RDCX5 - Thank-You very much for taking your time to post this very detailed information to our forum. Even though it is not info I'm in need of at this juncture I wanted to express me appreciation for your articulate and well thought out post, schematics and ideas!!!

Welcome all.

I doubt it's info that 99.9% of anyone will be interested in, but it is X5 related and really not going to do much good anywhere else, so it was post it up somewhere or leave it too eventually get archived on some disc and never see the light of day.

RDCX5 ,thanks for your valuable time making up these schematics, which would be very time consuming. very interesting read .

Welcome.

It really didn't take but a couple of evenings to do the schematics, but I've been doing this type of thing for awhile now.

Thanks for the post and write up on a simple failure to an interesting complicated design. The quick fix is appreciated, as posted before, many of us get your intent and approach.

Designs have a way of solving problems no one knew existed before. Like the "owner holds lever up to adjust streeting column for 1 hr", "Owner holds seat adjuster button forward for 2 hrs (or maybe the junk next to the seat does?)"

I think this is a designed to stop a lawsuit approach is way too common as the courts have held that a consumer is NEVER responsible for common sense operation of any device. Example Note: User of a tree chain saw, tries to cut concrete until chain snaps off and cut hand half off, sues and wins in Rhode Island court. See owners manual of any appliance in your home for examples of "do not use this electrical device while bathing". :wow:
Common automotive term: "Naderized" so named for Ralph Nader of the Corvair fame. Engineers try to resolve any possible poor thinking IDIOT's use before hand and design it so it can NOT happen. The future of the driver is being written by court cases. Cannot parallel park? No problem engineering fix is here. Cannot stay in your lane while texting? etc etc etc.

Hey guys, I'm having the same issue with X5 my seat and steering. How long does it take to install (DIY) and where is the best place to buy this replacement part? Thanks again!

Hey Showtime,

This isn't really any kind of DIY fix, as it requires SMT rework to remove the old CPU and install a 'new' one in the seat module as well as flash it with the code so it will work. I was only able to do it because I have the ability, tenacity and sheer disdain for a $200+ replacement part that does nothing but make some DC motors run, and in my opinion was designed to fail.

This is also not a 100% replacement, and not at all for a Comfort Seat module as it has 1 more motor to deal with. This is the only one I've had any time to work with, and didn't have much time with it, so..

What does work..

- The Seat can be moved, Incline, Slide, Height and Backrest all work.
- The Column can be moved in all 4 directions.

What does not work..

- K-bus integration, so there is no automatic wheel out of the way movement.
- Current detection, to tell if something is obstructing the seat while it's moving.
- Feedback for reporting position.
- Memory settings. (all of the current/feedback needs figured out first)


The PIC that I used to replace the CPU on this project is also out of stock everywhere now until November. So even if you'd be fine with the limitations of it and could do the work there, or wanted to send me the module to do a CPU swap on, I couldn't without doing a bit of redesign and testing with another model of PIC first.


- In case anyone is curious, this has been in the X5 for around 2 months now and it's still working.

RDCX5 thanks for you post. So, your saying I should suck it up and pay the dealer to repair it?

Already there two modules, cuz I just came across this YouTube video that identifies a different side seat panel module http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pur6AEqlrOs

Here is another video that's much better http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5LihTwOJfFo

Already seen both of those ;) as well as just about every other video or thread on the subject while I was searching around for an actual fix for this thing, versus just replacing it with a new one.

The only 2 seat modules there really are are the one for the Standard seat, then the one for the Comfort seat (the Comfort seat just has 1 extra switch for the power headrest) then with or without the Memory option. The one shown in both of those videos is the Standard one with the Memory option.

If you don't think you can handle the swap, or have a buddy/budet that's capable of doing it, then I'd still look for another alternative versus the dealer. The module runs around $200 or so online, and if you or a friend can get it installed that's 0$ on top of that. I'd hate to imagine what the dealer would charge for the part alone. The plastic clips are the biggest pain (brainsmobile1 explains that in the first vid there) and even if you wreck a couple it will still fit back on there.