Re: seat interchangeability

[harrison <hsapir@multiverse.com>]

I've watched this thread for a while & responded here & there but...it sounds like
someone wants type 44 seats to go in an A4????? Good god why? Please someone tell
me that I am mistaken or missing the benefit of this transplant.

harrison

C1J1Miller@aol.com wrote:

> You wrote:
> <snip>
> <<Here's the scope on the distances between the rear seat's sliders:
>
> The manual 4000/Coupe GT/UrQ seat - 465mm
> The manual A4 seat - 560mm
> The manual/electrical 5000/100/200 seat - 580mm
>
> The channels on the floor of the A4 are 570mm apart.>>
> ----
> Seems simple, actually:  take the seats you want to a welder along with the
> current seat base, and have him cut off the old rails and put on the ones from
> the seat that fits.  May need to fabricate various brackets to make it work,
> but should take less than a couple hours - I don't know what welder's charge,
> but I bet it'd be less than $100.
> ----
> <<The 5000 seat almost fits the A4, however it jams before reaching all
> the way down for the channels. I have a feeling that if we had a seat to
> destroy and would've used my favourite high precision tool (the BFH), we
> could've bent the seat sliders slightly inwards. All we needed were
> lousy 10mm.
>
> Then again, the relative position of the centre perforated rail might
> have become an issue, coz on the A4 this rail is visibly offset to the
> centre of the car.>>
> -----
> This would seem like a pretty simple job for the welder: cut off the center
> rail, and make it match the A4 seat base, then remove the channels and remount
> them where they match the A4 seat base.
> -----
> <<Bottom line: I am stuck.
> On top of that, if you disable the seat airbag on the '98 A4 (of course
> having had disconnected the battery prior to that), the airbag watchdog
> does pick up a fault code and the light comes on.
> If you reconnect it back, THE LIGHT WILL CONTINUE TO STAY ON! My dealer
> warned me about this and it is indeed true. All A4 owners take a note.>>
> ----
> Makes sense; if there was an intermittant fault/loose connection, they'd want
> it inspected rather than you thinking it was "better".  I assume that this is
> only for the passenger seat; why have a sensor for the driver's side?  I
> suppose you could fix the sensor to always think the seat was occupied, or do
> one of those "key activated" on/off switches and lights to replace the sensor.
>
> Have you considered either: reupholstering the existing seat, or trying to use
> the A4 base with a back from the 5000/4000?  No idea what would mate up...
>
> HTH, Chris Miller, Windham NH, c1j1miller@aol.com, '91 200q with
> barcoloungers.  But, they're in good shape...