How to Install Seat Heating Yourself

Some comfort options are included only in expensive equipment of cars in the lower and middle price segments. Many drivers do not see the point in them, and some owners try to make up for lost time when buying. Seat heating, no matter how you treat it, will raise the level of comfort, and installing it by yourself will also save money.

How seat heating works

The purpose of the seat heating system is as simple as possible - to make your first morning drive in cold weather as comfortable as possible. In addition, the additional heat source will help to maintain a sufficient temperature in the cabin throughout the journey.

Theoretically, such an option can be offered for absolutely any car, new or old, cheap or expensive. Especially if the car is bought in a showroom. However, not every buyer will agree to tick the box "seat heating system" after seeing its dealer price.

However, there are a lot of variants on sale today, a lot of heating kits at a wide range of prices. Any company that deals with automobile electrics can master the production of kits for independent implementation of the desired option. Since the seat heating system is electric.

This is the circuit diagram. Press the button - activates the system, press again - seat heating does not work. The heater power is adjusted either by selecting the mode with the corresponding button or by turning the resistor knob, as in the standard heater control system.

What types of seat heating are available

Before making seat heating with your own hands, it is important to know its types, fundamental differences, characteristics and, after all, the upcoming financial costs. And we do not have much choice.

Covers and capes

The most inexpensive option (from $8), which takes only a few minutes to install the entire system. The principle is the same whether the cover or the cape - it is a soft fabric base, inside which the heating element is sewn, we talked about it.

Naturally, it is necessary to give preference to factory kits with quality execution of each element. Compare the power indicated on the package with the capabilities of the car's electrical system.

As a rule, such schemes can have a capacity from 50 to 120 W, and the possible current consumption sometimes reaches 8-10 Amperes. Therefore, it is necessary to consult an auto electrician, how painless such a scheme of seat heating connection is for a particular car.

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Heated seat cover

Universal seat heating

A complete solution for every type and make of car

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Built into the seat trim

This installation of seat heating involves removing the trim. You will also have to remove the seats themselves. The scheme is simple - remove the standard trim (it can be either leather or fabric), install the heating elements, assemble the electrical circuit, then re-tighten the trim and test.

Take into account that both universal kits and model-specific heaters are available.

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Built-in seat heating

Carbon heater with buttons

Self-assembly kit for seat heating

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There is a lot more work involved, but the possibilities and efficiency of such a heating system are greater. You can choose between two types of heating elements - copper or carbon fiber. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of them:

1. Copper heating element is inexpensive, relatively quickly reaches the maximum heating temperature, and it is higher than that of carbon fiber. However, the service life of the copper heater is shorter and there is a risk of thread breakage under load.
2. Carbon fiber (carbon) is slower to heat up, but cools down quickly (low thermal inertia). The very strong structure of the carbon fiber mat allows it to withstand high loads, it is practically not afraid of overheating, and it lasts for a long time. It is possible to adjust the carbon fiber mat to the required size, damage to one or more cells does not disable the entire element.

The heating pads come with all the necessary hardware, and the price of a kit to heat a pair of seats starts at $46.

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Built-in seat heating

Carbon heater with buttons

Self-assembly kit for seat heating

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Use of heating capes

The cape heater can be useful for those who do not intend to install the system for a long time, as well as for those who just want to test the seat heating system in principle and do not want to understand how the seat heating system works. The low cost makes it possible to experiment with cape heaters.

Installing a heated seat cover does not require any special skills, knowledge or special tools. Both heated seat covers and capes in most cases do not even require a spot connection to the car's electrical system - just plug the ready-made connector into the cigarette lighter and the seat heater is ready to work.

Advantages and disadvantages

Heated capes and covers are quickly installed on almost any seat, and that's not the only argument in their favor:

1. Easy fixation with straps (elastic bands, hooks). Always removable for cleaning or for the warm season.
2. The cape is suitable not only for a car, but also for home or office. However, a 12 V power adapter is required.
3. If maintenance or repairs are needed, there is no need to remove the seat, no need to reupholster the upholstery.
4. No modifications to the on-board electrical system are required for installation.
5. Large assortment makes it possible to choose covers for cars of different brands.

Covers and capes have downsides as well:

1. The cigarette lighter socket is constantly busy, and sometimes you need to connect a phone charger, recorder, navigator.
2. The power cable is located directly in the cabin, it is difficult to hide it.
3. Limited power, and if two sets are on, the power is split in half. This is why seat heating is harmful for cars with a low-power alternator.
4. Low reliability.
5. The cape or cover must not be washed, only dry cleaned.
6. Limited choice in design, sometimes difficult to match a particular interior.
7. Heated rear seat is excluded by default.

How to install seat heating on your own

Almost by all parameters in the battle between heating capes and built-in elements the latter wins. Especially since you don't have to have a huge experience of an auto electrician to install it, but self-installation will help you save about $35-60. This is how much it costs to have the system professionally installed without the cost of the kit.

Preparing for seat heating installation

The basic kit for integrated heating usually includes these items:

• pads for seats and lower backrest area with contact pads for connection;
• a set of wires with connectors;
• thermostat, fuse housing, relay;
• installation tools depending on the manufacturer (ties, double-sided tape, clamps, corrugations);
• heater control unit for installation in the door card, front panel or directly on the seat frame.

Of course, you will need some tools - a set of screwdrivers, a set of heads, a wire stripper, a crimper, a construction knife, and a screwdriver with a set of drill bits. Perhaps a soldering iron if you need to shorten or lengthen the wiring.

If you have all this at hand, you can start preparing without missing anything:

1. If the vehicle is equipped with side airbags, their control unit must be deactivated. To do this, remove the negative terminal from the battery.
2. Wait about 10-20 minutes for the airbag unit to deactivate.
3. Locate and disconnect the side cushion terminals. Their location depends on the vehicle model.

But, for me personally, it is easier to remove the battery terminal than to disconnect the airbags. It is recommended to start with the minus terminal for safety. But, in principle, it makes no difference which one is more convenient. When disconnecting the "plus" terminal of the first, the main thing is not to short-circuit with the "minus" or the body. In general, if the ignition is not switched on, you can safely remove the seats without disconnecting the battery.

Now we can get to work.

Seat removal

The mounting of the front seats varies from model to model, but in most cases the seat sleds are bolted to the cage nuts in the body. To get to them, most likely, you will have to carefully remove the plastic decorative panels.

It is also better to get rid of decorative elements in the area of the center tunnel in order not to damage them with the seat slides. After removing the seat belts, if they are in the way, the seats can be carefully removed from the passenger compartment.

Removing the upholstery

In some models, the seat cushion is attached to the frame separately. In this case, find the screws that secure it and remove it from the frame. Now it remains to find out the way of tensioning the cushion cover - in some cars it is fastened with the help of rings that need to be cut off, in some cars the rings can be bent and then bent with narrow pliers (duckbill), in inexpensive models a tie cord is used. It is enough to loosen it, then the upholstery of the cushion can be easily removed.

We do the same with the backrest trim, but it is not necessary to remove it completely, it is enough to turn it upwards as much as possible. Do not touch the headrest and its mounting brackets, they will not interfere.

Installation of heating elements

First of all, let's try the heating mat on the seat padding. The heating mat must lie flat on the flat part of the padding and not protrude beyond its borders. If the seat has side support, the heating pad will have to be trimmed to avoid fractures during use.

The heater can be fixed in several ways depending on the type of seat. The most common method is fixing with special double-sided tape, which comes with the heater. Before fixing the padding to the seat padding it is necessary to thoroughly clean the surface from dust and, if possible, degrease it.

Installation of wiring

When installing the vehicle wiring, the golden rule is that the wiring must be of a length with a small reserve and must not be stretched in any way. As long as the seats are removed, the wiring can be laid without any hassle.

Pay attention to the routing of the wire or harness - do not lay the wire on sharp elements or where it may fray.

Naturally, we have already thought about the place where the wiring harness will be placed. Most likely, it will be the center tunnel. Firstly, it is the shortest way to the front panel, and secondly, there is minimal risk of the wire getting pinched or frayed in this place.

Each seat heating kit should have a wiring diagram. There may be characteristic nuances in any of them, but in any case the system will be powered from the ignition switch. It is highly desirable to run the system power supply through a fuse of appropriate rating.

There are reserve cells in the car's relay and fuse mounting block, where we will connect the seat heating fuse. Thus, from the ignition switch the power will go first to the mounting block with the new fuse, and from there directly to the heater control unit. This is a short-circuit protection.

The control unit itself (buttons, rheostats depending on the heating kit configuration) can be located either on the center console or on the front panel. It depends on where there is space and where it is more convenient to reach for system activation and control.

Most likely, you will have to drill holes for the control unit or cut it out of the plastic panel. When all elements of the system are in place, connect them with wires. Before installing the seats, it is advisable to check the entire circuit with a multimeter for short circuits and operability.

Assembly and installation of seats

The upholstery of the seats and their assembly are performed in the reverse order. If the mounting rings had to be cut off, they can be replaced with plastic ties during installation. In other cases, the standard fasteners are used to install the upholstery. The seat upholstery has an individual design for each vehicle model. Once the upholstery has been installed, the seats can be installed in the passenger compartment and their skids attached to the body.

The seats are installed, now it remains to connect the contact pads of the heating elements and other systems, if any (airbags, electric drive).

Checking heated seats and their operation

After assembling the heating system it is necessary to perform an initial performance test. Put the battery terminal in place, turn on the ignition and wait for some time without starting the engine. The Check Engine may be illuminated for the first few minutes. Until the SRS system reinitializes the airbags.

After that you can start the engine and turn on the heating system. The heating elements must work evenly, if the system has power regulation, it is necessary to check the operation of each stage, starting with the most powerful one.

It should be taken into account that there are a lot of consumers in the on-board electrical system. The performance of seat heating will directly depend on their number and total power. This can be either a multimedia system, recorder, navigator or more powerful consumers, such as fog lights.

When operating the system, it is important to remember that the heater may only be switched on if someone is sitting on the seat. No foreign objects, especially heavy ones, may be placed on the heater when it is running. There are a number of other mandatory operating rules:

• It is strongly discouraged to wet the heated seat liberally during interior cleaning;
• operating the system with the engine stopped can quickly discharge the battery;
• If there are any unusual odors or sounds associated with the heater, it must be de-energized immediately;
• it is not recommended to use the maximum heating mode for a long time, this is a guarantee that the heating mat will last a long time;
• the average time of heating element warming up to operating temperature in mounted form is up to 15 s, however, the efficiency of the system depends on the generator power and side load on the electrical system, as well as the thickness of the seat trim.

System maintenance needs to be done regularly, just like chassis, battery, and engine maintenance.

How to choose a seat heater for your car

As you can see, installing a full-fledged seat heating system is far from the only option to improve comfort in the cabin in the cold season, although it is the most effective and reliable. From the financial point of view, it is the most expensive way. For example, for the installation of the system, including its cost, the company can ask up to $120-150 for two seats.

A heated cape or cover is much cheaper. Here the price range is quite large, from 8 to 60 dollars for a cape or cover. The price also depends on the equipment and the number of functions of the system. This option is suitable for those who are not convinced of the effectiveness of heating or are not financially mature enough for a full-fledged installation. There is a more radical method. For example, buying a seat with standard heated seats from the dismantling. True, and here you will have to refine the electrical system to specify how to connect seat heating. But we have a guaranteed high-quality assembly and a durable, reliable system.

Frequently Asked Questions