Canbus:Installing modern Mercedes seats into none mercs

The seats will be part of the CANBUS but not an active part of it, if that makes any sense. I.E, it won't have special requirements.

Previously, I've got seats to power up with a 12V feed. of that age. The key of course is not to touch the airbag wiring. Generally, these tend to have a yellow connector, but it's always best to check.

I don't know if it's the case with those Merc seats, but it might be the case that the adjustment control switches might be running on a small current driving a larger current in the motor. Easiest way to see is if the wires coming from the control switches look weedier than those going to the motors.

I had Merc seats from a R129 that came with no switches in my Minor and had to use relays to stop (non Merc) switches burning out. Currently I have a set of seats from a VW Phaeton waiting to fit into my W114 saloon. Those each have a small computer in them (which I must stick on Ebay as they are no use to me) and I can't get the switches to do anything. But directly connecting each motor works so Relays and rewire will be the way to go. From memory you need 2 relays and 2 diodes per movement. Eg forward/backward movement needs a set of 2 relays & diodes. It's not complicated and I can explain further if you need. I actually used a Ford mirror control switch to control the seats. After burning a few out I figured relays might be needed.

PS with the airbags, if the same as my Phaeton ones, carefully remove and replace with foam sponge to keep the seat shape. Then, like in old westerns, run a long wire with a scotchblock off the airbag wire and blow up from a nice distance wearing eye protectors. That just reminded me actually, when I was testing the wiring in my Merc R129 seats, I set off a seatbelt pretensioner that I didn't know was there that also worked off an explosive charge. I was in the small box room of my flat at the time and my ears were ringing after. My trousers were pretty upset too. Plus seatbelt was wrecked. The explosive charge rolled up the seatbelt and locked it solid.

Sometimes the seat airbags will break through the material at the side of a seat. If they're already deployed you can take a view as to how much work is needed to restitch/repair. If the airbag is in the seat, it's better to remove than risk it ruining the seat.

In the phaeton, the seat airbag space is shaped to send all of the force through a stitched seam - which perhaps has weaker stitching. It's quite a work of engineering hidden in what looks like a normal, classically shaped seat.

I can explain the electrics in more detail if and when you need.

Do you mean you can get a relay that will reverse positive and negative output depending upon direction of activation current? Or the standard 5 pole relay that switches power from one pole to another? If the latter I don't think it'll work.