Aftermarket Seat Questions (Recaro Sparco etc)

[gto093]

Hi
I am planning to get a pair of aftermarket seats..

I found out that Recaro Toplines have heat/cool features with electric adjustment features.. but they are little expansive

so are there any other seats that have those functions?
I hate to lose heat/power features I have so..

Also how hard is the installation?

Thanks.

[B6JoeS4]

if heated seats are that important, you could just do an aftermarket setup
we put these in my moms jeep wrangler and they work great and they are cheap:
http://www.heatedseatkits.com/index.html

[rpmfoundation]

Hi
I am planning to get a pair of aftermarket seats..

I found out that Recaro Toplines have heat/cool features with electric adjustment features.. but they are little expansive

so are there any other seats that have those functions?
I hate to lose heat/power features I have so..

Also how hard is the installation?

Thanks.

These are my Recaro Sport Topline, got a pretty great deal for them from Griffin Motorwerke ( g-werke.com ) Talk to Terry. Heat option is really Recaro only territory. Plus our original seats are made by Recaro so everything bolts up pretty nicely. You will need brackets, sliders, and if you have a B7 you will need to relocate your passenger occupancy sensor from passenger seat onto the new Recaro seat. (Griffin did the install on my car and it came out perfect) Heat cool functions are ok, they work better with perforated material i.e. fabric. I live in LA so its always hot here not much need for heated option. If you like it but dont really need it, go for non-topline seat, save about 25-30lbs on each seat.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l300/artnmotion2780/IMG_2510_LR.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l300/artnmotion2780/IMG_2515_LR.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l300/artnmotion2780/IMG_2531_LR.jpg

Lighter version

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l300/artnmotion2780/IMG_2531_LR-1.jpg

[slick.rick888]

your seats are incredible man, hows the comfort on long drives though?

[rpmfoundation]

very comfy, much better than stock ones. plus the bottom slides out for knee support.

[jsantiago17]

Love these seats....looks great!! Not sure if I'll be able to get my wife to be ok with spending big $$ on car seats though! [:(]

[slick.rick888]

very comfy, much better than stock ones. plus the bottom slides out for knee support.

and im sure theres not a lot of sliding on corners ;) beautiful car [up]

[jsantiago17]

Jealous...I want these seats!

[adub]

.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l300/artnmotion2780/IMG_2510_LR.jpg
[[/IMG]

Sex on fire....

[I'm Aud!]

how much did you pay for those recaro seats if u dont mind me asking

[darmz]

Did you have to fool your computer to eliminate the side airbag sign or whatever..?
If so, how difficult is it to get it done?

[gto093]

wow.. they look incredible... i wonder how hard it is to get rid of that airbag thing...

[JMG]

While not as nice, you could always get S4 (or even RS4 Recaros) for the full OEM compatibility. Here are my S4's:
http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/500/JMG_S4_INT_02.jpg

[Sly Raskal]

^^^ Showoff! [:p]

[rpmfoundation]

wow.. they look incredible... i wonder how hard it is to get rid of that airbag thing...

actually my shop did it fairly easy. all of my airbags function. no lights.

[rpmfoundation]

Did you have to fool your computer to eliminate the side airbag sign or whatever..?
If so, how difficult is it to get it done?

no, there is no resistor for that. you actually have to remove passenger occupancy sensor from your original seat and transplant it into the aftermarket seat. if you don't do it right, bad things can happen.. i.e. airbags deploy at 100% or not at all.

[rpmfoundation]

While not as nice, you could always get S4 (or even RS4 Recaros) for the full OEM compatibility. Here are my S4's:
http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/500/JMG_S4_INT_02.jpg

true, however finding ones without scuffs and scratches in great condition is near impossible.

[gto093]

^True.. i would rather get a new set..
You lucky you live in CA.. I live in ATL and havent seen many good shops here :(
wonder if they can handle the install/transplant

[Ryan_T]

Will any of these seats fit the B8? I'm so sick of hanging on for dear life on my gear lever and steering wheel on tight bends.

[rpmfoundation]

Will any of these seats fit the B8? I'm so sick of hanging on for dear life on my gear lever and steering wheel on tight bends.

yes all recaro seats can be fitted into B8 or any other car / truck / suv - brackets are the only thing that differs between each model although b6/b7 brackets are the same.

[aaron1085]

While not as nice, you could always get S4 (or even RS4 Recaros) for the full OEM compatibility. Here are my S4's:
http://www.audizine.com/gallery/data/500/JMG_S4_INT_02.jpg


Yeah but those are not cheap at all...where could i even buy those?!

[gto093]

does anyone know how hard it is to install those recaro toplines? Is it plug-n-play?

[englishbay]

Yeah I am interested in replacing my stock B7 seats and there looks like there are some options, but can anyone give us an idea on the cost of the Recaro Toplines, OEM S4 or OEM RS4 seats?

I talked to two dealers and none of them have a clue on how to get the S4/RS4 seats through there parts departments.

Can we only get these through wrecking yards or through private deals? There are several posts of people getting it done.

[gto093]

^ those seats are really expansive..
1300~1800 a piece i believe..

[gyroscope]

very comfy, much better than stock ones. plus the bottom slides out for knee support.

That was the problem I always had on the stock seats. Being 6' 4 ish the stock B7 seats always made my legs really tired after a few hours of driving. With the Recaro's the drivers seat extends and I have no more fatigue. Also, with a sport suspension I was constantly sliding sideways in the stock seats. They had no lateral support for tighter turning. The Recaro's completely alleviate this problem. Yes, they aren't cheap, but they are completley worth it.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n116/magi115/Picture001.jpg

[gto093]

Nice seats!!

Are S4/RS4 Recaros plug-n-play on our seats w/o any issues?

[gyroscope]

Yes they are plug and play (both heat and power work well).The harnesses are the exact same, but you will get an airbag light on the cluster and in the dashboard. For some reason the oem Recaro's do no have a passenger airbag sensor embedded into the seat base. You could swap the sensor from seat to seat, but at the risk of removing the leather seating surface cover. You could also pull the bulbs. I heard that it's also possible to create a resistor to trick the ecu into thinking that there is an airbag.

[gto093]

thats weird... oh light on the cluster as well.. that must be irritating.. i thought S4 seats dont do that
but whats so bad about the "airbag light" again?
Does it keep blinking? or does it mean that the airbags on passenger side wont be deployed even when there is a person?

[sdjeff]

I post this every time there is a seat thread just because they are that good. They don't have any of the features you want though.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c330/punkerjeffy/seats.jpg

[rpmfoundation]

That was the problem I always had on the stock seats. Being 6' 4 ish the stock B7 seats always made my legs really tired after a few hours of driving. With the Recaro's the drivers seat extends and I have no more fatigue. Also, with a sport suspension I was constantly sliding sideways in the stock seats. They had no lateral support for tighter turning. The Recaro's completely alleviate this problem. Yes, they aren't cheap, but they are completley worth it.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n116/magi115/Picture001.jpg

I second that - I am 6'4 and thats exactly why i swapped seats. Its amazing how much softer and more comfortable the aftermarket Recaro / S4 / RS4 seats are. (even though OE's are made by Recaro as well)

[rpmfoundation]

I post this every time there is a seat thread just because they are that good. They don't have any of the features you want though.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c330/punkerjeffy/seats.jpg

yeah and they're also for skinny short people lol.

[rpmfoundation]

Regarding airbag lights and passenger occupancy sensors, contact guys at Griffin Motorwerke, they can answer everything in full detail. Terry is a Recaro veteran (he's really that old ) haha and Curly & Mark are tech gurus. Thats who did my install.
(g-werke.com) or 510.524.7447
--
Serge

[gto093]

yeah i just sent them an email, waiting for them to write me back.

but still, can anyone explain me what happens if the "airbag light" issue isnt fixed?

[gyroscope]

you will have two airbag lights. one in the cluster, and one in the dash.

[aaron1085]

that would be annoyinggggg

[Iheart1980]

Who else is running aftermarket seats? Let's see some pictures!

[manhertm]

I post this every time there is a seat thread just because they are that good. They don't have any of the features you want though.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c330/punkerjeffy/seats.jpg

What seats are these?

[Mark.]

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l300/artnmotion2780/IMG_2510_LR.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l300/artnmotion2780/IMG_2515_LR.jpg

amaaazing

[matthewb2795]

Wow those seats look great and don't look out of place at all. I actually like them a lot better than the S4/RS4 Recaros. Less bulky looking.

[gpultro]

Hi
I am planning to get a pair of aftermarket seats..

I found out that Recaro Toplines have heat/cool features with electric adjustment features.. but they are little expansive

so are there any other seats that have those functions?
I hate to lose heat/power features I have so..

Also how hard is the installation?

Thanks.

How much is does hte toplines cost?

[Matt@EuropaParts]

but still, can anyone explain me what happens if the "airbag light" issue isnt fixed?

From my research, if there is an airbag light on (in the cluster) or a malfunction in the system, the entire car's airbag system is shut down. I have RS4 Recaros in my B6 and have an airbag light (plus the one from my steering wheel), so needless to say I need to fix it ASAP.

Install, if you're using seats that came out of an Audi, is pretty easy. Four bolts, a few electrical connectors, disconnect the seat belt, and out they come. Just make sure you have a second set of hands...its not so much the weight, but its really awkward moving them.

[Coderedpl]

So my birthday is coming up, anybody want to get me a nice present? :D

[RandyQUATTRO]

Called and spoke to Terry at Griffin Motorwerk and for Recaro seats most similar to S4/RSR OEM, they will each be about $1800 (leather). Then there are brackets which are about $350 each and the labor involved for switching the seat plate (for airbag sensor) from OEM A4 seats to Recaros. Total labor is about 6 hours. I guess if you are going to keep your car for years, this is not a bad idea to get brand new Recaros.

[Iheart1980]

Called and spoke to Terry at Griffin Motorwerk and for Recaro seats most similar to S4/RSR OEM, they will each be about $1800 (leather). Then there are brackets which are about $350 each and the labor involved for switching the seat plate (for airbag sensor) from OEM A4 seats to Recaros. Total labor is about 6 hours. I guess if you are going to keep your car for years, this is not a bad idea to get brand new Recaros.

This is for black leather Recaro Toplines?

[GrandMarkie]

From my research, if there is an airbag light on (in the cluster) or a malfunction in the system, the entire car's airbag system is shut down. I have RS4 Recaros in my B6 and have an airbag light (plus the one from my steering wheel), so needless to say I need to fix it ASAP.

Install, if you're using seats that came out of an Audi, is pretty easy. Four bolts, a few electrical connectors, disconnect the seat belt, and out they come. Just make sure you have a second set of hands...its not so much the weight, but its really awkward moving them.

I switched over my B7 airbag sensor and components to my B6 Recaros but I still have an airbag light on. I figure I need the dealer to clear my code (I can't do this with my $20 VAG-COM cable). If they clear the code and it doesn't work, I don't know where to go from there.