P2 seat swap - Is it straight forward?

[scot850]

I like the P2 XC70's but for me the seats in those and the base XC90's are just plain awful. In both cases, P2 cars were offered with what I call the 'sports' seats which have more of a bucket and much improved seat base bolsters which keep my damaged tailbone from being the point load.

There is a set of these seats for sale locally, so I was thinking about picking them up and then keeping an eye out for a late P2 XC70. The seats are from a 2005 V70.

Neil.

[DavidE7]

You will need a copy of Vida and Dice interface for programming the occupant detection for the SRS on the passenger seat if you swap both seats. I swap the seat module with the car to keep things simple. There were software changes in different model years and refresh cycles that make the seat module incompatible if the part numbers are different. VIDA will report a problem if it is incompatible. Make sure the donor car has heated seats if you want that feature in the XC70.

Those were the only problems when I upgraded my wife's 2007 V70 manual passenger seat with a power seat and replaced the driver seat with one that didn't have a busted open airbag seam.

[scot850]

I have Vida. The seats up here are nearly all heated options, I don't think I have seen any without it. They would both also be powered swapped for powered. I guess I will find out if I decide to go that route. Currently the seller has a stupid price on the front seat pair so I will see if they will take a significantly lower price as there is a pair of S60/V70R seats for sale at $250 which is still way higher than junkyard prices.

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

I also have friends at the Volvo dealer I will ask for help from.

Neil.

[vtl]

I don't know if it's V70 vs XC70 or facelift vs pre-facelift, but seats in 02 V70 were up and above of those in 05 XC70. My tail bone suffers in 05 XC70 on a long tide, to a point that giant mushy seats in Toyota Tundra are more comfortable. Can drive 300+ miles in those, which is straight impossible in Volvo. Don't quite remember the experience, but Boston to Buffalo in V70 wasn't sadomasochistic.

May be I just got fatter than slimmer and sportier 15-years-ago me was...

[scot850]

Well on the fatter issue that is no question in my case, but since lower back damage at 15 and seat that has no thigh support to take the pressure off that area is an issue. A P80 seat I have driven up to 1100km in a day with no issues. A P2 Xc70, maybe 300 at a push before having to stop and walk around. My only ever new car a 2001 Honda Oddity minivan, less than 150km. That seat I had a vehicle upholsterer modify by removing the cloth cover and adding in more seat foam in a firm wedge into both sides front to back making thigh support. They then refitted the original cover and steamed it to make it fit. That seat then worked fine.

The earlier seat in my young friends 02 XC70 were better for sure. The later 05-07? are garbage. Even tried a P3 XC90 T6 and it's seats reminded me of a flat kitchen chair made of wood.

Thanks for the 'support' fellow sufferer!

Neil.

[vtl]

Yeah, I drove slightly over 1000 *miles* in one day in 05 XC70, and I was dead. The seat stops blood circulation in butt and legs, no matter how you adjust it. Thick neoprene covers like WetOkole may help with that. But weight support and distribution is still weird in this seat, I always get a hernia comeback after driving for a few hours in the only remaining Volvo I have. In 02 I was falling asleep, so comfortable the seat was.

Weight was not a problem long ago, before hernia, when I did a lot of MTB. 05 seats were still bad back then

2016 XC60 Platinum (top of the line) seats were garbage, even worse one.

Volvo lost its mind.

[scot850]

That is good to know. I had considered a first gen XC60, but they can not fit 2 sets of golf clubs into the back with cars without lowering the back seats. I can get 4 sets in our 06 XC70, 00 V70R and our 03 Toyota 4Runner. The newer gen XC60 is slightly out of my price range but the seats look better. Not tried them yet.

Got a note back from the service manager I know at Volvo. They naturally have not done this type of swap, but he believes it may be possible although perhaps some functions my not work. Swapping the seat modules may be possible and may work. I guess I won't know until I know. Naturally I will update as well. Funnily I was talking to my buddy who recently sold his 03 XC70. He bought a lower mileage 07 XC70/ He said the seats in the 03 are much better than the 07.

Oh the joys!

Neil.