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Old 05-13-2022, 12:35 AM #1
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Recaro Sportster CS into my ’22 ORP

Hello!

Got me a new Recaro Sportster CS into my ’22 ORP with sunroom!

My goal with this post is to educate others of my journey in hopes that it helps others with similar/related issues. I’m also running into some issues, and would like help too. Enjoy!

In case you don’t want to hear my life story, just stick to the short version.

SHORT VERSION
Issue 1: I’ve been searching online and can’t find the stock seat resistance. I’m trying to use the resistor method to trick the car so the airbag sensor doesn’t go off. Unconfirmed, I found that you could use a 2.4 or 3.3 ohm resistor. Anyone have insight on this?

Issue 2: The seat has its own variable power for the heat – so the stock won’t do. Can anyone link me to how to connect power from the car to the seat? I haven’t done a super deep dive on it yet, but based on my prelim review, looks like my electrical knowledge is insufficient.

Last edited by kyounpark; 05-13-2022 at 12:44 AM.
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Old 05-13-2022, 12:35 AM #2
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Long Version:

Problem: I’m 6’ tall, but because of my preferred seating angle (fairly upright), body proportions (more torso than the average 6’er), and past back injury (L4/L5 + L5/S1 disc herniation), I can’t sit in the stock seats without discomfort. If I prioritize seating angle, my skull literally pushes up against the ceiling (in my past cars, sitting upright + lumbar cushion does the trick). If I prioritize body proportion, I’m sitting like a 90’s OG w/ the seat reclined back.



Goal: I needed to gain inches between my head and ceiling at my preferred seating angle.



Measurement: Even after reviewing seat schematics, taking the seat out, etc., I found it very difficult to truly measure the distance between my butt when seated, to the highest part of the 4 mounting points. Here’s the trick: I was sitting on the corner of a park planter with my arm beside me. I realized it was up to ‘here’ where the planter and my butt aligned. Eureka, I sat in the car, made not of ‘here’ and measured to the floor! Now I got my baseline measurement.



Attempt 1: Went to an upholstery shop and we discussed a custom bracket + shaving down the foam in the stock seat. After considering the pros/cons, I decided not to go that route.

Pros: OEM look, maintain all heating + airbag, optimistically 2” gain.
Cons: Cost over $1000 (mainly because of the custom bracket), hacked up stock seat, no guarantee + difficulty to measure true height savings.


Attempt 2: Aftermarket bucket seat. I used to Recaro SPGs (fixed back racing bucket seats) in one of my cars, and I recall the possibility of a very low clearance, easily saving 2+ inches. After researching, I found that bucket seats were going to be the following issues:

As I’m waiting on my Kings Coilover EXTs, and additional 3” + 33s or 35s were going to make a bucket seat a HUGE PITA to get in and out.
Bucket seats are made of composites, unlike the stock seats with metal frames. What this led to is a shelf life. Depending on the bucket seat, the resin content degrades over about a 10 year period and loses strength. Consider my last car was about 13 years old, I didn’t want to deal with this.
Bucket seats are fixed back, no adjustability.


Attempt 3: Aftermarket non-composite seat. Ultimately, I decided on Recaros. Although I don’t have facts/figures/resources to point to, Recaro is the preferred Tier 1 supplier to many automotive brands (Porsche, BMW, etc.). I got a Porsche at home which has stock Recaros (stock, definitely not fancy looking) that I fit very comfortably. They have the budgets to do their R&D to build, IMO, the best automotive application seat out there. Any ways, within Recaro’s product line, I ended narrowing it down to a few seats (Expert S, Classic LS, Orthoped) but didn’t choose them for 1 or more reasons (price, styling, lack of ability to test fit). No showroom I could find in SoCal had these in stock. Instead, I started attending a bunch of Car and Coffee’s to look for these seats – after about 5-6 CnCs, I gave up.



Attempt 4: Aftermarket non-composite seat used in other cars as OE. Viola! I found the Recaro Sportster CS. These seats were big among both the Porsche and BMW community; they also have heating, but no airbag. There is a CS with airbags for Euro only applications – I tried getting my hands on this version, but without having a contact that you trust to ship the seat to, then ship to you, no luck in getting on in the States. There was a lot of confusing information as to which model/makes specifically came with the Sportster, but I didn’t care. I cared that it was the same seat just sold through the OEM. Now I had to figure out would it work – e.g. height savings. I contacted Planted Technologies (Ask for Dan, AWESOME guy) and they help measure exactly the stacked heigh of the seat (butt part), sliders, and low floor brackets (if you get low brackets be sure to ask spacers too $60). By calculations, I was going to save a solid 4”!



Today: The seat’s in, and I have 2+” of room on top. I’m comfortable, back doesn’t hurt. Surprises:

Although others don’t drive my car, a test with shorter people sitting in the seat, they can’t see over the hood (luckily for MTM)! Better find a tall DD 😉.
The seat belt buckle needs its own hardware. Be sure to get a grade 8.8 (or higher) 1” M12 bolt, with 2 washers, and a nylock nut. Put those together and you’re gravy.
I mentioned you need spacers (between sliders and bracket). Otherwise you’ll run into this.
Hinge cover bumps against the seat belt buckle mounting point. Same post.


Issue 1: I’ve been searching online and can’t find the stock seat resistance. I’m trying to use the resistor method to trick the car so the airbag sensor doesn’t go off. Unconfirmed, I found that you could use a 2.4 or 3.3 ohm resistor. Anyone have insight on this?



Issue 2: The seat has its own variable power for the heat – so the stock won’t do. Can anyone link me to how to connect power from the car to the seat? I haven’t done a super deep dive on it yet, but based on my prelim review, looks like my electrical knowledge is insufficient.
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Old 05-13-2022, 03:10 AM #3
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I hope you get this figured out because I too sit fairly upright and the headliner lets me know when my hair is getting too long when it starts to make contact.
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Old 05-13-2022, 08:37 AM #4
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reading your story, i could relate...

i had an'89 integra that i drove for 3 yrs slouched down so my head didn't bump. when i got a '93 i fit fine... but my arm on the window sill was 2" higher, practically at shoulder level!

good luck with your problem solving, though shaving the OEM seat still seems easier, it sounds like you are close to the goal line.
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Old 05-13-2022, 10:20 AM #5
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Damn those seats look badass!! Id like to know how you go about getting rid of the airbag faults. I sprayed mine out with the hose (no carpet) and did something that has caused the airbag and seat belt light to be one since. Best I can tell is I did something to the weight deal in passenger seat as its not reading now which I believe is causing errors.


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Old 05-13-2022, 12:39 PM #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SirWilliamGoes View Post
Id like to know how you go about getting rid of the airbag faults.
For your case, I'd unplug the battery; unplug/replug in the airbag harness/clips (if you don't know which it is, just do all 3 - careful not to break the clips); replug in the battery. If the code is still there, I'd try a diagnostic tool to see what's going on - in case you're not dealing with a false positive.

I use a Maxidiag MD808 Pro, which allows me to erase the code. Of course, once I erase, it comes right back since there's no stock seat.


Quote:
Originally Posted by SirWilliamGoes View Post
I did something to the weight deal in passenger seat as its not reading now which I believe is causing errors.
If the above doesn't work, make sure you figure out what you're looking at. Airbag error, unoccupied seat, and no seatbelt are all completely different issues.
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Old 05-13-2022, 12:42 PM #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeBand View Post
my arm on the window sill was 2" higher, practically at shoulder level!
Lol, totally understand. My arms def don't sit as comfortably as before, since the door and center storage is alot higher now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeBand View Post
good luck with your problem solving, though shaving the OEM seat still seems easier, it sounds like you are close to the goal line.
Yeah, that was my first path - as it seemed the easiest. But there was too low of a guarantee for the $ I was spending. Maybe deep down I also wanted an aftermarket seat. =P
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Old 05-13-2022, 04:16 PM #8
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I can relate. I broke my back in 3 places with a motorcycle accident, and for the last 20 years I've had trouble getting comfortable. Most of my (project)cars have had stupid expensive seats like the Recaro, or we qualified a vehicle if I could live with it or not. My 2009 Civic Si happens to come with Recaro built seats that are amazing, and with the 4Runner I got lucky with how it adjusts for me. I'm 6'2".

This is a brilliant idea. I've seen other people do this swap in other cars and you're right, this is mostly resistance. But I can't offer you direct advice. I know for lots of other cars there are simply little plugs you click into the airbag receiver and that solves it.
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Old 05-20-2022, 06:20 PM #9
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UPDATE

Issue 1: Resolved.

There were 3 choices: 2.4 ohm, 3.3 ohm, or something else. I bought both resistors and oddly, both work.

I'm going to drive around for awhile and see if anything changes. For now, I've plugged in the 3.3ohm.

If any EE guys are reading this, any comment? I'm thinking maybe the sensor has a fairly wide tolerance where both 2.4 and 3.3 ohm are within normal operating resistance.


Last edited by kyounpark; 05-20-2022 at 06:23 PM.
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