Removing and installing seat — VW
Removing and installing seat on VW: 29 steps, 14 torque figures. What to remove, what to tighten and to how many Nm, what to check after.
A front seat with side airbag, removed and refitted on the platform codes A32 and A33. The seat is run fully forward and up to reach bolts 3 and 4 at the rear, then fully back for the front ones; the battery is disconnected before the coupling station under the seat is opened. Discharge yourself by touching the body before handling airbag wiring, and connect airbag adapter VAS 6282 to the side airbag harness while the seat is out. Lift the seat by its frame rather than by the belt buckle, levers or trims. On refit, the seat drops onto its locating pins on the tunnel side and each bolt goes to 40 Nm. A damaged thread in the seat cross member mounting plate cannot be repaired; the plate has to be replaced.
🧭 Before you start
Remove the drawer, run the seat forward and up and remove the rear bolts, then run it back and disconnect the battery. Open the coupling station, discharge static and fit airbag adapter VAS 6282, remove the front bolts and lift the seat out tilted rearwards. Refit onto the locating pins, tighten the bolts to 40 Nm, remove the adapter, reconnect the harnesses and, with nobody inside, reconnect the battery.
Fits: platform codes A32, A33
Don't miss
- Touch the body or door striker to discharge static before disconnecting airbag wiring.
- Never carry the seat by the belt buckle, adjustment levers or trim panels.
- Tighten each seat bolt to 40 Nm.
- A damaged thread in the seat cross member mounting plate means replacing the plate; reworking it is prohibited.
- Make sure nobody is in the vehicle when the battery is reconnected.
Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.
🔩 Torque settings
Values can differ between engine variants — check the code stamped on your block.
| Torque | Fastener / step |
|---|---|
| 4 Nm (3.0 lb-ft) | Unscrew bolt (1 |
| 4 Nm (3.0 lb-ft) | Unscrew bolt (2 |
| 4 Nm (3.0 lb-ft) | Unscrew bolt (3 |
| 4 Nm (3.0 lb-ft) | Unscrew bolt (4 |
| 40 Nm (30 lb-ft) | Tighten bolt (1 |
| 40 Nm (30 lb-ft) | Tighten bolt (2 |
| 40 Nm (30 lb-ft) | Tighten bolt (3 |
| 40 Nm (30 lb-ft) | Tighten bolt (4 |
| 40 Nm (30 lb-ft) | Undo and remove bolts (1) and (3 |
| 40 Nm (30 lb-ft) | Undo and remove bolts (2) and (4 |
| 50 Nm (37 lb-ft) | Tighten front, sill-side bolt (4 |
| 50 Nm (37 lb-ft) | Tighten front, tunnel-side bolt (1 |
| 50 Nm (37 lb-ft) | Tighten rear, sill-side bolt (3 |
| 50 Nm (37 lb-ft) | Tighten rear, tunnel-side bolt (2 |
ℹ️ Always cross-check the exact figure against your vehicle's factory manual before final tightening — a wrong torque can damage the engine. These values are extracted from workshop data and may not cover every variant or revision.
📋 Procedure
- ⚠ Follow safety precautions when working on airbag. — Remove drawer, if there is one, from seat.
- Move seat to foremost position using longitudinal adjustment mechanism.
- Move seat to uppermost position using height adjustment mechanism.
- Unscrew bolts (3) and (4).
- Unscrew bolts (3) and (4) using door alignment tool3320 or bit XZN 10T10154.
- Move seat to rearmost position using longitudinal adjustment mechanism.
- Disconnect vehicle battery Electrical system27Battery; Disconnecting and reconnecting battery.
- Remove covering cap/floor covering of coupling station.
- ⚠ Electrostatic discharges may result in unintentional triggering of airbag. Therefore, the mechanic must electrostatically discharge him/herself before disconnecting wiring. This can be done by briefly touching the body or striker plate of the door. — Depending on vehicle equipment, disconnect connectors of seat on coupling station.
- Connect airbag adapterVAS 6282 to wiring harness of side airbag (5).
- Remove bolts (1) and (2)
- ⚠ If seat is lifted out of vehicle or transported, it must not, in order to prevent damage, be gripped by attached parts such as belt buckle, lever for seat longitudinal adjustment, lever for seat height adjustment or seat trim panels. — Tilt seat towards rear, and lay it onto rear bench seat.
- Remove seat.
- Lift seat into vehicle through front door opening.
- Lift seat into respective openings in floor and onto locating pins on tunnel side.
- Tighten bolt (1) (40 Nm). — 40 Nm (30 lb-ft)
- Tighten bolt (2) (40 Nm). — 40 Nm (30 lb-ft)
- ⚠ If, when installing a seat a thread in seat cross member mounting plate is damaged, reworking damaged threads is prohibited! In this case, the seat cross member mounting plate must be replaced. — Replace seat cross member mounting plate concerned 51.
- Remove airbag adapterVAS 6282.
- Engage side airbag wiring harness (5) in coupling station.
- Depending on vehicle equipment, secure all other wiring harnesses in coupling station.
- Fit covering cap/floor covering of coupling station.
- Insert drawer, if there is one, into seat.
- Switch on ignition.
- ⚠ Ensure that nobody is in vehicle. — Connect vehicle battery Electrical system27Battery; Disconnecting and connecting battery.
- Move seat to foremost position using longitudinal adjustment mechanism.
- Tighten bolt (3) (40 Nm). — 40 Nm (30 lb-ft)
- Tighten bolt (4) (40 Nm). — 40 Nm (30 lb-ft)
- ⚠ If, when installing a seat a thread in seat cross member mounting plate is damaged, reworking damaged threads is prohibited! In this case, the seat cross member mounting plate must be replaced. — Replace seat cross member mounting plate concerned 51.
Other VW procedures
- Removing engine · 41 torque figures
- Removing and installing camshaft – VW Golf Cabriolet · 47 torque figures
- Adjusting valve timing – VW Passat B5 · 83 torque figures
- Removing and installing camshafts – VW Passat B6 · 39 torque figures
- Removing and installing coolant pump · 53 torque figures
- Removing and installing vane pump, 8-cylinder petrol and diesel engine
- Check steering system for leaks
- Renewing oil seal for front propshaft output flange (transfer box without flange)
- Renewing seal for propshaft flange on front final drive – VW
- Removing and installing front propshaft (joint with bolted connection on one side)
Who makes these pages, and how
TorqFix was built by a mechanic — after a 2,700 km drive with five roadside repairs that no diagnostic tool could explain.
The figures on this page come from manufacturer workshop documentation and are shown as they are. The page is assembled automatically from that data — it is not written by an AI. The AI works in the chat, where it answers for your specific car. It writes nothing here.
Variants of the same model differ. Cross-check torque against the factory manual for your engine before final tightening.
Seen a figure that does not match your manual? Write to us — we correct it and note when. support@torqfix.com
The story behind TorqFix →Workshop data on this page last updated 20 Sep 2026.