wiring to provide power and ground to the power seat switch. With that, everything should work just the way you want. You could also probably swap the foam and cloth trim from your original seat on to the new one if it doesn't already match.

[12Edge]

Yes, that is what I was saying. You would need to run your own power/ground to the chair harness and it appears as if it would be sufficient. If you bought a seat with memory or heat it just wouldnt work.

 

I would stick with a 6 way seat though with no heat or memory because there are more electronics and wires for those and if a control module is involved it may flip out if it doesn't get all the right input wires hooked up.

Edited December 5, 2013 by 12Edge