[knaffie]

I bought a kit and it arrived today. In the instructions, it says "The heating elements cannot be installed over an Occupant Detection System." And I believe that would be the passenger seat, right?

I seem to remember seeing other people on here that have installed heated seats with no issues. Should I proceed with the install or return the product?

 

[B Slater]

I would think as long as the heating element isn't right on top of the occupant sensor, i.e.- touching it, you should be ok. I don't think they want a 130 degree heating pad directly on top of the sensor. The only problem is that you would have to rip the seat apart to see where the sensor is. If it is on the bottom you are golden.

 

[Newf]

I put heated seats in last weekend and I only put the seat back in the passengers seat - I didnt put one in for the bottom part of the seat for this very reason. Sure it will "probably" work OK and the supplier says not to do just to cover their asses but I didnt want to risk it.

Newf

 

[X11]

how much did the kit you guys got run you? I would like to do this mod.

also, what do the controls look like? can they fit in the empty dash buttons?

I'm worried about cheezy switches.

Over the course of the winter, were you happy with them??

sorry for 21 questions!!

Thanks!!

 

[willgr1]

i had one of these kits in my last car (had leather seats, got very cold in the winter)...it worked well, factory heated seats got much hotter thou. Easy to install, switches were nickel sized three way round switches. don't remember the prices, but i think it was betwee 150 and 200.

 

[knaffie]

Defintely love mine. They heat up super fast - way faster than the X makes warm air. I put the switches in the center console, right under where you lift up for storage. Tapped into the power for the cigarette lighter in the center console - double fused this way. I got mine on ebay, they were the ones advertising waterproof that nobody else did. Also had good luck with checkcorp in the past.

FYI, the occupant detection system thing in the X is an air bladder UNDER the cushion, so adding the seat heaters will not affect this.

The install took a full day with two competent guys. Cut the shit out of my hands on the seat frame - VERY sharp metal in there. Luckily, the blood didn't stain my seat fabric.

Also very important you have the type of heaters you can cut the elemets and it didn't matter. The X seats have hog rings that hold the fabric in place. Have fun with those too - its a bitch! Two people is almost a must on this project.

You also get to see how my french fries are under your seats. :lol:

 

[X11]

Defintely love mine. They heat up super fast - way faster than the X makes warm air. I put the switches in the center console, right under where you lift up for storage. Tapped into the power for the cigarette lighter in the center console - double fused this way. I got mine on ebay, they were the ones advertising waterproof that nobody else did. Also had good luck with checkcorp in the past.

FYI, the occupant detection system thing in the X is an air bladder UNDER the cushion, so adding the seat heaters will not affect this.

The install took a full day with two competent guys. Cut the shit out of my hands on the seat frame - VERY sharp metal in there. Luckily, the blood didn't stain my seat fabric.

Also very important you have the type of heaters you can cut the elemets and it didn't matter. The X seats have hog rings that hold the fabric in place. Have fun with those too - its a bitch! Two people is almost a must on this project.

You also get to see how my french fries are under your seats. :lol:

awesome info knaffie, thanks! and glad to know about the passenger seat detector being a bladder. When I do the mod I'll post pics for anyone else that might want to try this

 

[knaffie]

FYI, for those hog rings, we found a pair of little bent-nose needle nose pliers works best for getting ahold of them. Them MUST be little, as the hog rings are only about 3/8" or less in diameters.


http://www.micro-tools.com/store/images/items/32748_l.jpg

 

[X11]

FYI, for those hog rings, we found a pair of little bent-nose needle nose pliers works best for getting ahold of them. Them MUST be little, as the hog rings are only about 3/8" or less in diameters.


http://www.micro-tools.com/store/images/items/32748_l.jpg

your the man knaffie, thanks for all the great tips!

 

[Space_Shuttle]

has anyone done a how-to writeup (with pics!) on these heated seat kits yet?

ok ok, maybe i will do it.

it'll be a good xmas vacation project...

 

[knaffie]

Its not hard, just time-consuming. Pull the seats out. Remove the seat covers. Install the heaters. Put the covers back on. Complete the wiring in the vehicle (I tapped into the power for the cigarette lighter plug in the center console). Mount the switches (I put the on the front side of the center console). Put the seats back in, plug the wires in and enjoy the heat.

 

[Walrus]

Yep, put heaters in myself 2 winters ago. Works fine on the passenger seat, seat belt light still flashes when someone is in the seat and takes off their belt with the truck on.

For the hog rings I just used regular side cutters. Didn't have to be special small ones. I also didn't have to trim the heater element.

Get the Cobraheat ones from ebay: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Seat-Heater-Car-...ryZ33701QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I paid almost $200 for them 2 years ago direct from Cobraheat. This past March I bought another set for $75, from Cobraheat but off ebay (above link) and put them in wife's Mazda3.

Side note - the fuses that came with the set I put in the Mazda were cheap, and didn't work - the tabs could be wiggled. I put new fuses in and then the seats worked.

 

[Space_Shuttle]

just ordered em...

Yep, just order the kits from Cobraheat on ebay...$125 shipped from Cincinnati!

If i get them by this weekend, i will do a full installation writeup with pix...stand by...

oh, and the hog rings...how many are there and where?

i just read in another forum that you can substitute heavy zip ties in place of them...sounded kinda bootleg, but i love me some zip ties!

cheers,
j.

 

[Walrus]

Correct, you replace the metal hog rings with plastic zip ties, so the metal rings don't short out the seat (man this seat is hot!).

As to where they are, on the seat bottom - there is the flat section you sit on, and then side bolsters for your thighs... at this transition from the flat to the bolster, the fabric has a crease. The hog rings are holding the crease down against a plastic rod. The same goes for the seat back.

You'll see them after you peel back the fabric from the seat. And as stated before, watch the sheet metal edges on the seat bottom stamping... I had blood everywhere from a cut I didn't even notice on the side of my hand.

 

[Space_Shuttle]

wow, i didn't even consider that little electrical fact...i suppose they could short out to the seat, especially with my bad luck! i had enough burning, smoking electrical issues with my Land Rover. i won't tempt fate!

So, are there any tricks that you would have done differently in hindsight? other than your severed hand...hehe.

i had some i couldn't tell whether or not the Cobraheat kit has self-adhesive or if i need to use some 3M spray. also, are those zip ties noticeable through the upholstery? im sure you can bury them into the foam. i guess it's going to be hard to get the whole picture until i actually pull the fabric back.

thanks for all the input, team! hopefully i will have em in soon.

cheers,
j.

 

[Walrus]

The Cobraheat ones come with double sided tape already attached.

Remove the seats entirely from the truck. Then I think I had to unbolt the seat bottom from the track.

Zip ties are not noticeable, because they pull the seam of the seat fabric down into a slit in the seat foam.

 

[Space_Shuttle]

ok, one last question for ya...

the instructions state that you CAN trim the pads for length, but then also say that you should never cut where there is adhesive tape...well if you trim off the one end, you basically HAVE to cut where the tapeis. Obviously not the end with the power lead going into it, but the other end. Can it just be trimmed off horizontally between the two parallel leads? i am thinking that the back pad needs to be trimmed to fit the tapered seatback, as well.

i dunno...maybe i'm just overthinking this whole thing.

nah, screw it! i'm diving into it first thing in the morning!!!

thanks so much for all the input...i can tell it's gonna help me alot!

cheers,
j.

 

[Walrus]

I didn't trim. I think you can cut horizontally, just not lengthwise. For the seatback, put it all the way up to the crease, and then at the bottom where there is too much, it'll wrap around the bottom a little but be fully inside the seat fabric.

Pull out the fuses they came with and wiggle the metal tabs away and together - like splitting a turkey wishbone. If they are the cheap fuses that wiggle too much, replace them. The passenger heater in my Mazda3 didn't work because of a bad fuse.

 

[Space_Shuttle]

heh, oddly enough, mine didn't come with fuses. i have a ton of fuses and holders that i have laying around here, so it's not an issue, but thanks for the heads-up...nothing like crappy electrical parts. blargh.

well, the heaters are installed in the seats, but i ran out of daylight and time last night to finish the wiring. they look completely discrete and you couldn't tell by looking that anything had ever been changed! i just hope they heat up after all is said and done...hehe.

I took plenty of pix, so i should be doing my writeup soon...

cheers,
j.

 

[Skorpion600]

Now did u install these under your cloth seats? i was just wondering if this was possible.