Electrical Question for Seat Removal

Hello,
I have a leather seat bottom cover to replace my leatherette (I just don't like the "non-sliding and grippy" leatherette) cover. I know I need to remove the front seat to do this, so here are my questions:

1. Do I need to disconnect my battery before unplugging the airbag, electric seat motor, and heated seat plug connectors?

2. Is there a limit as to how long the battery can be disconnected from the radio/navigation unit before I permanently get locked out of it?

Thank you,
Mark

In the future please indicate what model year and generation you are working on................

Disconnecting the battery is always a good idea if you are doing anything with airbags. On the Boeing 787 one of our vendors was killed by an airbag while working on a first class seat that has an airbag incorporated into the seatbelt.

On my MK 5, I had the battery disconnected for about a month and the only thing I had to reset was the clock. The ODO trip meter did reset to zero. After driving about a block the ESP and electric assist steering re-adapted themselves and started working again as if the battery was never disconnected. Oh, and the radio presets were still there, as well.

IIFC, the MK 3 was the last car that locked you out of the radio. The only time you need the radio code on the newer cars is if you put it in a different car.

Thank you. Not identifying the vehicle was my oversight ... the vehicle is a 2015 Jetta SEL TDI. Your answer confirmed my suspicions after I posted and continued to research, and that is, the radio will be recognized with no issues after the battery is reconnected.

Now, what I am wondering: is there a time period, after disconnecting the negative battery terminal, that I need to wait before unplugging the seat airbag connector? I have read or seen somewhere that the wait time should be 30 minutes ... because the airbag system utilizes a capacitor to store energy and the wait time allows the capacitor to discharge. I imagine this is different for every vehicle, and I also suspect the time period is much less. Regardless, waiting seems advisable ... and staying clear of the airbag discharge path at all times during handling.

Thanks again.
My regards,
Mark

The replacement leather, driver side, seat bottom cover is now installed and the leather permits pivoting and sliding in and out of the seat much more easily than the plastic "leatherette."

Hey fastcar4re -
I'm curious where the leather seat bottom cover was purchased? Was purchase through VW North America or others? Surprisingly, a donor seat from a salvage vehicle is in great condition.

Our MY06 Jetta Pkg2 w/leather interior/seating could use a drivers seat re-fresh. Thanks.

I'd also love to know where you sourced the real leather from!

You can order the real leather, not leatherette, directly from VW. The part number for black is 5C6-881-405-CQ-UFH for a 2015 Jetta in black. Or, you can order it online from a VW part supplier for a range of prices. The dealer from which I purchased the vehicle a few months ago installed it for me. You can also do it yourself, or find an upholstery shop. I happened to be at the dealer for some other items and had it installed. The leather surface does let you slide a bit easier, which was my goal, but the leather is different from my now sold, 2005 Passat TDI. I think it is also cooler than the leatherette, even though the leather is a solid surface and the leatherette is perforated. In Canada, the Jetta can be ordered with real leather, but not in the USA, and that likely explains the availability of the replacement leather cover.

1998993C2S said:

Hey fastcar4re -
I'm curious where the leather seat bottom cover was purchased? Was purchase through VW North America or others? Surprisingly, a donor seat from a salvage vehicle is in great condition.

Our MY06 Jetta Pkg2 w/leather interior/seating could use a drivers seat re-fresh. Thanks.

Click to expand...

Looks like the VW part number for your 2006 is: 1K5-881-405-CT-JTB for black leather.