Reupholster bottom of front seat-how?

[AV325i]

I want to swap some good vinyl from a passenger feet to the driver seat.

How do I get the vinyl off?

I can undo all the vinyl except for around the seat mechanics on each side. I don't see how to get the mechanics off to free the vinyl (sorry, I have a picture, but can't seem to upload). Any ideas? Do you just cut the vinyl and pull it around the mechanical parts on each side of the seat? o

[AV325i]

OK Here is a picture of what I am talking about above. How do I get the seat mechanical pieces off, or do I need to to remove/replace the vinyl? Should I cut and try to pull the vinyl around the mechanical parts?

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/album.php?albumid=1289&pictureid=9185

What am I doing wrong that the picture does not appear in the post? I used the picture button and the url has [IMG] on each side.

[NotColtonOrr]

http://www.esatclear.ie/~bpurcell/318isseat.html

[AV325i]

Thanks! Very helpful. Does anyone know if the bottom seat can be cut to avoid removing the tilting mechanism? Seems like it should be possible to do this and reassemble without too much loss of fabric tension.

[Ceeker]

I'm just doing that very job right now; to do it "properly" you need to take it off. Easy to do. take the retaining pin out by prying up with a screw driver. Then the circlip off. remove the bolt holding the mech on (17mm) the get pry up on it to remove it from the cross bar. To get the mech off you'll need to push back on that tensioner where the slot is on the mech. once you do that you'll be able to rotate the mech and wiggle it side to side to remove it. install in reverse order.

don't cut shit you'll make it ghetto..trust me I've done a good number of these seats.

[AV325i]

Thanks. I will give it a try this weekend. I assume I can take the vinyl off a passenger seat bottom and put it on a driver seat. They look the same to me.

[AV325i]

Also, I have heated seats. Do I want to do anything to the heating element while I have it off? Can they be replaced. I assume they get old and break. Can you buy such a part anywhere?

[AV325i]

OK, so I have my seat to this point

http://s1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh592/ddehresmann/?action=view&current=IMG_1129.jpg

but then I'm suppose to "removed the 17mm bolt". I don't see any bolt. What am I missing?

[td325ic]

You have to take the backrests off first. Then you can take off the side mechanisms.


Here's some instructions on how to take apart the sport seat: