Wiring 2024 Power Seats into '97 Tahoe ?

[Sptwall]

Hello OBS Friends,

I have a '97 2 Door 'Hoe I am restoring and found a great deal on some 2024 Sivarado power leather seats. They have lots of power features and a massive wiring harness/ connector. I know it all boils down to DC electric positive supply and ground (I think? ). So, how to "cut" through all the BS and make it function?

I saw videos on YouTube with two different approaches, complex and simple. The complex dude wants you to remove the entire seat harness and connectors and buy a pricey revised one from hom. The other video is from a Latino dude who gives a much simpler approach by cutting into the harness and splicing power into 2 of the wires to bypass the "memory module". I like his simple and inexpensive method, but I couldn't quite comprehend the exact wiring process with his half English and Spanish instruction. I am only half Spainish, but cant speak it, so nolo comprendeh...
I do not wish to burn up the seats electronics by my ignorance.

Additionally, living where it snows, I would really like to have the heated seat function, work as well.

So, if someone can please enlighten me on this wiring issue, I would be most grateful! I will buy you a case of beer, really (well PayPal you the funds to get your own).
Thank You in Advance!

 

[Bigburb3500]

Hello OBS Friends,

I have a '97 2 Door 'Hoe I am restoring and found a great deal on some 2024 Sivarado power leather seats. They have lots of power features and a massive wiring harness/ connector. I know it all boils down to DC electric positive supply and ground (I think? ). So, how to "cut" through all the BS and make it function?

I saw videos on YouTube with two different approaches, complex and simple. The complex dude wants you to remove the entire seat harness and connectors and buy a pricey revised one from hom. The other video is from a Latino dude who gives a much simpler approach by cutting into the harness and splicing power into 2 of the wires to bypass the "memory module". I like his simple and inexpensive method, but I couldn't quite comprehend the exact wiring process with his half English and Spanish instruction. I am only half Spainish, but cant speak it, so nolo comprendeh...
I do not wish to burn up the seats electronics by my ignorance.

Additionally, living where it snows, I would really like to have the heated seat function, work as well.

So, if someone can please enlighten me on this wiring issue, I would be most grateful! I will buy you a case of beer, really (well PayPal you the funds to get your own).
Thank You in Advance!

Hey! So I’m currently kinda doing this right now but trying to swap caddy seats into a newer truck. Yours SHOULDNT be that difficult due to your truck being “less intelligent” and fewer computers.

Two places to look at that should be able to help you out is OEMSeatSwap and OBSOutpost. They support swaps like this but not sure if on the newest seats? Either way they should be able to get you situated!

Let me know if you need more help - there are some easy ways to “hot wire” the seats but might loose the heat function.

 

[Sptwall]

Hey! So I’m currently kinda doing this right now but trying to swap caddy seats into a newer truck. Yours SHOULDNT be that difficult due to your truck being “less intelligent” and fewer computers.

Two places to look at that should be able to help you out is OEMSeatSwap and OBSOutpost. They support swaps like this but not sure if on the newest seats? Either way they should be able to get you situated!

Let me know if you need more help - there are some easy ways to “hot wire” the seats but might loose the heat function.

Appreciate your timely reply. I did order the adapter brackets from OBS Ourpost. They should arrive next week. He makes brackets for 5th Gen seats into OBS trucks, and has a great YouTube video. However, he does not address the wiring. I will try the other site you referenced, fingers crossed.
Thanks!

 

[Bigburb3500]

Appreciate your timely reply. I did order the adapter brackets from OBS Ourpost. They should arrive next week. He makes brackets for 5th Gen seats into OBS trucks, and has a great YouTube video. However, he does not address the wiring. I will try the other site you referenced, fingers crossed.
Thanks!

Good luck! Be sure to post pictures!

 

[Sptwall]

I really didn't come up with anything definitive with my online searches. I am still in hopes that someone in our community is knowledgeable in electrical wiring/ circuitry van provide a solution in the form of awire color connection diagram. I am good at automotive wiring and have the necessary once I know which wires do what and which require special modifications to bypass computerized controls.
So please help if you can

 

[Sptwall]

Im finding it difficult to believe that I am the only person having issues with installing Gen5 seats into the OBS cab. But, it appears that way, as there just ain't a lot of info online, yet.

After watching and digging through all the videos that are available, I've come up with the following:

A). Primary seat adjustments can be made to work via tapping into 3 specific wires of the seats pigtail wire harness. The large gauge Black wire, neg ground and a large gauge Red wire (color stripe varies) and a smaller red wire (color stripe varies); both DC positive. Obviously, the black wire just needs a good clean grounding point. I am going to use the seat belt mounting bolt. The 2 red positive wires will be fed from a dedicated wire I will run from the pos bat terminal, to an in-line fuse, in split loom, through the frame, and up through the floor pan, through a rubber grommet. Im going to connect this to an insulated junction block (both seats will be fed from this).

B). I'm planning to locate and verify said seat harness wires before installing the seat. This will be done using a Dewalt 12v tool battery with jumper wires and probing the suspect seat wires, till the seat controls move the seat properly.

C). Seems this bypasses the "memory functions, heating, and cooling functions. They need to be run through a "computer box" and have dash switches that the OBS trucks, obviously do not have. Not a deal breaker at all. However, warm buns on cold winter days would be nice.

Most seat heating is done through the electrical resistance type sheets embedded within the seat. So, they function with electric current, a simple positive and negative wire in and out of each heating element sheet. If, I am not mistaken...
I'm thinking of buying an aftermarket heated seat kit/harness (bypass the wires in the seats harness). These kits include lighted-heated-seat-symbol switches. I'd then wire to the heating sheets directly. The included switches are inexpensive and round in shape. I can drill simple round holes in the center console to locate them for easy access and have a pro looking install.

This all is based if these seats have resistance heaters rather than that fancy reverse cycle witchcraft mechanism (got some French dudes name). I have zero knowledge on how to make that contraption work!?!

So, this is my "current" knowledge of this task. I gladly welcome any of you'lls suggestions or opinions on how to better accomplish my goals.

Thank you!

 

[Sptwall]

Further progress update. I thought it might be helpful to the community to document my discoveries as I install the newest style seats (2020-2025+) into my OBS.
I spoke to OEMcarandtruckseats.com and the Harness Dr, which seem to be "The" authorities on seat swap electrical knowledge. Both advised these new seats are controlled through computer boxes that actively monitor the position memory and the said heating and cooling functions. Neither have developed ways to get around that, yet...

So, the splicing into the previously mentioned 3 wires, essentially bypasses the computer box and allows the seat positioning controls to work. However, this also bypasses the heat, cooling, and memory functions and they will not work as a result.

End result is, if I want heated seats, for now, I will have add on one of those universal seat heater kits, readily available on Amazon. This will involve inserting resistance heating pads under the upholstery and wire in the supplied switches/ relay units. Not a bad alternative to no heated seats...

 

[Bigburb3500]

Further progress update. I thought it might be helpful to the community to document my discoveries as I install the newest style seats (2020-2025+) into my OBS.
I spoke to OEMcarandtruckseats.com and the Harness Dr, which seem to be "The" authorities on seat swap electrical knowledge. Both advised these new seats are controlled through computer boxes that actively monitor the position memory and the said heating and cooling functions. Neither have developed ways to get around that, yet...

So, the splicing into the previously mentioned 3 wires, essentially bypasses the computer box and allows the seat positioning controls to work. However, this also bypasses the heat, cooling, and memory functions and they will not work as a result.

End result is, if I want heated seats, for now, I will have add on one of those universal seat heater kits, readily available on Amazon. This will involve inserting resistance heating pads under the upholstery and wire in the supplied switches/ relay units. Not a bad alternative to no heated seats...

Hey, when you contacted the Harness Dr, how long did you wait for a response and how did you contact them? I have sent them several messages with no response?

 

[Sptwall]

Hey, when you contacted the Harness Dr, how long did you wait for a response and how did you contact them? I have sent them several messages with no response?

I sent him a message via his contact link on his website. He got back to me via my email.

 

[Bigburb3500]

I sent him a message via his contact link on his website. He got back to me via my email.

Hm… guess I’ll try again! Thank you!

 

[Sptwall]

You are welcome. I believe his, "Wiring Doctor" business is a side hustle for him. He is not speedy on replies, but he has been good about getting back, eventually.