159 ti electric seats in non Alfa

[oz3litre]

Hi guys. I have a 1988 Range Rover that is my current rescue project and future tow car. It is mechanically top notch, having been totally overhauled by my brother, including fitting a late nineties low mileage  Disco 3.9 with new cam and rebuilt injectors. The front seats are in need of recovering and my wife doesn't find them comfortable. She drives a 159 ti Sportwagon and loves the seats in that. As it happens, the rails of the 159 seats are exactly the same width apart as the Rangie ones and would be easily fitted. What I am wondering is will the electric controls work, including the memory function, if wired up to the Rangie?

[Citroënbender]

Sounds like a great exercise. I'm assuming the memory is a simple preset based on a multi position switch (is this the "1-2-3" switch bank?). You'd need to know the extent of CAN dialogue to determine how independent the seats are; whether swapping a seat from one 159 to another is plug-and-play or requires configuration in the body computer.

[oz3litre]

Thanks for that. I could use the manual ti seats too of course, but electric ones would be cool. The problem with the Rangie seats, apart from being torn, is that they have short cushions and don't support the legs very well.

[bazzbazz]

What I am wondering is will the electric controls work, including the memory function, if wired up to the Rangie?

Unlikely. Each seat actually has its own NODE (Sub Processor) built into it and the controls run off this. In turn the NODE is connected to the 159s Body Computer and without each other I doubt if the seat controls will operate properly.

But stranger things have happened . . . . .

[oz3litre]

Wouldn't the motors just be operated by the switches? The memory probably uses the ecu, so I'm not sure about that. That function is not vital I guess.

[Citroënbender]

Only one way to find out... Build a jumper harness and power up one of the seats in situ, in your 159. 

Extra points for achievement if you put 12V to the side airbag instead. 

[bazzbazz]

No, The switches send a signal to the CPU in the seat that then sends a signal to motor drivers. But as long as you don't want the memory function give it a try with just power & earth connected to the seat harness.