Heated seats prissy? Probably.

[Probesport]

Installing heated seats in my 1988 Waggy.

This is most likely considered pris so I figured this is the best spot for it. After going EFI, adding keyless entry and remote start I figure the next logical step is heated seats. I picked up a very affordable kit from the auction site ($30) and set to work.

I also had some seat issues. The drivers seat was the only one working but was slow and lumbering. I had to fix the wiring to the passenger side and some connectors, while in there I also cleaned up, repaired, and lubricated the seat frames.

The set I bought came with 4 pads (backs and bottoms for both fronts), switch, and harness. It did not come with instructions but it's pretty easy to figure out.

RED - CONS 12v+
BLACK - GROUND
PINK - IGN SW 12v+
WHITE - LIGHT SIGNAL



First step, figure out where to put the switch. I didn't want it to look out of place nor cut into something I could regret later. The blank spot on the A/C vent housing seemed to be my best bet. There are many options for kits and switches out there, I went with this one for simplicity and style.











Directly below the face plate, the lower access panel is where I ran the harness out.



For the seats there are a few ways to tackle it. On the passenger side I did it by the book, pulling back the skins, cutting every single hog-ring , putting pads on and then re-ringing everything. On the drivers side, I tried to see the least amount I could do. After doing both, I like the shortcuts so I will speak to that.

Separate the seat from the track/base. This will allow you to get to all of the hogrings and then you can clean and lube the base off of the seat.
Seat base removed and cleaned.



Cutting hogrings



Pull back just enough of the cover so that you can slide the pads in. They are cloth and very flexible. Think of putting a pillow in a pillow-case for this method. Worked out just fine.



I ran the leads from the pads on the bottom seat to the front and on the back to the bottom. This has them coming out of opposite ends of the base.



Now onto wiring fixing....

Seat control switch pack damaged and repaired.





Damaged wiring - not shown the melted, flattened wiring under the carpet. Also replaced.







Some of the repaired wiring





A nicked wire, easy fix





Replace hogrings, Reassemble seats and bases, plug everything in, test power functions, and bolt seats back down.

Installing and finalizing wiring







Done!





Works great, especially with the corduroy centers, heats up quickly. So with EFI, remote start and heated seats I looking forward to our last stretch of winter.

[ShagWagon]

Pretty cool!

What's the setup out of? Or is it a new universal or something aftermarket?

[Probesport]

New, universal aftermarket.

[8man]

Please post the source and name. That is cool and I know the wife would love it.

[Probesport]

I got mine off of eBay, just look for heated seat kit and find the one you like for your setup. There are many, many out there with different configurations and switches. Some have on-off settings, some are hi-lo-off, this one has a 1-5 dial setting. I did the hi-low-off in my old TJ and sometimes hi was just way too much so I decided I wanted some more settings this time around. This morning I started out on 5 but after a few minutes, it was too much, I dropped it down to 3 for the rest of my commute.

Here is the specific one I purchased.

[cma]

Nice write up!

Next step could be a heated steering wheel

[Probesport]

I've thought of a heated steering wheel, but I'm going to have to make one for it to look right. Would also like to get in some radio controls when I do that task. I think my next luxury will a heated washer tank.

Here are some daylight pics of the switch install.

[Heavy_Metal_Thunder_81]

Very clean install. Love it.

[ShagWagon]

Vented seats in case your back gets sweaty are kinda nice.

And heated and cooled cup holders. Can't go wrong there...

[Geminiroq]

Nice stuff!!!

[Crist Clapper]

Beautifully done! So much attention to details... Kudos!

[Probesport]

Thanks, they have been a welcome addition. The past few days here I have come to appreciate them.

[ZackN920]

Just stumbled on to this. Looks good. So, how are they holding up after 2 years?

[Probesport]

They have been working fine, I still haven't done the rears yet but I plan on it at some point.

[kansasboy001]

What kind of light bulbs are you using for your interior lights? They look really bright

[Probesport]

Those are older and not so great pics, but they are all LED bulbs. I've gone through a couple iterations of them.

[Geminiroq]

I love it!!!!

Hmmmm....wondering how I can incorporate this into my 79 Cherk to look period correct?

[rws31]

Dang. I never even knew these kits existed. Thanks for bringing this back up. Might have to look into it.

[Shep 762]

I've installed a similar universal kit (from amazon) in my wifes corolla, it's been like 3 years and she reminds me every winter how much she loves them. Highly recommended mod on any car really, gotta take care of those buns