electric seat wiring (vehicle, not prison)

[julianf]

My partner has become accustomed to heated seats in her car, and im attempting to lure her to using the defender more.

You can get retrofit heated seats, eg -

Pardon our interruption...

The loom on the kit will be all wrong (length, position of switches etc) , and you can get the pads separately. Can someone explain the wiring diagram to me -

Im thinking (not from understanding the diagram though!) that the high and low on seats would be if the elements were wired in series or parallel. Is that whats going on here?

And is that a standard off-the-shelf relay? Ie could i just buy nice switches, the right length of wires, and make up the same loom with some bare pads?


Its not a money thing - the kit is only £15 more than the bare pads, but i know id have to cut it about so much that it may be better just to start from scratch.

Thank you.

 

[Trevorleach]

Well worth buying some hog ring pliers for seat rebuild.

 

[Kram]

I suspect the ebay carbon track heat pads wouldnt survive an hour of sitting.

You could save a lot of effort with a ready made seat cover such as this

Pardon our interruption...

I'm tempted to get one myself although I dont generally suffer a cold bum. Heated steering wheel would be nice though!!

 

[Trevorleach]

I have fitted a few of the wired type heat pads from ebay etc, Merc/Micra/LR90, all are okay some have been on there for years, mate fitted the carbon ones and reckoned they were much better heat and faster warm up than the wired type.

All the wired type seem to have poor heat output on setting 1, so mine when on are always on setting 2.

 

[sako243]

Some heated seat pads are basically self regulating so you just feed them power. Others have a thermocouple and form a feedback loop to a controller to control it. Some use a resistor to drop the voltage to offer different temps (same as a pwm one but far less efficient).

 

[julianf]

I suspect the ebay carbon track heat pads wouldnt survive an hour of sitting.

You could save a lot of effort with a ready made seat cover such as this

Pardon our interruption...

I'm tempted to get one myself although I dont generally suffer a cold bum. Heated steering wheel would be nice though!!

The eBay photos look almost identical to parts sold by exmoor trim -

Exmoor trim -
https://www.exmoortrim.co.uk/the-new-defen...r-kit.html


Britpart ones don't seem to include the relay, which seems odd -
https://www.britpart.com/parts/da5717

The eBay item was sent to me by someone on a landrover group who reckons they have a set fitted and they're fine. They actually said they have two sets - the exmoor trim one and the eBay one and they are not different.


But, yeah, they Chinese kits change all the time anyway, depending on what their wholesaler has in stock that month, so there's never any guarantee.

 

[jsf55]

I retro fitted a single pair into my drivers seat on the hot rod, it's plug and play just pick up an ignition fed live and an earth, bit of a fiddle with the seat pad, but the back rest slipped in easy, i can dig out pics later if you want? something like this

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Kayos]

I fitted a cheap kit to the disco, I think you are correct in the series/parallel switch

The ID4 turns the seats and steering wheel heating on when preheat is set, first thing I do is turn the steering wheel off, I really don't like it

Heated seats are nice though

 

[GRW]

The Relay you asked about in the image looks to be a very common 5-pin "Lucas" type automotive relay. Low current activates the switching coil, to open/close a higher current circuit. Ust pick the relay with a rating above your peak amperage (at the correct voltage).

 

[julianf]

Well worth buying some hog ring pliers for seat rebuild.

Do I just buy the cheapest set of Amazon?

I don't foresee ever using them again.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Do I just buy the cheapest set of Amazon?

I don't foresee ever using them again.

Hog rings are uncommon on British vehicles or modern continental vehicles. You will find them often on older American vehicles.

 

[jsf55]

I never used any, in fact i think the bottom of the seat was mostly clipped on and just required a bit of force to remove

 

[Trevorleach]

Do I just buy the cheapest set of Amazon?

I don't foresee ever using them again.

After doing a few heated seats years ago, I have used them a grand total of once for one clip since then, so yes the cheapest will do just fine.
They do make a fiddly job a doddle.

 

[premmington]

After doing a few heated seats years ago, I have used them a grand total of once for one clip since then, so yes the cheapest will do just fine.
They do make a fiddly job a doddle.

I long since aborted on stripping seats for airbag mat and heated seat problems...

Once you rang the dealer and bought the repair kits at stupid money.

Your best bet is a "used donor seat" from a breakers yard ex eBay.

 

[Bobupndown]

The ID4 turns the seats and steering wheel heating on when preheat is set, first thing I do is turn the steering wheel off, I really don't like it

Heated seats are nice though

Never knew why anyone would want a heated steering wheel until I drove a car with one fitted. Now they should be mandatory

 

[Trevorleach]

I long since aborted on stripping seats for airbag mat and heated seat problems...

Once you rang the dealer and bought the repair kits at stupid money.

Your best bet is a "used donor seat" from a breakers yard ex eBay.

Fixed loads of truck seats over the years, so car ones hold no fear for me.

 

[m_c]

Fixed loads of truck seats over the years, so car ones hold no fear for me.

I'd take repairing a truck seat over a car/van seat any day.
Truck seats are generally fairly industrial and easy to strip/rebuild.
Some car and van seats are the work of the devil. I've often had to go for a walk mid-rebuild to allow my fingers to regain function/dissipate pain, after prolonged wrestling trying to get the %^$£@{} cover to clip back on/together.

 

[Trevorleach]

I'd take repairing a truck seat over a car/van seat any day.
Truck seats are generally fairly industrial and easy to strip/rebuild.
Some car and van seats are the work of the devil. I've often had to go for a walk mid-rebuild to allow my fingers to regain function/dissipate pain, after prolonged wrestling trying to get the %^$£@{} cover to clip back on/together.

Getting them in and out of the truck is what does me in.