DIY Heated Seats?

[mra32]

The lumina takes forever to heat up and this is with a 1.5 year old heater core. It was slow to heat up when the heater core was new. Maybe the new radiator will change things but I've started to think about heated seats.

 

Now I know Al is the king of heated seats conversions, but for this I think I may go another route. From what I have understood, Al gets the heating pads from cars in the junkyard, presumably the same seats that are to be retrofitted, just with the heating option. If this is incorrect, please correct me.

 

I was thinking of taking another step back and just simply using wire. This is what guys who build their own heated gear for motorcycle use do. They use 30 AWG wire and just use about 30 feet of it to get the correct resistance. The reason i want to go this route is because I dont think there were ever heated 9C3 Recaros. I was thinking I could just take off the covers, make some slits in the foam with a razor and drop the wire in. 30 feet would probably be enough for both the top and bottom.

 

Basically, I'm looking for reasons not to go this route. How much are the seat heating elements and do you think they would fit the Recaros? If not, do you think I could easily adjust them?

 

What about the switches/controllers. What do they look like?

[AL]

When I do my conversions I use a drivers seat cover (since the leather is simply just a cover over the foam part) and I do that because the elements are built into the seat... They have the switch by the shifter on the gps that controls the resistance to the relay under the seat... I have thought about doing rear heated seats by cutting out the heated element in the seat cover and tucking under the rear seat cover and then running the wiring and switchs somewhere... That is why I posted interest in the Monte seats from 91luminaeuro because those seats aren't nice enough to use elsewhere... I do not know much about how the system works other than what I posted in this thread... However there are heating elements that you plug into your cig lighter that you can use... I saw them in use on my 93 as the original owner used them and just pinned them to the seat cover he had over the seat... Hope that helps

[jimmyfloyd]

I did heated seats in my 98 LTZ and 93 SSEi, and have a friend who did them in his 97 SSEi the same way.

 

What I started with were heated seats from a Cadillac from the junkyard. I cut the leather panels out of the seats, and pulled the wiring through. I made sure to get all the wiring and the switch from the caddy as well. When cutting the leather off the seats, cut on the outside of the seat so you don't cut the elements. When I get them home, I wire them up and test them to make sure they work. Just takes a power and ground on the element if I recall correctly.

 

Now comes the fun part. The leather and the heating element are stitched together, but can be seperated by removing the stitching at the seams of the seats. This can be done with a new utility knife blade and some patience. Once they are removed, you are now ready for your seats.

 

Now, you can do one of two things at this point: You can install the elements into the seats or you can work out the wiring. I prefer the wiring first.

 

For the wiring, you need to get the wiring diagrams for the seat you got the car out of. Now, the nice thing about GM is that most of their heating elements use the same switch values, so you can use almost any switch that was offered. I used the Brick seat switch (93 Seville) in my lumina cause it was a beater at the time and fit in the CD holder. (Side note, there is a black 98 LTZ rolling around with heated seats if you remove the CD holder and reconnect the power to the elements. I unhooked it when I sold it so I wouldn't be liable for anything that happened.) My buddy used 97 Deville Heated seat elements and 98 GP switches in his SSEi. Just have to make sure the switches are the same type (two position rocker usually. newer ones are momentary on/off/on and trigger it in the BCM, which won't work) Wiring usualyl just involved connecting power and ground, wiring the switches to the relay/control box and then to the seat.

 

 

For installing them in your car, you just remove the seat covers, snake the power cords under the seat cushions, position the elements, wire up the relay/control box, and then re-install the covers. Ease depends on how hard they are to remove and put back on. You don't even need to remove them completely. I just unhooked the front and sides on my LTZ and slid them up with my hands.

[white4d96]

You guys are giving me ideas...

[RobertISaar]

i've checked out a few wiring diagrams since this is a potentially cheap and comfort-driven upgrade i could also enjoy...

 

it seems the later systems used a temperature sensor in with a control module to keep the elements at a certain temp depending on if the switch was in the high or low position. the earlier ones were basically a rocker switch with wire in the seats, which seems like it wouldn't be too difficult to impliment for cheap. i could check out specific things if you were interested.

[mra32]

I think im just gonna get a spool of thin wire and go to town with some rocker switches.

[AL]

Can you grab the wiring diagram for the heated seat relay in a second Gen and the wiring for the switch...

[RobertISaar]

I think im just gonna get a spool of thin wire and go to town with some rocker switches.

 

more or less what i'm planning as well... just running multiple circuits, that way each individual rocker won't have to carry so much current, and allows for different heat levels.

 

Can you grab the wiring diagram for the heated seat relay in a second Gen and the wiring for the switch...

 

got a specific year and model in mind? i don't know if anything got changed.

[mra32]

is 4 amps alot for a rocker switch? I didnt think so myself. I'm sure I could get one rated for such (with a fuse of course)

[RobertISaar]

i have one i bought from walmart about 3 years ago, rated for ~20-25 amps of continuous power... only cost ~$5 IIRC and has an LED to indicate operation. WAY overkill but i like to build in redundancy for the times when it could fail.

[AL]

Go with 97... Only wire colors got changed

[RobertISaar]

97 GTP.

 

http://imgur.com/5N9ke.png

[slick]

You can either steal the elements out of a junkyard car along with the switches, and cut the foam to fit appropriately, or you can buy pre-made kits most anywhere on the internet that comes with the relays, harness's, switches, and elements. A bit more expensive, but also has a warranty.

[White93z34]

I was considering hitting up a junkyard this weekend for the parts to do this, however I don't think they would let me chop up leather seats to do it, and if they did it would be cost prohibitive to the point of just buying one of the $100 ebay kits and using grand prix switches

[AL]

Chris... The seat covers just pull off... Instead of cutting them up just pull the skin off of the seats and leave the foam behind... Just make sure to pull the wiring

[White93z34]

But i still have to cut all the stitching that holds them on. I'll call out to the yard this week but if they tell me more then $50 for everything I'll just buy one of the ebay setups after Christmas.

[AL]

Buy a regal passenger seat and ill buy the track off you

[jimmyfloyd]

what year regal? there is a 98 GS here I could use the heated element out of.

[AL]

Does it have black leather? If so I would be interested in the trim piece on the passenger front seat where the power seat switches are and actually the whole track I would be interested in

[jimmyfloyd]

no, grey leather.

[White93z34]

heh Called the local junkyard. they want like $100 per SEAT for a heated one. won't sell just the elements. Looks like buying the ebay setup is the best option.

[jimmyfloyd]

There's your first mistake, calling the junkyard and asking for a heated seat.

 

 

Find a u-pull place, and go remove the covers. if you doing it one at a time, then you can just tell them that the other part was all cut up. I believe the parts for mine were like $25 in all the last time i got them.

[White93z34]

See around me we don't have many decent u pullits. He said he'd only consider selling the elements IF he verified that the seats were trashed. Not my problem that they don't want my money. Ill spend it elsewhere.