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INT: Acura Legend Seat Swap w/ Wiring Diagrams

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    INT: Acura Legend Seat Swap w/ Wiring Diagrams

    Intro:

    It’s probably just me being defective, but I’ve never been comfortable driving the Accord for more than thirty minutes at a time. I love driving it, but I hate sitting in it. The stock seats seem to hit me in all the wrong places, and by the time I’ve driven 20 miles, my lower back feels like it’s on fire.

    Three months ago, before the school quarter started, I knew I was going to be commuting on the weekends between LA and SD. I wanted to get my seat situation sorted out and I didn’t want to spend a whole lotta money on it. After asking tonymontana1204 how he liked his Legend seats, I decided that I’d keep an eye out for some.

    One day at the junkyard, looking for a power steering pump, I came across a Legend coupe with seats in pretty darn good shape. I nabbed ‘em at roughly 70 bucks for the pair. Took them home, cleaned them up, and started figuring out the wiring.

    I’ll save that part for later though, part one is seat fitment.

    #2
    Seat Fitment

    The passenger side seat is easily 40 pounds lighter than the driver’s side, as it isn’t powered. So, my weak arms and I started wrestling that one in first.

    The Accord seat comes out easily, four bolts and a safety belt plug will have your seat sitting on the garage floor. I plopped the Legend seat in place and, despite a tight fit, found that it would work width-wise. I took the seat back out and removed the power safety belt buckle [on the seat] near the base of the B-pillar. This helped slightly for clearance, and since I wanted to keep my power safety belts, I didn’t need the Legend module. More on that later.

    At first glance, none of the seat mounting holes look like they’d line up. But, upon closer inspection, the outer front bolt lined up with the Accord bolt hole. I decided that I would keep that hole stock and use it as an indexing point.



    The rear two Legend mounting holes miss the stock locations, both by roughly an inch. Since both Legend mounting holes are aimed straight down, I simply drilled downwards through the floor pan and secured the seat with appropriate Honda M10x1.25 bolts and nuts.

    Rear through-bolts






    The final inner front mounting hole, like the stock mounting hole, is at an angle, facing forward. I ended up ghetto-rigging a large washer to hold the bracket in place. I used the stock bolt with a large modified washer (one portion ground flat to fit) that pinched the angle-grinded-flat seat bracket.

    Shaved washer



    The seat felt very sturdy. You can hoist the engine on two M10 bolts with complete confidence; even if the washer system failed, which it wouldn’t, three M10 bolts are already strong enough.

    I really wanted to keep my stock power safety belts, mainly cause no one has them anymore. I unbolted the stock inner safety belt buckle from the Legend seat and took the shoulder belt reel/safety belt buckle unit off the Accord seat. I enlarged the hole on the Accord unit with a drill press so that the larger Legend bolt could secure the Accord unit to the Legend seat. This also meant that I could simply reuse the Accord safety belt sensor plug.

    I fastened the seat in place and moved to the driver’s side.

    The driver’s side goes together in the same way. I used the outer front hole as an indexing point, drilled two new holes for the back two holes, and used a large washer for the front inner hole. I maintained the Accord safety belt reel and buckle unit by enlarging the hole to fit the Legend bolt. I then took the seat back out and prepared the wiring.

    Comment


      #3
      Wiring





      Click 'em for bigger versions.


      I actually had prepared the wiring before fitting the seats to reduce downtime, but as this step comes second during actual installation, writing it in this sequence makes more sense.

      I grabbed the pigtail for the seat from the junkyard and started labeling wires based on the wiring diagrams. By the time I was labeling vehicle speed sensors and door switches, I was getting curious as to why the seat needed all these inputs. Furthermore, the vehicle speed sensor would be a trick, since on the Legends, there’s a VSS module in the gauge cluster that provides the feed for the seats.

      At that point I figured I wouldn’t lose much by just trying to streamline the wiring.

      I ran an 8 gauge wire from the positive battery terminal to the driver’s seat. I soldered the white/red [number 38 on the diagram], red/white [31], and black/red [29] wires, with appropriate inline fuses, to the 8 gauge wire. I then soldered the two black wires [33, 37] to another short length of 8 ga. wire and grounded it out to a bolt near the emergency brake.



      I secured those two wires, pushed the seat forward button… and the seat moved!

      Out of curiosity, I asked my friend what the other wires were for. The door switch wire was used to operate a seat belt buckle motor on the outer side of the seat [that thing I removed in the fitment step]. The buckle attached to the seat near the bottom of the b-pillar swung rearwards and out of the way when the coupe doors were opened, providing for a clear path for the rear seat passengers to get out.

      That accounts for the door switch wire. I’m not sure why the vehicle speed sensor was necessary. I’m guessing it overrode the buckle motor in the case that the door was opened while the car was rolling.

      I haven’t yet hooked up the Memory Switch module. I have the module and pigtail, and I have an idea of where I want to place it. I’ll hook it up when I get a chance. I’ll also have to figure out how I’m going to pull the switch wires through the tiny stock door wire grommet.


      In a final attempt to make things clear, I'll include the .doc I made while I was looking at the wiring diagrams. I modified it after I finished the install, so this should be all you need to get the power seat moving. The top two connectors are the connectors on the seat, while the third connector is the one on the memory module.

      Comment


        #4
        Repair [partly quoted from my member’s ride page]





        Now that I verified that the wiring worked, I could check if the seat actually operated.

        The driver's side seat was very sloppy. If you leaned forward and backward, the seat back would tilt freely a couple degrees. Even more importantly, the cushion rear-elevation motor wasn't operating. So, two days before the school quarter started, I went to the junkyard and found the Acura Legend seat with the least play I could find, for spare parts.


        Basically, the seat has four motors, two for elevation (front and back), one for forward/back movement, and one for reclining.

        The motor's gearing section, in order, uses an end cap, a metal bearing, a plastic gear, another metal bearing, shims, and a final end cap. A 4" screw gear winds inside the plastic gear. The end caps and metal bearings keep the plastic gear in place while the motor winds the plastic gear. The plastic gear then winds the 4" screw gear which extends and pushes on various lever arms to make the seat move. In the case of the forward/back motor, the motor has two output shafts, one with a differential, to operate two roughly 16" long screw gears.

        One of the end caps is not pictured; it bolts on the side of the gearing section into the [visible] four empty screw holes.



        That motor is the rear-cushion elevation motor, with a fresh new plastic gear from the junkyard.


        The actual driving gear:



        If a fat person owned the Legend before you, your elevation-motor plastic gears will probably look like mine did:



        Much better:




        As for the tilt-play, there are several bushing-type fittings on the circle ends of the screw pushrods. Those bushings make for a snug fit between the metal circle on the pushrod and the metal pin that the pushrod pushes on. Over time, those bushings either get squashed thinner or fall out completely, leading to the play.



        The pushrod pictured does not have a bushing on it, but, if it were there, it would go inside the circular end. They’re made out of very thin, soft metal. I was able to replace several of them with junkyard pieces, lessening the play somewhat. But, there still definitely is play in the seats. It’s annoying when you get in, but once you’re on the seat, your weight will take up the play.

        Comment


          #5
          Conclusion

          The seats are loads better than the stock seats, at least for my build. Traveling from LA to SD is not even a thought. You’ll be adding upwards of 50 pounds between the two seats, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s totally worth it.

          It’s really not difficult to do. The DIY I wrote highlights how I chose to do it, but as with most customization, there are many ways to get the seats in.

          The seats are tan and my interior is burgundy, but it’s not really that big of a deal. My exterior is nearly tan, my headliner and a/b/c pillars are tan, and my floor mats are tan, so the seats don’t look that out of place. If I were able to reupholster the rear seats in tan, or even swap rear Legend seats into the back [which would be freaking awesome], then the install would probably look a little cleaner. Nonetheless, I’m pleased.

          One thing I didn’t mention in the seat fitting portion was that the seat belt reel/buckle unit off the Accord mounts to the Accord seats using two bolts. The Legend seat only has one larger hole. It’s pretty obvious what to do when you confront the situation, but this is a DIY guide. I enlarged the Accord bracket hole to match the larger Legend bolt and drilled a second hole on the Legend seat, forward of the larger Legend hole. That secured everything. If you have regular seat belts, just keep the stock Legend buckles. Everything should plug together.

          I’d definitely do this again.

          Comments and questions always welcomed.

          Comment


            #6
            What year legend?
            wat?

            Comment


              #7
              pics of seats?


              Ride: 2002 Lexus IS300

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by C91BLX7 View Post
                What year legend?
                1993-1995, but others should work with minimal differences.


                Originally posted by cvc7chris View Post
                pics of seats?
                I was more concerned with getting the procedure down in the DIY. I'll try and snap some finished pictures tomorrow, though.

                Comment


                  #9
                  You are the man, thanks for doing my homework lol.

                  I'll be doing my wiring this week, now I don't think I'll be using the memory module but I'll take it from the scrap yard just in case I ever want it.

                  Let me ask you this though, for the drilling part, did you use a regular drill or an air powered one.
                  This is a great DIY, very detailed and well writen, and its an awesome mod to our cars.
                  Last edited by PUMASTi; 11-11-2008, 07:59 AM.
                  1993 Accord EX
                  2011 Subaru STi

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Good work but i think i wud have been easier to use the 1.6el leathers which only 1 bolt dont line up, or the Vigor leather which pretty much the whole interior fits w/ little or no mods, my boy is rocking a full Vigor interior, i had 1.6el fronts in yrs ago they fit except the outer rear holes dont line up.

                    But good work and its nice to c some effort
                    Summer 11' Big plans (Bodywork/paint/rims etc..) in Progress STAY TUNED

                    CLICK THE PIC

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Never sat in vigor or 1.6EL but 2 bolts lined up for me, I have sedan seats though. They are very very comfortable, its like having LaZ boy chairs in there.

                      OOh and the guy I got them from was pretty skinny like me so all the motors on the seats work lol.
                      1993 Accord EX
                      2011 Subaru STi

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by tonymontana1204 View Post
                        You are the man, thanks for doing my homework lol.

                        I'll be doing my wiring this week, now I don't think I'll be using the memory module but I'll take it from the scrap yard just in case I ever want it.

                        Let me ask you this though, for the drilling part, did you use a regular drill or an air powered one.
                        hahah np, I'm sorry it took so long to finally get around to writing it. Yeah, the memory module is sorta unimportant, but just to boost the completeness of the install, I'm thinking I'll do it. Again, the hard part is just going to be pulling the memory wires through the door wiring grommet.

                        As for drilling,



                        I used an electric drill. That was before I had thoroughly cleaned the seats, but yeah, that was the idea.


                        Originally posted by GearBangnAccord View Post
                        Good work but i think i wud have been easier to use the 1.6el leathers which only 1 bolt dont line up, or the Vigor leather which pretty much the whole interior fits w/ little or no mods, my boy is rocking a full Vigor interior, i had 1.6el fronts in yrs ago they fit except the outer rear holes dont line up.
                        Oh wow. Had no clue about the Vigor interior, good info. I basically went with these Legend seats only because they were in good condition for junkyard seats. Had I come across a Vigor, I woulda ripped those seats out instead.

                        Does your friend have a coupe? and if so, has he swapped the rear bench seat?

                        Originally posted by GearBangnAccord View Post
                        But good work and its nice to c some effort

                        Originally posted by tonymontana1204 View Post
                        This is a great DIY, very detailed and well writen, and its an awesome mod to our cars.

                        Thank you guys. It was my first DIY, so I figured I might as well try to make it decent. I'll see about snapping some finished pictures today. At worst, I'll wait until the weekend when I can grab a fish-eye lens.


                        Originally posted by tonymontana1204 View Post
                        Never sat in vigor or 1.6EL but 2 bolts lined up for me, I have sedan seats though. They are very very comfortable, its like having LaZ boy chairs in there.

                        OOh and the guy I got them from was pretty skinny like me so all the motors on the seats work lol.
                        Yeah man, I love the seats. I drove 4 hours on Friday, 2 of those hours bunched up cause of a rear passenger, and I was still able to get out of the car not sore. hahah the motors are something else. I can't believe that a little plastic gear is able to transfer that much torque for 15 years without failing.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by TheNextEpisode View Post
                          hahah np, I'm sorry it took so long to finally get around to writing it. Yeah, the memory module is sorta unimportant, but just to boost the completeness of the install, I'm thinking I'll do it. Again, the hard part is just going to be pulling the memory wires through the door wiring grommet.

                          As for drilling,

                          I used an electric drill. That was before I had thoroughly cleaned the seats, but yeah, that was the idea.

                          Oh wow. Had no clue about the Vigor interior, good info. I basically went with these Legend seats only because they were in good condition for junkyard seats. Had I come across a Vigor, I woulda ripped those seats out instead.

                          Does your friend have a coupe? and if so, has he swapped the rear bench seat?

                          Thank you guys. It was my first DIY, so I figured I might as well try to make it decent. I'll see about snapping some finished pictures today. At worst, I'll wait until the weekend when I can grab a fish-eye lens.

                          Yeah man, I love the seats. I drove 4 hours on Friday, 2 of those hours bunched up cause of a rear passenger, and I was still able to get out of the car not sore. hahah the motors are something else. I can't believe that a little plastic gear is able to transfer that much torque for 15 years without failing.
                          It would be nice if I had coupe seats, it sucks getting people in the back seats, but fuck them lol.

                          Here's how mine look just so we have a pic here too, I'm sure I've posted it everywhere lol.

                          Last edited by PUMASTi; 11-11-2008, 03:54 PM.
                          1993 Accord EX
                          2011 Subaru STi

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by TheNextEpisode View Post
                            Oh wow. Had no clue about the Vigor interior, good info. I basically went with these Legend seats only because they were in good condition for junkyard seats. Had I come across a Vigor, I woulda ripped those seats out instead.

                            Does your friend have a coupe? and if so, has he swapped the rear bench seat?
                            ya my friend has a coupe and he has the bench an front fully blacked out, i believe the Vigor is a direct bolt up for the rear to a CB7 sedan, when i get a hold of a full set of Vigor leathers I'll give u all the update.
                            Summer 11' Big plans (Bodywork/paint/rims etc..) in Progress STAY TUNED

                            CLICK THE PIC

                            Comment


                              #15
                              ^^^ Awesome dude, that's exactly what I wanted to hear.

                              Even if there are modifications necessary, the important thing is if the dimensions are roughly correct.


                              And thanks for picture Tony.

                              Comment

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