Factory Heated Seat Replacement

[Andyba20]

My drivers side seat heater has never worked, I get the flash indicating a break in the circuit somewhere. I try to keep everything factory so I started working on fixing it yesterday. I couldn’t remember why I hadn’t done it sooner. Well I’m a jackass…now I remember why I never tackled this project. Long story, I’ve ordered a new bottom seat cover. Does anyone know of an aftermarket heat pad that will work with the factory module? Any suggestions on salvaging the oem pad or should I just suck it up and install an aftermarket pad with a new aftermarket switch? 

[LorenS]

I wish I had info for you. The Rostra switch sure looks "stock", not gimmicky.

https://www.rostra.com/comfortheat-automotive-seat-heater-by-rostra.php

 

Also, if your cushion isn't great anymore I strongly suggest the one from Geno's! It's rather high dollar but SO nice.

Edited September 11, 2022 by LorenS

[Andyba20]

Thanks for that. You think the Geno’s cushion is worth the $100 premium over the Amazon cushion? 

[LorenS]

5 minutes ago, Andyba20 said:

Thanks for that. You think the Geno’s cushion is worth the $100 premium over the Amazon cushion? 

I haven't tried an Amazon cushion so can't say definitively. I can say that after I installed the @Genos Garage seat cushion and sat in the seat I completely stopped thinking about the money and had a smile on my face! The next 300 mile drive I did reconfirmed it was money well spent.

[wil440]

Not much use to you as I'm in the UK. 

 

I had the same problem on a Volvo A35 6 wheel artic dump truck.  Seat heat pad was shorting out, and when it did there was no seat air suspension, volvo option was a new complete seat at close to £2k

Got a generic 24v pad from a company called RS here and wired it in, lasted over 2 years of over 12hrs a day being sat on and cost less than £30.

Replaced with another and still ok now.

Ideally replace with one that's close on the circuit resistance and for 12v

 

[JAG1]

That's cool. Love hearing stuff like that .

 

My 01 had a shorted wire going to the heat pad. Had to carefully cut the foam away. I guessed that the wire gauge is too small for the amps so I cut out the shorted wire going to the pad and soldered in new heavier gauge wire with shrink tube over the joints.

Edited September 13, 2022 by JAG1

[IBMobile]

I pulled my seat heaters out when the seat bottoms were recovered. Don't need them in southern California.

I still have them in a bag somewhere.

[Mopar1973Man]

Sounds like you can do a bit of sale for what you got for what he needs. 

[Andyba20]

@IBMobile if you happen to stumble across your heaters/wiring harness’s can you look and tell me where these red/blk wires are going or what they are terminating into? 

[JAG1]

On 9/11/2022 at 10:43 AM, IBMobile said:

I pulled my seat heaters out when the seat bottoms were recovered. Don't need them in southern California.

I still have them in a bag somewhere.

 its already fried from his wife everyday

[IBMobile]

3 hours ago, Andyba20 said:

@IBMobile if you happen to stumble across your heaters/wiring harness’s can you look and tell me where these red/blk wires are going or what they are terminating into? 

Will do.  I'll even take pics of them and post them here.

 

1 hour ago, JAG1 said:

 its already fried from his wife everyday

Ya, my wife's so hot she uses a smoke alarm as a cooking timer.

 

[Mopar1973Man]

2 hours ago, IBMobile said:

Ya, my wife's so hot she uses a smoke alarm as a cooking timer.

@IBMOBILE-JEN is not that bad. 

[JAG1]

33 minutes ago, Mopar1973Man said:

@IBMOBILE-JEN is not that bad. 

She is a nice person. Fun to talk with.

 

BTW, since I changed the burnt wire to heavier gauge it has worked fine for 3 years now. In Oregon you need the seat heaters esp. with leather its cold

[IBMobile]

7 hours ago, Andyba20 said:

tell me where these red/blk wires are going or what they are terminating into? 

 

 

 

 

 

[Doubletrouble]

 Sometimes I wish I had seat heaters. I have leather/vinyl whatever it is. It does get cold in the winter. 

[Hutch24v]

On the subject of seat cushions mentioned earlier, i just replaced the driver side along with the cloth seat cover. you can get a less expensive cushion on eBay than Genos. I think i paid $55 and its very nice. I still see them for sale now on there. However, I do recommend paying a a bit more for a good seat cover if the cloth OEM is toasted. My OEM cover was full of holes. Bought a US made high quality version also from eBay. Don't recommend one from China. 

[Doubletrouble]

 Mine has the vinyl seats. I've looked for a matching replacement but have yet to find one. Probably go with seat covers eventually. 

[JAG1]

14 hours ago, Doubletrouble said:

 Mine has the vinyl seats. I've looked for a matching replacement but have yet to find one. Probably go with seat covers eventually. 

In my 92 dodge Cummins with a bench seat I bought real cowhides and had them made into a seat cover with the brands showing and Daniel Boone style stitching using leather strips for the stitching. It was cool and the tanned hides where full thick leather nice and soft. Nothing was factory about that seat cover and lasted years.

 

Come think of it, if I let MoparMan sit in it he'd probably wear his coon skin hat

Edited September 15, 2022 by JAG1

[Hutch24v]

would have been cool to see those cowhides!

[JAG1]

1 hour ago, Hutch24v said:

would have been cool to see those cowhides!

Thanks Hutch24v. Only thing was it was expensive for the labor, even though I pulled the seat and brought it to him to make it easier.