Hardware & Technical Simpit: powering an electric car seat

Herbrand

Herbrand
Hello everyone!

I managed to get my hands on a pair of beautiful BMW4 F33 seats, and while I can certainly use them "as is" in my upcoming simpit it would be great if I could make the recliner and other features work.

I found the schematics for an Adapter Cable that would theoretically allow me to connect it to an external power source, but that doesn't tell me much in terms of what power source to use. Does anyone has more experience with electric car seats in a simpit scenario?
 

Jethro49

Jethro49
Normally all electronic equipment in personal cars are powered by a 12V power supply. If you have the controls for the seat (seems the case considering the pics ;)) then basically, you need a 12v power supply... Just check the max current required by the seat... should be around 10A, more or less... Maybe there are more details in the wiring diagrams (https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f33-430i-cab/wiring-functional-info/body/seats/ )

Note : be careful with the airbag and pretensionner if they have not been deactivated yet. A wrong short circuit -> bang.
 

Herbrand

Herbrand
Hey, thank you very much for the detailed reply CMDR.

I have since studied the schematics thoroughly, and managed to determine the ground and power connectors in the chair. I have thus proceeded to create this monstrosity from a spare PSU I had lying around, and it works! At least the controls that move the chair, I haven't connected anything else as it would require way too much digging around to find the right signals to send to each cable.
Not to mention, the aforementioned risk of airbag and pretensioner, as they're still there.

I have ordered the aluminum profiles and I'm currently anxiously waiting for them!
 

Jethro49

Jethro49
Glad to hear that you managed to make those seats work but LoL, that's a real monstruosity :LOL::LOL::LOL:

I think that I can literally wish you to... fly safe ;)
 

Herbrand

Herbrand
Caramel Clown said:
I'd probably recommend taking those things to a mechanic, see if they can deactivate airbags. Or just remove them. I wouldn't feel comfortable playing with an explosive device myself :)
Click to expand...

I have access to the schematics. I think I will snip out the cables for the aforementioned hazards - not enough to kill me, but probably powerful enough to do my cats in if it goes off at the wrong moment.
That, and I will keep the motors powered only when I need to adjust it.

Jethro49 said:
Glad to hear that you managed to make those seats work but LoL, that's a real monstruosity :LOL::LOL::LOL:

I think that I can literally wish you to... fly safe ;)
Click to expand...

Indeed. My aluminum profiles will arrive next week, can't wait!
 

Kitfox

Kitfox
Interesting project, good luck with it.
Couple of thoughts:

You could use one of those 12V power supplies that are used for 3D printers and the like. Usually about £15 on Amazon. It'd be much tidier with just a single cable pair coming out of it rather than whatever is going on there.

SRS looms tend to be run separately from power lines to minimise risk of short circuits setting off the devices in the event of wiring harness damage. Although the looms may come together to shared multiplugs.
All connectors on the explosive device side of an SRS harness, at any point in the vehicle, will have small metal gates in them that close over to join the two pins together when disconnected. This short circuits both sides of the squib together preventing any static build up from setting it off, and from any power being applied to the device whether accidentally or deliberately.
If you're going to cut the wires, then tie the ends together to do the same job. Or better yet, trace back to the devices themselves and unplug them directly. Their sockets also have these metal gates.
 

Herbrand

Herbrand
Something like this one? I guess I could, but since I already butchered a PSU for it, I might as well go for it. I'd make it look better in the finished product, or alternatively hide it as much as possible.

Thanks for the suggestions about disabling the dangerous bits of my seat, I'll keep that in mind.
 

Kitfox

Kitfox
Actually, I mean this type of supply

Although the slightly cheaper 10 Amp ones would be fine for driving a few intermittently used screwjack motors and don't have a fan whizzing away constantly.
A downside is the mains power cable is connected by screw terminals, so the supply ideally needs to be put somewhere where those connectors are not going to get touched. In a case of some kind or under the seat with a shield around the end.

But then as you say you have something that works that hasn't cost any extra.
 

Herbrand

Herbrand
St Nicholas came early this year, and since I've been a good boy he brought me a lot of ALUMINUM:

cIpjdtM.jpg
 
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