I just bought a 99 with leather, which was the last year of no heat. Normally I wouldn't mind, but dads 01 with heated seats is pure heaven on long drives. I know the wiring isn't there, but I've seen after market sets of heaters like on geno's garage for sale. This would be a great option but I'm an absolutely stickler for the neat/clean stock look. Has anyone added heated seats on a 99 or any non heated seat truck, used the factory switches, and a after market seat heating kit?

 

I haven't on a truck but I had a 2000 Town And Country that the factory heated seats were recalled in and the dealer used the after market heating pads and wired it up to the factory switch. Last week I took the seatcovers off my wifes LeSaber and resoldiered the leads for the heated seats and it is just 2 wires for the thermistor and 2 wires for the heating element It shouldn't be to hard to do. You could probally order new switches from the dealer and wire them up to the aftermarket pads and nobody could really tell its not factory.

 

That's exactly what I wanna do, but I'm no wiring guru so I was hoping someone else had done the same thing at some point with some form of documentation

Maybe someone else will chime in?

 

I put heaters in my seats but did not use the factory switches. The kit came with small, round switches that I mounted in the side panels of the seats by the elec seat controls. I tapped the into the power wire for the power seats to run the heaters so all wireing is hidden under the seats.

 

That's not a bad idea at all, but I've got only one question. Usually anything heat related has a tendency of drawing A LOT of current. Are you sure you're not over working the factory wiring for the power seats? What if you have the heat on and just happen to move the seats? No blown fuses?

 

I have had both warmers on high and adjusted the seat, no problem, the power for the seat is on a 30amp breaker, not a regular fuse. The heaters I used draw a max of 10amps per seat. Only thing about using the power seat lead is that it is hot all the time, they recommend using a switched power source so you don't kill the battery if you leave the heaters on when the truck isn't running.

 

You should also put a 10 amp fuse before the heaters and after the power seat so if the heaters go bad it dosent take out the power seat also.

 

Well this project may get put on hold since I'm fairly sure the VP44 dumped on the way home. Though I'm fairly sure I'm gonna track down the factory switches, and wire in aftermarket ones to it.

 

One thing to think about with the factory switches, something that really annoys me.... They are a push button switch that goes off with the key. It would be nice if it worked like a toggle switch so that on a cold winter night you could set the seat to come on with the heater in the morning when you hit the remote starter. I've often thought about changing hte factory switches so that I can preset them to come on with the remote starter. Like I do with the heater. Also he way my seat heaters are wired they don't come on with the key, the seaters ONLY will work when the engine is running. A safty feature so you don't run down the battery I guess.

 

I was going to add heaters to my truck's seats, it was November when I bought it and I was freezing my seat off. I looked at about $250 in parts, and I would do the installation myself. Then one day I happened across genuine sheepskin seat covers for $75 apiece, bought them and never even thought about heaters again.
-P

 

I just wanted the heated seats for my back to be honest. They've helped my back in all sorts of ways during long trips in my dads '01.

 

do you have the wireing diagram? i got heated leather seats out of my friends 01 and i have them in my 2000...but i dont have them wired in... any help on this??

 

Does Any One know which wires in the wireloom under the seat is for the seat heaters? I just bought an 01 Dodge Ram Larime with Leather heaated seats but of couse mine isn't workiing light just blink so I want to install the Cabon Fiber heating element using the stock wireing, I'm going on a Road Trip and would LOVE some Heat on these Old Bones.

Have a great Holiday One & All
Jim in Kenosha,WI

 

Have you ever checked out these guys:

http://www.rostra.com/seat-heater.htm

 

diagrams from alldatapro for 02 2500 ctd hope this helps!!!


ps .. we use rostra seat heaters on the installs we do at work and have had ZERO failures... great product!


Chris