Every time the winter cold again reminds us of additional insulation. For even the ancient people bequeathed to keep their feet warm. But heated seats are not included in the basic equipment of many cars. You'll have to be seriously confused. There are two options: buy this “additional comfort” or make heated car seats yourself. A survey of our closest friends - notorious motorists - shows: the second is more reliable. Purchased heaters are expensive and often break down.

Do it once: think about it and get mentally ready!

Before we begin the list of materials, we decide on what we already have. Here we have three options:

• remake a ready-made but broken heating system;
• make from scratch;
• A costly and troublesome way is to make a heating built into the seat.

It’s much easier with a ready-made rug. There is no need to think about dense thermal insulating fabrics, look for them and sew them on a machine. Everything has already been thought out. All that remains is to replace the heating element.

The heating element built into the seat is always with you in the car. You can display a button on the panel and pretend that it happened. Difficulties sometimes arise with the analysis of the seat itself. And if its bottom is pliable, then the back is much more difficult to disassemble. But he still understands it!

We will take the second option as a basis. It is on its basis that work is built in all cases. Knowing the theory, you can cope with more difficult options.

Do Two: Let's go shopping!

List of materials:

1. Nichrome wire diameter 0.5 mm – 10 meters.
2. The block is thicker.
3. 2 nails.
4. Old jeans.
5. Scissors.
6. Pencil.
7. Sewing machine.
8. Button.
9. The wire.
10. Plug for car cigarette lighter.
11. Connectors.
12. Heat reflector.

Do Three: let's get started!

• Cut out 2 rectangles from old unwanted jeans. They do not necessarily cover the seat surface.
• On one of them we draw how the heating wire will pass: in zigzags or waves. It is better to choose zigzags. This is easier to draw and bend. Although, who cares...

And now our fabric has become noticeably more interesting than before!

Tip: remember the popular television program about remodeling an apartment. Our principle is the same as with the installation of “warm floors”.

• Now the nichrome wire will lie directly according to the drawing.
• First you need to fold it in a zigzag. The fastest way to do this is with a block and nails.
• Drive two nails into a wooden block at a distance of 40 mm.
• Now we consistently and monotonously wind the wire between the nails in a figure eight pattern. Just enough turns to cover the entire pattern.
• Transfer the wire zigzags to the fabric.
• Using a machine we sew each zigzag 2 times. Above and below. The better we fix this design, the safer it will be to use. Attention: if the wires touch somewhere, there will be a short circuit!
• We close our workpiece on top with the second piece of jeans. We sew, leaving a hole for the wires to exit.
• You can sew a thermal reflector on the bottom. This will protect the seat from excessive overheating.
• On top, the most used place, it is better to line it with foam rubber and another layer of thick fabric. This is done so as not to accidentally tear the heating element.
• We finish around the perimeter with a few more lines on the sewing machine.
• Using a connector, we bring the wire through the “window” in the fabric.

We are testing. We need a 12 Volt DC power source, like what you would find in a car. You can use your computer's power supply.

The cold season in Russia lasts about six months. Although there are regions in the country with a longer winter period and a much harsher climate than in the middle zone. In this case, installing heated seats will not only not be an unnecessary luxury, but in fact is a first necessity.

Middle class cars of recent years are equipped with this option from the factory, but earlier models or budget level vehicles deprive the driver and passengers of this element of comfort. To solve this problem, you can contact the station and order interior tuning, which will cost the car owner a decent amount. However, there is an option when you can reduce costs and get the desired result. You need to do everything yourself.

Before you make seat heating with your own hands, you need to find out what methods there are for non-standard seat heaters in a car. Since not all options for the proposed designs are universal, you can decide in advance on the choice of a suitable local heater.

Heated seats

Heaters built under the skin

There are standard kits on sale, for example, “Emelya”, which contains a kit for installing a heater under the upholstery of a chair. You will need to add a few fasteners to this kit and you can mount it on the two front seats.

The cost of such a set is on average about four thousand rubles.

If you order work to install it at a station, then approximately the same amount will need to be paid for installation. Although the result will be satisfactory.

pros:

• after installation it is ready for use;
• inexpensive cost for self-installation;
• aesthetic appearance;
• the same heater for two chairs at once;
• possibility of adjusting modes.

Minuses:

• it is necessary to open the upholstery of the seats;
• there are cheaper options;
• rear row heating not included;
• not all beginners can perform high-quality installation.

Heating "Emelya"

Heating capes

Not all local heaters require installation. After all, in the southern regions of the country you can get by with temporary devices. In this case, a temporary heated car seat cover is quite suitable. Its installation does not require major alterations in the interior. It is most often connected through the cigarette lighter socket.

The cost of the product varies depending on the manufacturer. Minimum prices from 800 to 2000 rubles per copy for one chair.

The most common countries producing this product are:

• Poland;
• Germany;
• China.

Product weight is from 0.6 to 0.9 kg. Heating can be either only for the lower part of the chair, or complex, including a warm “back”. With this design, the seat heating button is not located on the cable connected to the power outlet. No installation is required.

Covers for heated seats

pros:

• minimum cost;
• can only be purchased for one driver's seat;
• quick installation and dismantling;
• large selection of manufacturers;
• To turn it on, you do not need to remove separate wires; the cigarette lighter socket is enough;
• several preset modes;
• a large number of colors and styles.

Minuses:

• not entirely aesthetically pleasing;
• for the second seat you need an additional connector in the cigarette lighter or a “tee”;
• Often you come across low-quality fakes that quickly fail.

Self-made heaters

Such a device can be made at home. Do-it-yourself seat heating will cost less than buying it in a store. Almost any schoolchild who has had physics and labor lessons can assemble it.

Adjustment wheels for nargev

pros:

• low cost;
• components for it are available in almost any home;
• you can set any power, shape and make connection methods;
• made independently without outside help;
• can be connected directly, leaving the cigarette lighter free.

Minuses:

• the result is not always an aesthetic appearance;
• it is necessary to correctly calculate the power so as not to overload the battery or burn out the wiring in the car;
• When installing a button, an insert into the panel or other parts of the plastic interior is required.

How to choose a suitable design

The main choice of local heaters for a car consists of German, Chinese, Polish or Russian products. The practice of using such products speaks in favor of products from Germany and from domestic companies. Although prices for European goods are higher, their reliability is guaranteed.

Such heaters are equipped with various degrees of protection against overheating and high-quality regulation with a thermal relay. Our companies, such as Avtoterm, which offer cheaper products, are not much inferior in quality. However, armored cables and fuses also ensure safety inside the cabin.

If you purchase Asian products, the risk of receiving an unreliable product increases.

You can often hear about broken buttons, failure of the mode controller, or melting of too thin wires. Products from unknown companies can cause a fire in a car, so when purchasing, you must ask for a warranty card and check the manufacturer’s certificate.

Installation of the Emelya kit

To correctly connect this heater, there is an assembly diagram on the packaging box that defines the algorithm of actions. It also shows how to connect electrical equipment to the car control unit. Before installation, it is necessary to remove the seats from the interior.

Step 1. Dismantle the chairs Step 2. Remove the upholstery Step 3. Fix the heating plates Step 4. Assembling the structure Step 5. Output contacts for the button and adjustment Step 5. Connect to the electrical wiring according to the diagram

You need to know that some cars are equipped with a side airbag. When removing the seats, it must be handled carefully so that it does not malfunction.

The heating sheets are mounted under the upholstery, so it can be removed from the seat and back of the chair. Next, you need to fix the heaters in their places, while removing the contacts to turn them on. Next, a heating start button is installed on the instrument panel and connected to the chair and the wiring harness from the fuses.

You need to connect it to the wire from the battery that shows a voltage of 12V only in the second position of the ignition key. This provides additional protection against overheating.

The cable connecting the heating element to the button can be packaged in a corrugated tube and then hidden under the interior carpet.

Making your own car seat heater

To make a heating device, you will need nichrome wire of about 10 m, with a diameter of 0.5 mm. We form four spirals on a device made of a wooden block and two hammered nails, at a distance of 40 mm, curling the wire in a “figure eight” rather than in a circle. For a clearer picture, look at the photo report below.

Step 1. Making a device for making a heating element Step 2. Attach the heater to the base and connect the wires to it Step 3. Remove the upholstery and install the heater Step 4. Connect the wiring to the heater, regulator and button Step 5. Making an aesthetic appearance in the salon

Next, you will need dense natural fabric, preferably from old jeans or military camouflage uniforms, without synthetics or flammable materials. Connect the resulting spirals in a parallel way. For power supply you will need 12 V. The design power is about 40 W. Additionally, a relay is mounted.

Conclusion

You can equip your car with seat heaters to suit every taste and budget. For those who do not want to remove the upholstery, chair covers are suitable. For residents of cold regions, it is wiser to equip the vehicle with stationary heating of the front and rear seats.

Most modern cars offer such a nice thing as heated seats as additional options. The presence of this option allows you to avoid hypothermia in the pelvic area, which often happens to those who sit behind the wheel of a car for hours in winter. But what is there to hide, a warm seat is also extremely comfortable.

Don’t be upset if your car doesn’t have heated seats, because today we’ll tell you how to make it yourself and, mind you, the result is no worse than with standard heating.

What you need to install heated seats.

The heating element is a coil with thin tubes, which are the main heat accumulator. The heating element can be with or without a backrest. Which one is better is up to you to choose!

Buttons for turning heating on and off (two-position) in the amount of 2 pcs.

Relay 4-pin with block

Wires of different colors, terminals for connection

Set of tools and consumables: wrenches, screwdriver, scissors, electrical tape

When everything you need is at hand, you can begin the process of installing the seats.

Step-by-step instructions for carrying out the work.

1. First you need to unscrew the front seat slides and remove them from the car interior. For the convenience of performing all subsequent manipulations, we recommend bringing the seats into the apartment.

2. Now you need to remove the trim from the seats. Take special care here to avoid damaging the seat fabric. The covering is attached with metal plates (or hooks) at the bottom of the seat, on its back side, and also in the front part along the figured contours. Just do not use brute force, so as not to damage the seat upholstery.

3. If you plan to install heating not only on the seat, but also on the back, the covering will need to be removed from it too. To do this, you need to pull out the plastic bushings for the headrests, and in the lower part of the back, unfasten the fabric from the fixing plates.

4. After removing the fabric, the foam seat liner will be released in front of you; place the heater on it, aligning it with the center of the seat. Then, trace the outline of the heater using a marker.

5. Now, apply double-sided adhesive tape along the outlined contours, and stick the heater itself on top of it. This is done so that when further securing the seat fabric, the heater does not slide to the side, but remains clearly in the place that we have marked for it.

7. We return the seat upholstery to its place, and install the seats themselves back on the car.

The main part of the installation is completed, then we’ll talk about connecting heated seats with your own hands. How to connect heated seats?

Seat installation diagram:

1. Determine the location where the seat heating on/off buttons will be located. The ideal option is either the center console (if there is space for installing buttons), or in the space between the gearbox rocker and the handbrake. This arrangement of switches will be the most successful from the point of view of ergonomics and comfort.

2. In the decorative plastic casing (if there is one), we make inserts for the buttons, and then install them. At the same time, we connect the electrics (it is best to power the heated seats from the cigarette lighter, additionally placing a fuse specifically for the heating).

3. Based on the proposed diagram, you need to connect the wires from the heated seats to the buttons, relays, cigarette lighter and ignition switch (if you want to protect yourself by automatically turning off the heating after turning off the ignition).

4. We insulate all contacts and check the operation of the heated seats (functionality of the buttons, uniformity of heating, etc.)

5. We carry out the final assembly of the interior, hiding the wiring under the carpet.

That's all, the installation process of stationary heated seats can be considered complete. You might ask, wouldn’t it be easier to buy heated seat covers that work through the cigarette lighter? Of course, you can do this, but it’s one thing to install the system and forget it, and quite another to experience inconvenience with this very pad, which constantly falls off, fidgets around the seat, and gets in the way with protruding wires.

Every modern car has a heated seat function. Almost everyone does. If the seats in your car are not heated, does this mean that the car is defective? Of course not. Heated seats are a useful thing, but you need to know how to use them, otherwise a warm chair can do more harm than good. If you still have an irresistible desire to warm up the body through the back, then you can install heated seats with your own hands. But first, let's figure out if it's worth it.

Grief from heat

The Swedes were the first in the world to freeze. So much so that they installed the option of heated seats on the production SAAB 99 back in 1979. However, the patent for the invention was not issued to the Swede, but to the American Robert Ballard back in 1955, and ten years later warm seats were offered as an option along with the Cadillac Fleetwood. Today, almost all cars can warm their owners and their passengers with their seats, and older car owners are trying to insulate the car with their own hands.

Heated seats are a pretty useful thing, but not everyone knows that heat can sometimes be harmful. Cautious doctors even fear the loss of reproductive function in men if heating is not used according to the rules. In addition, doctors do not recommend using warm seats if the driver spends more than 4 hours a day behind the wheel.

Video about the seat heating device

In this case, there is a direct threat to health, namely:

• warming stimulates the growth of any tumors, including those that you don’t want to talk about, and if you have the slightest suspicion of cancer, you can’t even think about warm seats;
• loss of control over inflammatory processes can lead to edema and lymphostasis, which means that if there is any inflammation in the body, heating can aggravate the disease and lead to its severe form;
• a sharp change in temperature can lead to a simple cold, since sitting on a warm seat, the adequate perception of temperature outside is reduced, and a sharp cooling of the lumbar calving will not lead to anything good.

That's it, there will be no more horror stories. Our job is to warn. Now only about the good things.

Design solutions for heating

There are several of them, but the essence is the same - to ensure uniform heating of the seats with minimal energy loss and minimal intervention in the electrical equipment of the car. To achieve this, manufacturers have developed several options for warm seats that are not fundamentally different, but have different levels of integration. The simplest of them is a cape cover. This heating system can be used on any car. There are models that can be powered by a cigarette lighter, but this is not very convenient. Wires dangle under your feet, there is a possibility of a short circuit. More complex kits require connection to an electrical system. Heated covers are good because they can be easily installed and just as easily removed. The bad thing about them is that almost all covers are not adjustable. They either heat up or are turned off.

Built-in heating systems are much more difficult to install. To install such heating, you need to completely disassemble the seat, install the heating element, remove the wires, and then put the entire structure back together. Not every heat-loving driver will make such sacrifices. But those who dare to take this step have at their disposal a full package of options for controlling the heating system.

Expensive models have a heating current regulator, short circuit protection, and may have a sensor that is triggered only when the driver sits in the seat. Heating systems differ in the type of heating element. Cheap models are heated using filaments, and it is better not to install such systems, especially if they are not external, but built-in. If one thread breaks, the entire system stops working, and you have to make repairs and completely repack the seat. Tape-type heating elements are preferable. Such devices are an order of magnitude more expensive, but they heat much better and are not afraid of broken threads simply because they are not there.

DIY seat heating

There are quite a lot of sets for heated seats, so everyone can choose the one they can afford. There are general recommendations for installing additional seat heating if it is installed as standard, and some questions may also arise when installing heating on a clean seat. Even expensive heated cars are not always equipped with a fully functional system. For example, on the Toyota Tundra, only the front seats are heated in the base, and even then it is dual-mode.

Heated rear seats are installed separately, but you need to take into account the load on the fuses and turn on the heated second row through a more powerful fuse. For cars that do not have heating as standard, but have the option to install it optionally, you can always buy standard carbon heating mats from an authorized dealer. The seat heating system for Ford Focus 2 from the officials will cost about 3 thousand rubles including regulators. voltage. It is installed according to the instructions and does not cause any problems.

There is another option that is worth paying attention to for those who want to install cheap heating. The Kia Rio has heating installed in two trim levels, but rarely does anyone use it simply because after 10 minutes of work it is simply impossible to sit in the chair. Too warm. Therefore, before you make heated seats yourself, you should still think about how important this option is.

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