Seat heater installation in my 92 D250. LOTS of pics!
02-01-2011, 01:15 AM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Seat heater installation in my 92 D250. LOTS of pics!
I've developed an addiction to seat heaters. I first had them in my Crossfire SRT-6 and then in my Concorde Limited. They are GREAT for cold days since they will start heating quicker than your engine. You can also use them on those cool evenings to and from the cruise scene. Just fire up the heated seats and don't bother with the heater. They're perfect for work trucks in cold climates! Some kits are even waterproof.
If you've had a hard day at work they also soothe a sore back.
Best of all, you can hide the switch and nobody will know you've got them. That means you can drop them in a restoration and have stealthy bun warmers.
I picked up a pair of seat heaters from a local upholstery shop for $100. The guys had been into the kits but all the important stuff was there. These came from heatedseatkits.com.
Each kit will contain the stuff to do one seat:
Seat bottom heater with pressure sensor
Seat back heater
High/low/off switch (lighted on new kits)
Wiring with 10 amp fuse holder
Zip ties
Small bit of tape
The seat bottom heater has a pressure sensor. That prevents the heater from turning on if you're not in the seat. That's a nice little safety device. It keeps the battery from running down if you or your passenger forgets to turn off the heater.
They weren't difficult to install but it does take a little time. You should be able to do both seats in a full afternoon.
******warning******
This is where it gets graphic. If you can't handle close-up shots of a hairy left arm turn back now!
Here are the tools I used:
I grabbed a cheapie set of hog ring pliers at Harbor Freight for $8. They work great. New hog rings can be found at upholstery shops. They're sold in huge quantities but you only need 10 to 15 per seat. The guy I bought the heaters from gave me a huge handful of them.
The first thing you need to do is pull the seat. This takes less than a minute on my truck. It comes off with 4 nuts and you can leave the bracket in place.
Pretend you don't see 273,000 miles of dirt and debris and simply notice that the seat bracket is still in the truck.
Being the bachelor that I am, my living room floor became my workbench. The first thing I did was pull the recliner lever and hinge cover. Keep that lever handy. You'll want to move the seat around as you're working with it. Be sure to pull the hinge cover on the other side as well.
To get the arm rest off the seat, you need a stupid big Phillips screwdriver. Forget those #3 bits that come in the nut driver set. You need something bigger. Just push the material up from the bottom of the arm rest and twist the screw out. This one didn't put up too much of a fight.
Now, I hit one of the most annoying parts of the installation. It also took the most work. Meet Mr Arm Rest Bracket. The screws are the crazy big Phillips heads.
Mine were on insanely tight. I couldn't get them out with the big screwdriver. Instead, I bought one of those cheapie impact driver sets you bang on with a hammer. The screws laughed at it. I ended up putting the big impact bit in a socket and loosened the screws by pushing down HARD and slowly turning the ratchet. I was afraid I was going to break something.
Once that's done you need to loosen the seat covers. Fold the seat forward and you can unzip the seat back cover.
Next, hit the bottom cover. The skirts use long white clip strips to hold the cover.
The front skirt has a zipper you can open to ease the tension on the material. Pushing down on the seat cushion helps too. Be sure you remove the hog rings holding the welt to the seat springs. This is a good time to remove the hog rings holding the cushion to the seat frame. I found it easiest to cut them with a pair of end cutters.
If you've had a hard day at work they also soothe a sore back.
Best of all, you can hide the switch and nobody will know you've got them. That means you can drop them in a restoration and have stealthy bun warmers.
I picked up a pair of seat heaters from a local upholstery shop for $100. The guys had been into the kits but all the important stuff was there. These came from heatedseatkits.com.
Each kit will contain the stuff to do one seat:
Seat bottom heater with pressure sensor
Seat back heater
High/low/off switch (lighted on new kits)
Wiring with 10 amp fuse holder
Zip ties
Small bit of tape
The seat bottom heater has a pressure sensor. That prevents the heater from turning on if you're not in the seat. That's a nice little safety device. It keeps the battery from running down if you or your passenger forgets to turn off the heater.
They weren't difficult to install but it does take a little time. You should be able to do both seats in a full afternoon.
******warning******
This is where it gets graphic. If you can't handle close-up shots of a hairy left arm turn back now!
Here are the tools I used:
I grabbed a cheapie set of hog ring pliers at Harbor Freight for $8. They work great. New hog rings can be found at upholstery shops. They're sold in huge quantities but you only need 10 to 15 per seat. The guy I bought the heaters from gave me a huge handful of them.
The first thing you need to do is pull the seat. This takes less than a minute on my truck. It comes off with 4 nuts and you can leave the bracket in place.
Pretend you don't see 273,000 miles of dirt and debris and simply notice that the seat bracket is still in the truck.
Being the bachelor that I am, my living room floor became my workbench. The first thing I did was pull the recliner lever and hinge cover. Keep that lever handy. You'll want to move the seat around as you're working with it. Be sure to pull the hinge cover on the other side as well.
To get the arm rest off the seat, you need a stupid big Phillips screwdriver. Forget those #3 bits that come in the nut driver set. You need something bigger. Just push the material up from the bottom of the arm rest and twist the screw out. This one didn't put up too much of a fight.
Now, I hit one of the most annoying parts of the installation. It also took the most work. Meet Mr Arm Rest Bracket. The screws are the crazy big Phillips heads.
Mine were on insanely tight. I couldn't get them out with the big screwdriver. Instead, I bought one of those cheapie impact driver sets you bang on with a hammer. The screws laughed at it. I ended up putting the big impact bit in a socket and loosened the screws by pushing down HARD and slowly turning the ratchet. I was afraid I was going to break something.
Once that's done you need to loosen the seat covers. Fold the seat forward and you can unzip the seat back cover.
Next, hit the bottom cover. The skirts use long white clip strips to hold the cover.
The front skirt has a zipper you can open to ease the tension on the material. Pushing down on the seat cushion helps too. Be sure you remove the hog rings holding the welt to the seat springs. This is a good time to remove the hog rings holding the cushion to the seat frame. I found it easiest to cut them with a pair of end cutters.
02-01-2011, 01:16 AM
#2
Registered User
Thread Starter
Once the cover is loose, lift the skirt and remove the two bolts holding the reclining mechanism to the seat bottom. There's no spring tension on this part unless you're playing with the release lever.
The other side of the seat simply has a stud poking into a bushing. You need to pull the seat back off the stud and lift the seat back off the seat bottom. Put the seat back to the side for now.
Assuming pulled all the hog rings off the bottom of the seat you can simply lift the cushion and cover off the frame. Set the frame aside so you can work on the cushion.
Carefully pull the cover off the cushion. Go slow because the cover has a bar running through the middle of it. It's held to a matching bar in the cushion with more hog rings.
If you cut these hog rings BE SURE TO GET ALL THE PIECES OUT. You don't want them poking you in the rear or shorting out the seat heater.
Once the cover is off, grab the bottom heater. It's the one with 4 wires. Two for the heater and two for the pressure sensor. Lay the bottom heater on the seat cushion with the wires running out the back. The heater can not have any deep grooves or cuts down the length of it. That could break the connections and the heater won't work. This one fits perfectly down the seat.
Poke the heater down into the groove where the steel bar runs across the cushion. Leave the rear of the heater in place and draw the material from the front of the seat. Keep everything straight. Reach down in the crease with a pencil or dry erase marker and draw a line all the way across the heating pad. DO NOT USE A PERMANENT MARKER.
Pull the heater off the cushion. You need to cut some 1" holes in the heating pad to secure it to the cushion. Mark the pad for 5 evenly spaced holes centered on the line you just drew. I folded the pad across the line and marked the centers of the holes. Pretend you don't see my offset marks in the pic. I spaced them a little better the second time. Once you have the centers you need to mark 1/2" to each side and 1/2" above the fold. Snip the pad along the marks while the pad is folded. When you unfold the pad, you'll have 1" holes.
Now, grab some non-electrically conductive tape and run a strip on both sides of the pad so the holes are completely covered. This is important! If any metal touches the little conductive wires in the pad it could short it out and blow the fuse. Now, cut smaller 1/2" holes in the tape centered in the holes in the pad. I used a clear reinforced tape so others could see the holes. You should have something that looks like this.
Again, don't cut the tape too close to the edge of the holes.
Lay the pad over the cushion again and stuff the pad back down in the crease. The holes you made should line up with the metal bar. I marked the center of each hole on the bar. Zip ties will be used to hold the cover on the cushion. The factory style metal hog rings could short out the heating element and blow the fuse. Pull the pad off to make it easier to insert the zip ties. Be sure the ties go under the metal bar. I found it helpful to pull the ties up with needle nose pliers.
Once the zip ties are in lay the pad over the cushion. Pull both ends of each zip tie through the holes in the heater pad. DO NOT close the zip ties. Leave them open.
Once all of the UNZIPPED zip ties are pulled through the holes straighten the pad on the cushion. Be sure all the wrinkles are out and it's lined up straight. Fold one side back and remove the backing from the tape strips on the sides of the heating pad.
The other side of the seat simply has a stud poking into a bushing. You need to pull the seat back off the stud and lift the seat back off the seat bottom. Put the seat back to the side for now.
Assuming pulled all the hog rings off the bottom of the seat you can simply lift the cushion and cover off the frame. Set the frame aside so you can work on the cushion.
Carefully pull the cover off the cushion. Go slow because the cover has a bar running through the middle of it. It's held to a matching bar in the cushion with more hog rings.
If you cut these hog rings BE SURE TO GET ALL THE PIECES OUT. You don't want them poking you in the rear or shorting out the seat heater.
Once the cover is off, grab the bottom heater. It's the one with 4 wires. Two for the heater and two for the pressure sensor. Lay the bottom heater on the seat cushion with the wires running out the back. The heater can not have any deep grooves or cuts down the length of it. That could break the connections and the heater won't work. This one fits perfectly down the seat.
Poke the heater down into the groove where the steel bar runs across the cushion. Leave the rear of the heater in place and draw the material from the front of the seat. Keep everything straight. Reach down in the crease with a pencil or dry erase marker and draw a line all the way across the heating pad. DO NOT USE A PERMANENT MARKER.
Pull the heater off the cushion. You need to cut some 1" holes in the heating pad to secure it to the cushion. Mark the pad for 5 evenly spaced holes centered on the line you just drew. I folded the pad across the line and marked the centers of the holes. Pretend you don't see my offset marks in the pic. I spaced them a little better the second time. Once you have the centers you need to mark 1/2" to each side and 1/2" above the fold. Snip the pad along the marks while the pad is folded. When you unfold the pad, you'll have 1" holes.
Now, grab some non-electrically conductive tape and run a strip on both sides of the pad so the holes are completely covered. This is important! If any metal touches the little conductive wires in the pad it could short it out and blow the fuse. Now, cut smaller 1/2" holes in the tape centered in the holes in the pad. I used a clear reinforced tape so others could see the holes. You should have something that looks like this.
Again, don't cut the tape too close to the edge of the holes.
Lay the pad over the cushion again and stuff the pad back down in the crease. The holes you made should line up with the metal bar. I marked the center of each hole on the bar. Zip ties will be used to hold the cover on the cushion. The factory style metal hog rings could short out the heating element and blow the fuse. Pull the pad off to make it easier to insert the zip ties. Be sure the ties go under the metal bar. I found it helpful to pull the ties up with needle nose pliers.
Once the zip ties are in lay the pad over the cushion. Pull both ends of each zip tie through the holes in the heater pad. DO NOT close the zip ties. Leave them open.
Once all of the UNZIPPED zip ties are pulled through the holes straighten the pad on the cushion. Be sure all the wrinkles are out and it's lined up straight. Fold one side back and remove the backing from the tape strips on the sides of the heating pad.
02-01-2011, 01:18 AM
#3
Registered User
Thread Starter
Hold that end of the pad in the air while using your other hand to wipe it back down. This will prevent wrinkles and creases. Wrinkles under direct butt pressure can break the electrical connection in the heater.
Do the same thing for the other side of the pad.
Now, grab the seat cover and find the steel rod that went into the crease. Align it with the crease and poke holes just above the bar for the zip ties. Do not punch holes in the seat cover itself, just the little bit holding the bar to the cover. Starting at one end, run the zip ties in the seat cushion over the bar in the cover. close the zip ties just enough to keep the cover from lifting. Work your way down the zip ties like this.
Once all 5 ties are connected, you can start pulling them tight. I tightened them in steps working across the cover to help keep the cover aligned with the cushion.
Once they're all tight reach down in the crease and snip the ends of the zip ties. Cut 'em off short so they don't poke you in the rear. Do the same when installing the passenger side too. You might find it amusing for the wife to get poked but I'm sure she won't appreciate the humor.
At this time, you can pull the cover down over the cushion. Be sure the heating pad lays flat and doesn't wrinkle.
Place the cushion back on the frame and pull the cover half way down the frame. The seat heater wire needs to run inside the frame. If you leave it on the outside you won't be able to reattach the skirt. Set the seat bottom aside and grab the lean back portion of the seat. It's time to do it all over again.
Here's a great opportunity for me to show you why you used a pencil or dry erase marker and not a permanent ink marker. The ink will bleed from the foam to the seat cover. It is possible for the seat cover to pull the ink all the way to the surface. Luckily, the stains on mine did not soak all the way through.
Be very careful when removing the seat cover. This one has two bars running across it instead of the single like the bottom had. They fall into the two grooves in the cushion.
Lay out the heating pad for the seat back just like you did for the seat bottom. This time the wire needs to go out the bottom of the seat back. On this half of the seat I started at the bottom and worked my way up. When the pad was tucked into the cushion it stopped just short of the upper crease.
Once the pad is in place, push it into the crease and mark it like you did with the seat bottom. Pull it, snip the holes, tape it, snip more holes, place the zip ties, and spread the pad again. Tuck it back into the crease and pull the zip ties through. Expose the adhesive and tape the heating pad down.
Roll the cover back down over the head rest and get it snug. Again, be sure you don't wrinkle the heating pad. You can then attach the top bar of the cover to the top bar in the cushion using hog rings. If you leave any wrinkles in the cover above that rod you will not get them out. A little care is handy here.
Slide the cover down a to the second bar. This is the one going through the heating pad. Use the plastic zip ties to hold the cover to the cushion.
If your seat has more than one bar that will be covered by the heating pad, treat it just like the first one. You have to tuck it, cut holes, tape it, and zip tie it in both locations so the seat cover will fit properly.
Roll the cover over the rest of the seat back and you'll have something like this.
I poked the wire out beside the cover just inboard of the reclining mechanism. It is below the moving parts and will not get pinched, pulled, or cut in this location.
Now it's time to reassemble the seat. On this one, you have to slide the reclining mechanism back into the seat bottom.
You have to tug on the seat a little bit to get the pivot pin back in the other side of the seat.
Do the same thing for the other side of the pad.
Now, grab the seat cover and find the steel rod that went into the crease. Align it with the crease and poke holes just above the bar for the zip ties. Do not punch holes in the seat cover itself, just the little bit holding the bar to the cover. Starting at one end, run the zip ties in the seat cushion over the bar in the cover. close the zip ties just enough to keep the cover from lifting. Work your way down the zip ties like this.
Once all 5 ties are connected, you can start pulling them tight. I tightened them in steps working across the cover to help keep the cover aligned with the cushion.
Once they're all tight reach down in the crease and snip the ends of the zip ties. Cut 'em off short so they don't poke you in the rear. Do the same when installing the passenger side too. You might find it amusing for the wife to get poked but I'm sure she won't appreciate the humor.
At this time, you can pull the cover down over the cushion. Be sure the heating pad lays flat and doesn't wrinkle.
Place the cushion back on the frame and pull the cover half way down the frame. The seat heater wire needs to run inside the frame. If you leave it on the outside you won't be able to reattach the skirt. Set the seat bottom aside and grab the lean back portion of the seat. It's time to do it all over again.
Here's a great opportunity for me to show you why you used a pencil or dry erase marker and not a permanent ink marker. The ink will bleed from the foam to the seat cover. It is possible for the seat cover to pull the ink all the way to the surface. Luckily, the stains on mine did not soak all the way through.
Be very careful when removing the seat cover. This one has two bars running across it instead of the single like the bottom had. They fall into the two grooves in the cushion.
Lay out the heating pad for the seat back just like you did for the seat bottom. This time the wire needs to go out the bottom of the seat back. On this half of the seat I started at the bottom and worked my way up. When the pad was tucked into the cushion it stopped just short of the upper crease.
Once the pad is in place, push it into the crease and mark it like you did with the seat bottom. Pull it, snip the holes, tape it, snip more holes, place the zip ties, and spread the pad again. Tuck it back into the crease and pull the zip ties through. Expose the adhesive and tape the heating pad down.
Roll the cover back down over the head rest and get it snug. Again, be sure you don't wrinkle the heating pad. You can then attach the top bar of the cover to the top bar in the cushion using hog rings. If you leave any wrinkles in the cover above that rod you will not get them out. A little care is handy here.
Slide the cover down a to the second bar. This is the one going through the heating pad. Use the plastic zip ties to hold the cover to the cushion.
If your seat has more than one bar that will be covered by the heating pad, treat it just like the first one. You have to tuck it, cut holes, tape it, and zip tie it in both locations so the seat cover will fit properly.
Roll the cover over the rest of the seat back and you'll have something like this.
I poked the wire out beside the cover just inboard of the reclining mechanism. It is below the moving parts and will not get pinched, pulled, or cut in this location.
Now it's time to reassemble the seat. On this one, you have to slide the reclining mechanism back into the seat bottom.
You have to tug on the seat a little bit to get the pivot pin back in the other side of the seat.
02-01-2011, 01:20 AM
#4
Registered User
Thread Starter
Flip the seat back over and wiggle it around until you can get both bolts to go through the relining mechanism and into the lower seat frame.
I ran the wires for the seat back heater inside the skirt of the lower cover. There's an opening in the frame that the wires can slide through. They will not get pushed, pulled, stomped on, or cut in this location.
Here's something you don't want to overlook. The seat frame has a gap in it. With all the pushing and pulling required to get the seat cover off there's a chance the frame was bent a wee bit. Make sure the parts of the frame line up. If one of them sticks out farther than the other it can rip the seat cover. Mine needed to be bent back into position.
Once the skirt is pulled down around the frame you need to slip the white clip/strip pieces over the metal frame. Be sure to zip the skirt at the front of the seat.
Remember those dangly pieces of welt that were hog ringed to the seat springs? Pull 'em down snug and attach them to the springs with new hog rings. Attach the seat cushion to the frame using more hog rings just like those you pulled off earlier.
Note that wires for both heaters are under the front seat cushion.
Remember that arm rest base that gave me so much trouble? It's time to put it back on. Don't forget the washer that slides over the arm rest stud.
Slide the arm rest back on and reinstall the shouldered screw. I had to run the screw half way in then pop the arm rest cover over the screw. You can pull the material back and screw it in the rest of the way.
Pop the hinge covers and release lever back on. After that, the seat will be ready to reinstall in the vehicle.
Now for the electrical bit. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera to work with me today. You have to settle for really ugly cell phone pics.
I installed relays to run the headlights on this truck. You're looking at them. A sharp eye will notice that one wire runs off the battery side of the circuit breaker and back towards the cab. That black wire with the red trace is the power wire for my seat heaters. Others may notice an odd relay to the left. It powers an electric fan mounted on the condenser for better A/C at idle.
This is obviously an "after" photo. Do not connect the wire to power until you're ready to test the system.
I ran that wire back to the firewall and through the large rubber grommet. I already have a few things running through that gromet so it was time to make a new hole. If you do this, make it smaller than the wire you intend to put through it. A tight fit will help it seal.
Once I pulled enough wire through the firewall, I ran it over to the driver's side and tucked it under the kick panel. You will have to remove most of the screws on the panel but it doesn't have to come off. Pull it out a wee tiny bit and slip the wire under the panel.
Remove the metal scuff plate and run the wire under it too.
I ran the wires for the seat back heater inside the skirt of the lower cover. There's an opening in the frame that the wires can slide through. They will not get pushed, pulled, stomped on, or cut in this location.
Here's something you don't want to overlook. The seat frame has a gap in it. With all the pushing and pulling required to get the seat cover off there's a chance the frame was bent a wee bit. Make sure the parts of the frame line up. If one of them sticks out farther than the other it can rip the seat cover. Mine needed to be bent back into position.
Once the skirt is pulled down around the frame you need to slip the white clip/strip pieces over the metal frame. Be sure to zip the skirt at the front of the seat.
Remember those dangly pieces of welt that were hog ringed to the seat springs? Pull 'em down snug and attach them to the springs with new hog rings. Attach the seat cushion to the frame using more hog rings just like those you pulled off earlier.
Note that wires for both heaters are under the front seat cushion.
Remember that arm rest base that gave me so much trouble? It's time to put it back on. Don't forget the washer that slides over the arm rest stud.
Slide the arm rest back on and reinstall the shouldered screw. I had to run the screw half way in then pop the arm rest cover over the screw. You can pull the material back and screw it in the rest of the way.
Pop the hinge covers and release lever back on. After that, the seat will be ready to reinstall in the vehicle.
Now for the electrical bit. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my camera to work with me today. You have to settle for really ugly cell phone pics.
I installed relays to run the headlights on this truck. You're looking at them. A sharp eye will notice that one wire runs off the battery side of the circuit breaker and back towards the cab. That black wire with the red trace is the power wire for my seat heaters. Others may notice an odd relay to the left. It powers an electric fan mounted on the condenser for better A/C at idle.
This is obviously an "after" photo. Do not connect the wire to power until you're ready to test the system.
I ran that wire back to the firewall and through the large rubber grommet. I already have a few things running through that gromet so it was time to make a new hole. If you do this, make it smaller than the wire you intend to put through it. A tight fit will help it seal.
Once I pulled enough wire through the firewall, I ran it over to the driver's side and tucked it under the kick panel. You will have to remove most of the screws on the panel but it doesn't have to come off. Pull it out a wee tiny bit and slip the wire under the panel.
Remove the metal scuff plate and run the wire under it too.
02-01-2011, 01:21 AM
#5
Registered User
Thread Starter
Remember that seat bracket I left in the truck? It's time for it to come out. There are two bolts inserted from the top and two studs in the bracket going through the floor. Those studs have nuts that are easy to reach under the truck. Pull them all and lift out the bracket.
You'll be frightened how much stuff collects under the seat. I was pressed for time and didn't get to clean out 273,000 miles of nasties.
After the bracket is out, you need to lift the carpet by the door and get your hand under it. It may be stuck down pretty well. You do not need to remove it or peel the insulation off the floor. If you can get a gap between the carpet and insulation you're good.
Look by the seat belt buckle and you'll see the seat belt wiring running under the carpet. Slide a second wire into that hole in the carpet and run it towards the door.
Reach under the carpet from the door side and pull the second wire through. You can tape the end of it to the end of your power wire and pull them through the hole for the seat belt wiring.
I decided to mount the switch in the side of the center console. In that location it's easy to reach, hard to hit by mistake, and it's not a big nasty wart that catches your eye while you're driving. As a bonus, it's protected on the inside by the cup holder and box contour. The switch should not get damaged here.
The side of the console just behind the cup holder is flat. There is no appreciable radius in the vertical or horizontal plane. That's important because it keeps the switch bezel flush with the console for a clean appearance.
These switches are 20 mm in diameter so I used a step drill with the proper size to make the holes.
The switch has two little clips that hold it in place. Again, it makes for a clean installation.
In this orientation, rocking the switch down turns on the low heat setting. Rocking the switch up turns on the high setting. The middle position is off.
If you look at the bottom of the console you will see that it hangs over the edge of the transmission tunnel. This is a perfect place to run the wires out of the console. I removed the 4 screws holding the console to the floor and made a hole in the flat part of the box directly underneath the switch. This hole only needs to be big enough for the plug to slide through.
Screw the console box back to the floor and poke the plug through the hole. Plug in the switch so you know how much wire you have to play with. It's a good idea to use a sticky tab and wire tie to hold the wiring against the inside wall of the box so all your stuff in there doesn't tug on the wiring.
Connect the power wire you ran under the carpet with the wire coming off the switch. You can see that I didn't make my power wire long enough and had to use another piece.
STOP RIGHT HERE
Feel around for that wire you ran under the carpet. Make sure it is NOT going to be crushed by the seat bracket. That would be a bad thing.
Once you know it's clear, reinstall the seat bracket. I ran the ground for the seat heater to the rear bolt in the seat bracket. There's a nice hole in the side of the bracket that was made for seat heater wiring.
Now you have lots of extra seat heater wire left over. Not a problem. It will lay inside the seat bracket and be happy as a clam.
Set the seat back in the truck and lean it backwards. This will allow you to plug the seat heating pads into the switch wiring.
You'll be frightened how much stuff collects under the seat. I was pressed for time and didn't get to clean out 273,000 miles of nasties.
After the bracket is out, you need to lift the carpet by the door and get your hand under it. It may be stuck down pretty well. You do not need to remove it or peel the insulation off the floor. If you can get a gap between the carpet and insulation you're good.
Look by the seat belt buckle and you'll see the seat belt wiring running under the carpet. Slide a second wire into that hole in the carpet and run it towards the door.
Reach under the carpet from the door side and pull the second wire through. You can tape the end of it to the end of your power wire and pull them through the hole for the seat belt wiring.
I decided to mount the switch in the side of the center console. In that location it's easy to reach, hard to hit by mistake, and it's not a big nasty wart that catches your eye while you're driving. As a bonus, it's protected on the inside by the cup holder and box contour. The switch should not get damaged here.
The side of the console just behind the cup holder is flat. There is no appreciable radius in the vertical or horizontal plane. That's important because it keeps the switch bezel flush with the console for a clean appearance.
These switches are 20 mm in diameter so I used a step drill with the proper size to make the holes.
The switch has two little clips that hold it in place. Again, it makes for a clean installation.
In this orientation, rocking the switch down turns on the low heat setting. Rocking the switch up turns on the high setting. The middle position is off.
If you look at the bottom of the console you will see that it hangs over the edge of the transmission tunnel. This is a perfect place to run the wires out of the console. I removed the 4 screws holding the console to the floor and made a hole in the flat part of the box directly underneath the switch. This hole only needs to be big enough for the plug to slide through.
Screw the console box back to the floor and poke the plug through the hole. Plug in the switch so you know how much wire you have to play with. It's a good idea to use a sticky tab and wire tie to hold the wiring against the inside wall of the box so all your stuff in there doesn't tug on the wiring.
Connect the power wire you ran under the carpet with the wire coming off the switch. You can see that I didn't make my power wire long enough and had to use another piece.
STOP RIGHT HERE
Feel around for that wire you ran under the carpet. Make sure it is NOT going to be crushed by the seat bracket. That would be a bad thing.
Once you know it's clear, reinstall the seat bracket. I ran the ground for the seat heater to the rear bolt in the seat bracket. There's a nice hole in the side of the bracket that was made for seat heater wiring.
Now you have lots of extra seat heater wire left over. Not a problem. It will lay inside the seat bracket and be happy as a clam.
Set the seat back in the truck and lean it backwards. This will allow you to plug the seat heating pads into the switch wiring.
02-01-2011, 01:22 AM
#6
Registered User
Thread Starter
Pull the seat into it's upright position and start one of the front nuts. Before you tighten the seat, grab your flashlight and poke your head under the front of the seat. There's a big opening in the seat bracket that will let you see inside. Make sure the wiring is not getting pinched. If it all looks good, bolt down the seat.
This is a tidy installation. It looks professional. The switch is in a user friendly place and is the only visible change.
It is very easy to access the fuse with it sitting between the seat and console. You can either reach beside the seat from the front or from the back should the fuse need replacement.
It's time to connect the power wire to the power source. Hop on the seat and flip the switch on high. It will take a couple minutes but you'll be able to feel the heat growing.
Remember the pressure switch in the heating pad? If you're not in the seat the heater won't work.
It's cold, wet, and nasty tonight. The seat heater sure felt nice on the way home tonight!
This is a tidy installation. It looks professional. The switch is in a user friendly place and is the only visible change.
It is very easy to access the fuse with it sitting between the seat and console. You can either reach beside the seat from the front or from the back should the fuse need replacement.
It's time to connect the power wire to the power source. Hop on the seat and flip the switch on high. It will take a couple minutes but you'll be able to feel the heat growing.
Remember the pressure switch in the heating pad? If you're not in the seat the heater won't work.
It's cold, wet, and nasty tonight. The seat heater sure felt nice on the way home tonight!
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02-01-2011, 06:46 AM
#8
Registered User
Thread Starter
Nicer than you know! The DFW area got hit with ice pretty bad last night and the truck's heater barely blows warmer than ambient temperature.
Gotta hit the road early. Everything's iced in.
Gotta hit the road early. Everything's iced in.
02-01-2011, 09:18 AM
#14
Registered User
This would be a great chore to undertake when one is already in the midst of replacing the carpet.
Any thoughts on installing these heaters in the OEM bench seat? I don't believe there are any zippers on my seat covers, either the bottom or the back?
Any thoughts on installing these heaters in the OEM bench seat? I don't believe there are any zippers on my seat covers, either the bottom or the back?
02-01-2011, 10:33 AM
#15
Registered User
Thread Starter
A bench seat woldn't be any more difficult. They probably used hog rings to hold the seat cover to the cushion. It will not be permanently attached.
You will need to take extra care so neither the heating pads or seat cover gets wrinkled.
You will need to take extra care so neither the heating pads or seat cover gets wrinkled.
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