Heated Seat Install How-To

[merkidemis]

Seeing as the OEM winter package is $495, I decided to skip that option and install $80 heated seats after the fact.

Pads can be found in droves on eBay. Mine had a 5 position rotary dial and contained dual pads for each seat for toasty buns and a relaxed back.

For this install, you'll need the following tools:

Socket wrench
T50 star drive socket
9/32" socket
Wire strippers
25' 18 gauge or heavier wire (depending on what your pads use)
2 wire nuts
Drill and bit for round switches, Dremel and cutoff disk if you have rectangular switches


Step 1: Remove the seats
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On the front of each seat, use the 9/32" socket to loosen then remove the wire connector. This is the connector for the airbag sensor, airbag, etc. Use care with this part and don't bend any pins.

Next, use the T50 socket to remove the bolts that hold the seat to the car.
Each has 4 bolts.

Carefully remove the seats. Take your time and make sure the brackets don't scratch up the dash. Make sure the steering wheel is fully telescoped in for more clearance.

Bring them inside where it is nice and warm and near the fridge with frosty beverages.


Step 2 - Install the seat pads
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This is pretty straight forward. Turn the seat upside down, and recline it back fully. Undo the two clips attached to the elastic Vs, then the J-clips holding the back of the bottom seat fabric on. This will be a bit tight, but you should be able to slide your pad into the space between the fabric and pad. On my sport seats, I was able to easily slide the pad all the way up to the grey accent.

Reattach the J-clips.

Remove the J-clips for the seat back's fabric, and pull it gently through the gap between the two seats. Turn the seat back over and slide your back pad into place. Replace the fabric and J-Clips.


Step 3 - Mount the switches
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The dash of the focus is full of curves and creases, not much space for mounting additional switches. Plus, we'd probably have to take the dash apart to do it, and that's tricky at best and could leave to squeaks and rattles at worse.

Instead, I chose to mount them on the plastic valance near the seat height adjuster on the seat. These are pretty big, full of empty space, and a pretty good place as your hand can fall naturally to the top where we'll mount the switch.

Drill a hole for round switches, or cut the opening with the Dremel for rectangular switches. Mount the switch.

Tuck and secure any loose wires, make sure you leave enough slack for the seat to move on its track.



Step 4 - Route Power
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Back in the car, it's time to run power. In my SE hatchback, there are two 15A fuses in the rear fuse panel. These were installed for OEM heated seats, even if they weren't installed.



With you spool of wire, cut two lengths. Start at the fuse box, run it along the door sill trim, and into the driver's side seat area. Do the same for the passenger side, cutting across the driver's side area, through the gap on the bottom of the center console.

Strip the end of each wire. Pull the 15A fuses, shove one end of the wires into one of the slots where the blades from the fuse would go. Then reinsert the fuse, holding it in place.

Tuck the wires under the sill plates.



Step 5 - Reinstall seats
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Before you reinstall the seats, use the Dremel with a sanding drum to clean the paint from around one of the bolts on each seat. We'll use them as a ground.

Make a loop in the ground wire, and secure it between the frame and seat bracket.

Finish reinstalling the seats with the bolts.


Step 6 - Connect wires
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Connect the positive wires from the seat pad to the power leads you threaded from the rear fuse box.

at this point, test to make sure everything works. Possible problems could be that the ground wire is not making good contact with the patch you cleared around the seat mounting bolt, or a positive wire may have come loose in the back.

If everything works, use the wire nuts to secure your connections (or solder them).

Tuck any wires away and zip tie securely. Enjoy your warm seats!

[Sponsor]

[merkidemis]

Note that I have manual seats. Power seats may have wires or motors that would make my switch placement impossible. Look before to cut!

[slow3v]

Nice writeup!! I want to do this!

[mrpeaches]

If anyone is planning on doing this, please take the safe route and use something like this Add-A-Fuse from Amazon when you tap into the fusebox for power.

Other than that, nice write up!

[merkidemis]

Originally Posted by mrpeaches

If anyone is planning on doing this, please take the safe route and use something like this Add-A-Fuse from Amazon when you tap into the fusebox for power.

Other than that, nice write up!

Absolutely, sorry I missed that step. Tapping the fuses in this manner does NOT get you any circuit protection.

[Chickenmuffn]

Cool nice one! I'm planning on doing this once I get the OEM heated seat switches for the center console

[MK3_TX]

Great Post ! I have leather but not the winter package w/ heated seats , I plan on doing this !

[ValueSack]

Originally Posted by Chickenmuffn

Cool nice one! I'm planning on doing this once I get the OEM heated seat switches for the center console

Did you score some OEM switches? If so do you have a part # and are they the same for the 2012?

Thanks in advance.

[mookieo2]

That looks great. I just got a focus as a commuter and miss my heated seats from my Jeep. I also saw on Ebay that they have a kit with set coolers in it too. I think I'm going to install that kit instead. I don't need the passenger seat set up since 99% of the time its just going to be me going to work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCV9YQ2W5fg

[Deftmetal]

Cooled seats is what i really wanted. Good to know its fairly easy