How to Wire-up "Elite Edition" Interior Seats on your 04-08 Maxima

Member Credit: Charles Downer

Tools & Materials Needed

REMOVING OLD SEATS:

Remove bottom of rear seats held in by 4 tabs directly under that can be pulled for a quick release…that section slides out after release
Remove bolts (14MM) that are holding the back part of the rear seats then remove the rest of the seats
Get rid of the middle seat belt held in by (14MM) bolts as well
Take off the seat brackets and bar for the original seats held in by (14MM) bolts
Remove the pillars held in with clips holding in the rear deck
Pry up the rear deck held in by clips as well and remove black tape covering holes meant for rear window shade

WIRING UP THE SEATS AND SHADE

The front armrest will have to be pulled as well to get access to the front buttons and install the rear deck shade button in between the heated seats buttons (04-06 only). The harness for the rear deck shade is already there even if your car does not come with the elite package…the plug is taped off with gray electrical tape to the side.
To wire up the elite package you have to splice into the front seat harness…mostly color matching until you come across 2/3 wires that do not match anything…these are power wires (white/black on the rear deck shade…light blue on the rear heated seats…red/green on the original harness)
If the harness isn’t long enough to reach the front you will have to buy additional wire and extend it. The rear deck shade harness can be spliced into the rear heated seats harness and the rear heated seats harness into the front heated seats harness. Be sure to solder it or tape everything up nicely so it can work properly.
Before putting everything back together test and see that things are working properly.

PUTTING THE ELITE PACKAGE TOGETHER

Remove the old rear vents from the back of the front armrest and install the one for the elite package
Install the seat plate/bracket bolted in by about 8 (14MM) bolts
Install the seat & armrest bar bolted in by about 3/4 (14MM) bolts
Install the rear deck shade bolt it in with 4 10MM bolts…2 of them are pretty difficult to get in due to lack of space…I got them all in but the 2 right spaced ones are only about halfway in
Reinstall rear deck for elite package & rear shade
Reinstall pillars that hold in rear deck
Install rear seats that sit on the hooks on seat plate installed earlier…also bolted in on the bottom…2 bolts per seat
Install rear armrest which slides directly into the back of the front armrest
Install side panels for armrest popped in by clips
Install side bolsters which fills the gaps between the seats and door moldings
Install the bottom of the rear seats