Installing new seats in your car can have a number of benefits - including improving comfort, appearance and driving experience (letting you 'feel the road' better).

Aside from these plus-points, you might simply want to get rid of those old cat-hair-covered recliners that your car currently has!

Thankfully, swapping out old car seats with new ones is a relatively straightforward task - and certainly simpler than a lot of DIY car jobs.

Your new set of seats should include all the brackets and allen keys required to do the job. You will also need an adjustable wrench, and some old blankets for placing your seats on - to avoid damage.

 

Disconnect seat belt warning wires

There may be a wire from the dashboard leading to the seat. This is likely to be connected to the seat belt system, or to pressure pads in the seat - both of which determine if the seat belt warning light should go on. There may also be wires for the seat heater, if one is fitted. Carefully disconnect these wires, as they will need to be refitted to the new seats, assuming they have these features.

 

Remove the four bolts on the old seat

Each front car seat is connected to the chassis with four bolts. Remove these and the seat can be lifted out. Make sure you keep the old bolts safe - as you will need these when fitting the new seats.

 

Vacuum the floor

This is a rare chance to vacuum the floor of your car while there are no front seats in it!

 

Transfer seat belt components

Lay down the old and the new seats upside down on a blanket and carefully transfer over the seat belt components. With the seats next to each other you'll easily see where each piece goes.

Use plastic cable ties to hold in any loose wires after transfer.

Your new car seats should have all the necessary bolts.

A few days after installation, it's a good idea to check the tightness of the bolts.

 

Install the new seats

Fit the new seats, attaching all four bolts on each seat. Use the same bolts that connected the old seats.

Take care you do not get injured by the sliding components that jut out from the seat!