2004 XLS Seat Swap

[kroehm1972]

My wife and I own a 2004 Explorer XLS. The front seats are just awfully uncomfortable. The Driver's seat has been broken since it's purchase about 2 years ago and does not recline and is stuck in it's furthest upright position. My being 6' 2" find it quite annoying on 150 mile trips to visit our friends down south. I would like to be able to replace the seats with leather ones but they all seem to be a powered drivers seat. What would it take to get a powered leather seat to operate in this vehicle? I have attempted to search these forums and have come up with wrong generation information and even then it was only one post. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Number4]

First, look at your fuse boxes. Are the spots that activate the seat empty? Sometimes its a shared fuse too.
Ford, in my experience at least with the Explorers, uses one common wiring harness. From this harness they use "Jumpers" which give access to the add ons. Like powered seats.
So, it's possible that all you need to do, is get the jumper harness and the powered seat and you'd be good to go.

I'll have to look at my Electrical book for my 04 tonight. If I remember. Say 7pm eastern time if you reply.

 

[kroehm1972]

That would be great but I have no wires going to under the seat so would I need a harness for the seats? Is it possible to just remove the motors from the new seats and just use the manual rails from the old seats? I'm looking at all possibilities. Eventually I'll take a trip to a couple of Junk Yards and have a look around. Also, do the seats have to come from an explorer? Like, if I wanted the front seats from an Expedition, could I make those work? I'm kind of desperate here...Thanks for your help.

 

[Number4]

It doesn't appear to use a jumper here. It looks like it's wired straight back to the interior junction box. You could put in seats, but you'd probably need to completely aftermarket wire them.

So the seats are 'hot at all times.' You could get seats from a wrecking yard. Grab the connector harness with as much wire at the same time. Then splice and extend the wire and run your own circuit.

This is what I'd do. First though, I'd try to run it oe. May not be possible, or easily possible.

 

[Yellow Jacket]

Power seat wiring

It doesn't appear to use a jumper here. It looks like it's wired straight back to the interior junction box. You could put in seats, but you'd probably need to completely aftermarket wire them.

So the seats are 'hot at all times.' You could get seats from a wrecking yard. Grab the connector harness with as much wire at the same time. Then splice and extend the wire and run your own circuit.

This is what I'd do. First though, I'd try to run it oe. May not be possible, or easily possible.

So did this ever pan out...do the wires that exist supply the needed current if you want to upgrade and put in power seats from a wrecking yard?