Can You Add Heated Seats to a Car Without Them?

[Doug&Julie]

Just curious...can one buy a set of used (or new, whatever) heated seats and have them installed in a car that doesn't have them already?

I'm struggling a bit to find a local car with the options I want in my price range, etc. etc. I found one that is close, but it doesn't have heated seats. I'm wondering how much trouble (and cost) it would be to put some in?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

[naparsei]

It's pretty easy to add aftermarket seat heaters to existing seats. There are definitely threads about this. We did this to Le Mons race car that we drove in the cold weather (no windows except the front, it was cold). Worked a treat.

[Doug&Julie]

I'm thinking more installing factory heated seats, but I'll research some aftermarket options and see what that gets me, thanks!

[s_wilwerding]

I'm not sure how power to the seats works - obviously you would have to add switches to the center console, but I don't know if those are wired directly into the power going to the seats, or whether it trips a relay, etc.

In any case, probably not a simple thing to do.

[s2per]

We added them to my wife's '01. Bought the switches on Pelican, the heating elements on ebay from a guy who changed his mind and fabricated the wiring harness. Had a guy who knew what he's doing take apart the seats and install the heaters. They've worked great for 4 years.

[mikefocke]

Dennis Vogel: Projects - Boxster Heated Seats where Dennis put in the OEM elements, relays etc… to get the seats heated.

Here are a couple of aftermarket companies:

Heated Car Seats – Automotive Seat Heaters – Check Corporation

Webasto Seat Comfort

HeatedSeatKits.com - The Future is Warm

[Wayne 962]

I'm not familiar with the Boxster seat heating elements, but on the older 911s, the heater element switch was in the seat itself (next to the power seat buttons). I believe that all you needed to do with the heated seats then was to swap them out with the regular ones, but I'm not 100% sure...

-Wayne

[stevepaa]

Depends upon the car you are looking at.

To do a cayman is $1000 DIY with factory seat heating elements. i am doing that now.