Seat Bottom Cushion Replacement Process?

**DamienH** · 08-06-2023, 04:37 PM

Anyone have experience with replacing the seat bottom cushion? My current one has a massive tear in it--managed to get this replacement cushion from a salvage yard online. Cannot find any resources which show what the process for the removal or installation of the cushions for the non-M-series seats.

Any help appreciated. Images below for reference.

cushion1.jpg cushion2.jpg IMG_8937.jpg

**clarkitect** · 08-07-2023, 09:50 AM

Man, I did this to my car, including replacing driver's seat bottom and back as well as repairing the foam in the bolsters that breaks down from people sliding on them getting into the car.

I thought about making a DIY but never got around to it. That said, I just started dismantling and ended up figuring it all out. This is what I can recall although it is not that fresh in my mind.

You'll obviously need to remove the seat from the car - two 16mm nuts in the front and 16mm bolts in the back. Remove the seatbelt from the seat, which I think is also a 16mm nut. There is a torx screw that holds the two halves of the seatbelt guide together. Remove this to allow the seatbelt to be detached. Whatever you do don't let the belt retract all the way.

After that you'll need to remove the rear seatback cover (two screws at the bottom then it should unclip at the top) and loosen the seatback leather to pull it around to access the bolts holding the seatback to the bottom. A couple hog rings in there I believe. Here are the bolts to remove:

After removing the back:

(That pic was during reinstallation. Notice I thought I would be clever and buy the leather from a passenger side seat, but then ended up with the suede on the outside of the seat. Oh well, no big deal. anyways...)

Then you can take off the plastic cover on the seat controls. Mine has manual seats. I don't recall exactly how it is attached but I remember having to be careful not to break it. I think there is one screw then a couple hooks you have to finagle out. These pictures suck I know. But you can see where was the screw and the little catch that you need detach.

Flip the seat upside down, and in the front, on either side, should be two screws that hold the seat cushion to the frame.

Remove the two screws:

Then I believe you can lift on the front of the seat and detach the rear from these mounts. It should just slide off. The rear of the cushion has these hooks that slide over the mounts:

Here it is without the foam and leather:

Installation the reverse of dismantle-ation. Not a difficult job but took at little time and patience. Was a great chance to make repairs and improve the seats a billion percent. Fixing the outside bolster was key. No more metal bar poking through.

Good luck!

Edit: Of course just looked more closely at the picture you posted above. You'll have to pop the cushion off of the metal frame that snaps and screws into the seat bottom. Not difficult, it just has some plastic strips that ride in a channel around the perimeter of the seat if I remember correctly.