Chuck Cole

I got a great deal on a set of S10 Blazer buckets with backs that allow tilt forward, The Drivers side is power and the controls are on the seat. It had a plug receiver underneath with an orange wire and a black one which is smaller gauge like a ground. Is there a good switch off the fuse box? Could it really be as simple as a hot wire and a ground or will it be as fun as every other swap of parts? I also got the console and shifter and it fits nicely. Of course neither of these were made for 1980 GBody, so the brackets I bought were worthless and required a lot of fabricating to fit. The wire must go in before the sound deadener, so I want to take the easy route for once and not by guess and by golly! Tell me it is a simple job after fabricating the seat elevations and baseplate dimensions, The shifter is from a much newer S10, but I am assuming it willwork with the cable length correct. Does anyone know if you can bypass the swtch that locks the shifter, like foot on brakes or some other conspiracy for dummies?. I have a whole bunch of stub wires to bypass and I think I will also need to block it out of one extra gear position. I wish I were young enough to enjoy these adventures still. 70 has made this just a real chore!

Koda

If you're going for a custom add in, I would either get the matching plug or cut it off. The switch probably simply takes 12 VDC from the car and switches it to various motors, then off to ground. The problem is amp draw. If I were to do it, I would add an appropriately fused circuit off the primary power distribution point under the hood to a relay back to the switch, and I would run a ground back out to the engine compartment. I would run the ground on the switch side of relay same way or to wherever the internal fuse box grounds. I would use an empty accessory, if you have one, or an add on fuse for the switch wire for the relay to ignition switched power.

This way, you get power to the seat switch through the relay only when ignition on (which is preferable) but the amp draw is not going through the fuse box.

Chuck Cole

Thank you Koda! That is pretty clear even for a novice. The hardest part for me is standing on my head under the dash...I was never very limber, but now hahahahaaa! I've got plenty of wire, but I will have to get the relay. I'm never sure what the little symbols are for open and closed but it is easy enough through trial and error. I wouldn't know what to do with a volt meter. Since I am the only driver, once it is set for me, it probably won't be adjusted much until the next guy owns it .

matt69olds

Just add the appropriate fuses or circuit breaker.


the only issue with using a relay triggered by an ignition source is the seat won’t move until the ignition is on. Might not be that big a deal since your the only driver, but a car with multiple drivers it will be a inconvenience. My wife is much shorter than I am, it would really suck to have to have the ignition on before the seat would move.

Personally, I’d wire it the way GM did it. Use a 30 amp circuit breaker, that way the seat can move regardless of ignition switch position. Run the breaker off the horn relay stud, that will take the electrical load off the original wiring and fuse box

Chuck Cole

Thanks Matt easier is for me. I am not at all famiiliar with a circuit breaker in a car. I know fuses...and so a relay is a circut breaker? You are talking to a knucklehead. Do I just go to O'Reilly's and ask for a circuit breaker?

matt69olds

Yep, acircyit breaker is basically a fuse that auto resets in case of excessive current draw. Only thing to really pay attention to is the polarity, one stud is labeled “battery” the other labeled “load”. I would think 20 amps would be plenty for a single seat. This particular circuit breaker is about12 bucks at Autozone.

Chuck Cole

Ahh I;ve seen those somewhere...so one last question....where is the circuit breaker in the drawing..."device" or "Positive trigger source" or ????

matt69olds

Ideally, you would have a fuse on both power sources. You absolutely want one on the heavy power cable coming off the horn relay stud. Bad things can happen when a heavy gauge wire touches things you don’t want!! The ignition trigger circuit will most likely already be protected by a fuse.

If your wiring your seat to work independently of the ignition key position, you don’t need the relay. Mount the circuit breaker close to the battery or horn relay, run a heavy wire (I’d say 14 gauge would be enough) from the power source to the battery stud of the circuit breaker. Run another wire from the load side stud to your seat.

Chuck Cole

Thanks Matt, that makes good sense. I need a circuit breaker, some larger gauge wire and an inline fuse. I try to avoid making a welder out of my battery and fires!