Detailed instructions for fitting Mazda RX8 seats needed

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Ah now the penny drops. I'd assumed the lives from the seat function would switch it! I'll try it with a switch!

From memory, I think the heat circuit and movement circuit may possibly share an earth, but that is it. Treat them as two separate circuits or join them together like I did so you are sharing a common earth and live to the relay (the picture I sent before of me holding the relay in my hand)

IMG_5459.jpg
 
Can you let me see how you wired the switch? If get a mo at least.

I have labeled my picture. Just bear in mind i'm lucky enough to have the female socket too, which you might not have so the colours are different. I have put what you should have to make it easier to visualise.

I don't know what kind of switch you have so can't help there. Mine is a switch with LED backlight so a bit more of a faff to wire than a standard on/off.

Seat relay with labels.jpg
 
I'd treat movement and heat as two separate circuits. Seat movement is fine on a permanent supply as there's little if any current drain, and it allows you to move the seat around whenever you want. That needs a fused supply from the battery.

Seat heating should be switched through a relay- a separate fused live from the battery. The seat heater switch should be fed from an ignition-switched circuit. That way, the heater switch and ignition have to be on for the heater to be powered. That prevents you leaving it switched on when you're parked and draining the battery. As the current draw by the relay coil is very low, one of the existing green wires behind the dash would be sufficient for the switched feed.
 
I'd treat movement and heat as two separate circuits. Seat movement is fine on a permanent supply as there's little if any current drain, and it allows you to move the seat around whenever you want. That needs a fused supply from the battery.

Seat heating should be switched through a relay- a separate fused live from the battery. The seat heater switch should be fed from an ignition-switched circuit. That way, the heater switch and ignition have to be on for the heater to be powered. That prevents you leaving it switched on when you're parked and draining the battery. As the current draw by the relay coil is very low, one of the existing green wires behind the dash would be sufficient for the switched feed.

I have done all of the above apart from keeping it on separate circuits. I did originally, but when I closed the door the door card pressed the button/switches and moved my seat position :)
 
Ideal. I'm mostly there. I've already fused to a perm live.17amp wire,15 amp fuse although I'm going to try a 10 amp. My door card just misses the buttons so I'm ok on the front as well as having an isolator for the whole vehicle.
Relaying the heating was always the intention. Thanks gents absolutely brilliant help.
 
Been following this with interest and finally picked up a set of rx8 leather heated seats. A few things I could do with help on if you could help?
I can clear all the brackets etc leaving just the rail but on the drivers seat there is a gold coloured bolt about halfway, did you remove this so you had the flat rail?
Being a bit of a tight arsed Scotsmen, rather than buying the raised seat risers I've got a set of roof rails that I can cut and utilise as risers but having measured up the centres there seems to be about 10mm difference between the original fixings and the holes of the Rx seats! Was yours the same ? If so how did you overcome it?
What type,size of bolt did you use to fit the seats onto the risers?

Thanks
George.
 
Hey George, happy to help. You need to keep the gold bolt on because it holds the screw thread that the seat uses to move forwards and backwards, at least on the drivers side. Because I used the extended seat rails I used the bolts that came with them to install the seats which also gave plenty of space for the seats to slide back and forth.
Have a look at this link which gives a cheaper alternative. As for the hole alignment it seems that some of the seats line up and some are a little out.
If I were you I'd weld up the roof rails to the correct alignment on the seat and then install.
Try this linky

 
Morning, bumping an old thread again but it's a really good one so don't think there's any harm down.

Got me a pair of rx8 seats to go in my D1 Commercial. Hopefully phycially fitting them I will be able to work out but the wiring side I'm not sure on.
Firstly I'm very thick but I'm assuming there are different types of relays. If so which one do I go for? I'm heading to the scrappy later so can I expect to find one I need in any old car and how many in total to wire up both seats?

Also gonna properly end up with RDX switches but if I can find them would like to fit original LR heated seat switches for the OEM look or is this gonna be a complete ball ache for the wiring?

Cheers Chris.
 
Morning, bumping an old thread again but it's a really good one so don't think there's any harm down.

Got me a pair of rx8 seats to go in my D1 Commercial. Hopefully phycially fitting them I will be able to work out but the wiring side I'm not sure on.
Firstly I'm very thick but I'm assuming there are different types of relays. If so which one do I go for? I'm heading to the scrappy later so can I expect to find one I need in any old car and how many in total to wire up both seats?

Also gonna properly end up with RDX switches but if I can find them would like to fit original LR heated seat switches for the OEM look or is this gonna be a complete ball ache for the wiring?

Cheers Chris.
Hi mate. Get brand new relays from halfords. They're dirt cheap. Get 2 four pin relays for the heated seats. For the movement as long as you fuse at battery use a 20 amp fuse. No need for a relay necause you hardly use the movement.
Make sure you find an ignition live to ise for all connections.
 
Brilliant, thanks for that mate. I'm good with car stereos but useless at anything else electrical lol.
I'll pick up a couple of relays this afternoon before I go fit my exhaust.
 
Informative write up thanks.

Going to do this myself. Do both RX7 and RX8 seats fit.

I've got a dual battery system in the battery box. Any issues with access?
 
Informative write up thanks.

Going to do this myself. Do both RX7 and RX8 seats fit.

I've got a dual battery system in the battery box. Any issues with access?
I've got a 300tdi and I had zero problems because the seats slide so far forward access is ok. If you look underneath the rx8 seats there are 4 gold nuts. Leave these finger tight and the bases pop out like the Landy seats.
 
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