RE: Power seat wiring
Kale has it correct except my wiring diagram shows the recline motor as having Black/White (recline foreward) and a Yellow/Light Blue (recline rearward) wires going to it. You cannot use the switches unless you add 16 relays to it. And that may not work since there is a resistor mounted in the battery connection, built into the switch. This resistor is a current limiting "fuse", meaning if you put too much current through it, it will smoke and open the circuit. The manual does not tell the amount of resistance or how many watts the resistor is. If I knew that, I could do the math and tell you what the relay 12 volt coil would have to be (if 12 volt at all). But, if you want to try and use the factory switches, you could go to Radio Shack and buy the smallest 12 volt relay they have (not micro miniture). Make sure it's at least a single pole single throw (SPST) normally open unit as most are. Connect each one of the relay's coil leads and common connector leads to a good ground (all 8 relays) and then connect the other 8 coil wires to the 8 factory seat switches. You can use #16 wire and crimp on connectors to do all of this. Temporarly connect the seat switch, (Light Blue/White Wire), to the battery and then move each seat switch one at a time and listen for that connected relay to click as you move the switches. Don't forget the ground connection. If that works, you can proceed to wiring the motors. The first set of relays is to reduce the load (current) on the switches and give you a little stronger amount of current to pull in the next set of relays.
If all works as I said before and you can hear the small relays clicking while you move the original seat switches:
Go to Radio Shack and special order the 12 volt 20 amp relay Catalog # 900-2391 or go to your local Autozone or Pep Boys, etc. and buy eight identical single pole double throw relays (SPDT) with a current capacity of at least 20 amps. After you buy eight of them, you will have 5 connections on each relay. Two will be the coil, one will be a "common", one will be normally closed (NC), and the other will be normally open (NO).
Now you are going to "pair the connected small relays off". Mark each one as follows:
the two relays connected to the Gray switch wire with the one connected to the Gray/Black wire. That's Recline foreward and recline back. You are just grouping them together, NO CONNECTIONS YET! Continue:
Red/ White and Yellow/White - Seat Foreward and back
Yellow/ Light Green and Red/ Light Green - Rear Down & Up
Yellow/Light Blue and Red/Light Blue - Front up and down
Mark each pair as to which does what.
Now you have a whole mess of relays, and you have the current to do something using the original switches.
You now have to take all the smaller relays normally open (NO) connections and connect them to the coil wires on the larger relays coil connectors. Use all crimp connectors. On these you could probably ust blue crimp connectors. If using a numbered relay connect it to #86. Now do all eight relays the same. One wire to each. If you have standard large relays, connect the other coil connection on each large relay to +12 volts.
Now connect a high current 12 volt supply to the normally open connector of the relay. If you are using the numbered relays you can put 12 volts on high current connectors #87 with a smaller jumper wire (#16) and female crimp connector on to pin #85. Do this to all the larger relays. Use #12 wire here on the higher current requirements. Daisychain them to make it easier. On the daisychained connections, you could probably get away with yellow crimps.
Now again, when you hit each switch, you should hear the click in the larger relay, too. Check each relay and mark them as to their purpose.
You now have the primary part of the circuit wired. Now, insulate the smaller relays, so they won't short out.
Now, comes the pairing out of the large relays.
First, take the reclining set. You should have them marked on the larger relays too. One is recline foreward, and one recline rearward. Tape them physically together with the leads facing up. Do that with each pair (up, down - forward, rearward) Make sure you mark them. Three leads on each relay should already connected, the connection from the smaller relay to one side of the coil and two +12 volt connections, 1 to the other side of the coil and a high current connection to the normally open connection of the larger relay. Now again, using # 12 wire, a crimp connector, find the common connection (Numbered relay - #30) (C) or (COM) for the recline rearward relay. Connect that to the Yellow/Light Blue motor wire. Connect the recline foreward relay common likewise to the Black/White motor wire. Now, connect all the normally closed (NC) (Numbered relay #87a) relay connections to a good ground using a #12 wire again. Crimp large female blade and round connector. (usually use black wire). You can daisychain the ground to every large relay as well. So, now if you want, you can check the reclining part of your work.
Now do the rest of the motor wiring.
Connect the Yellow/White motor wire to the common of the rearward movement relay, the Red/White motor wire to the foreward movement relay common. Connect the Red/Light Blue motor wire to the Front Seat up relay common, and the Yellow/Light Blue motor wire to the Front Down relay common. Lastly, connect connect the Red/Light Green motor wire to the rear down relay common and the Yellow/Light Green motor wire to the Rear Up relay common.
It's alot of work, but it will work and look stock. Here is what you have done in a nutshell:
Connected the small current switches to a small relay to be able to use a larger relay to carry the even larger current to power the seat motors.
Once you move the switch, you close the circuit on the small relay, which activates the larger relay and places the common from the larger relay (One motor wire) to the battery. The other side is grounded by the other normally closed (NC) relay. That's why I had you place them in pairs. One for up and the other for down - one foreward, the other rearward, etc. You can only give each motor 12 volts on one lead at a time in order for it to work. You still will be able to move all three motors at once, but I would not advise this, not knowing the current handling capacity of the switch.
Now check your work - 8 Small relays:
1. Ground wires to the coil and common connections.
2. Factory switch connections to each of the other coil connections.
3. Normally open connections to coil connections on each of the 8 larger relays coil connectors. (pin #86).
8 Large relays:
1. Other coil connection to +12 volts or daisychained to pins 85 & 87 (along with the 12 volt connection). This must be high amp wiring. #12 on each relay pin #87.
2. Common (or Pin #30) to each of the designated motors.
3. Normally open (or pin 87) each to +12 volts. High amp. (if not already done).
4. Normally Closed (or pin 87a) each to a good ground.
Now insulate and mount the small and large relays as best as you can. Remember it all moves down there, so be careful. There is enough current under there to start a fire.
If you get the larger relays with numbers printed on the bottom, the numbers I believe are as follows, (check this with the diagram on the back and change if necessary):
#30 Common
#85 Coil
#86 Coil
#87 Normally open (NO)
#87a Normally closed (NC)
If one switch does not do what it is intended to do, you'll find another one is wrong too, Just exchange them. Only the common connectors of the large relays need changing (#30) if you have the other wiring done right. Find out which one is clicking when you move the factory switch and connect the motor up to that relay.
This way you've retained the look of the highly styled switch assembly, an kept it functional. I think it will look and work well in you hot rod.
It would be cool if you had heated seats to put in there.
Let me know if you want the easier new switch method. But you would have to purchase new switches to mount in the car with screws on the outside in plain view when you open the door or maybre find round ones that mount in a circular hole. They would have to be double pole, double throw, center return. I don't think you'd like that.
Mr John
