So I want to add heated seats to the van for the winter driving I will be doing and it is so nice after a long day of skiing to have them on. I currently have the Ford/SMB leather swivel seats for driver and passenger. I found this site....
and they sell kits for about $99 per seat. Anyone install heated seats before? Is there an easy 12V switched power source under the dash to wire into for the seats that delivers 10A consistently? I am a rookie when it comes to wiring.
Yes, there is switched power under the dash. You need the "Modified Vehicle Power" pigtail from Ford, then it plugs in under the dash giving you 30 amps of both switched and un-switched power. You can also plug the pigtail in behind the C-pillar panel by the driver's left elbow. However, I think SMB may already use than one.
I saw that and made me think twice about it if I have to undo the upholstery.
So I found an alternative..... and cheaper... heated seat covers and pads that can be plugged into your cigarette lighter. I know I have two cigarette outlets up front and another one right to the left of the drivers seat in the B pillar for a total of 3 outlets that can be used if I want one for each seat and still run aux power through an extra cigarette lighter port for iphone or whatever. Also the covers can come out in the summer.
Find me a version with lumbar support and I'll do a full install write up! My pickup has lumbar/heated/vibe seats which were custom made, and I've been looking for a kit to put in my Jeep and SMB ever since!
Also, I have some of those slip on cigarette lighter kind. They will show up at walmart at christmas, and still be on the shelves 2 months later marked down to next to nothing. Still, don't like them enough to have installed them yet.
I have the Wet Okole covers with heaters. I don't know if they make them for the SMB seats. They only make covers for Factory seat combos. The Shop that I work for is a Dealer for them.
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2001 RWB Quigley (not a SMB but love it)
Lots of Motorcycles (Dual Sports, Sportbikes and Sport Tourers)
I have the heated seats with lumbar support from SMB, and one of the problems has been with the wires getting pulled and yanked when the seat is turned around.
They're nice enough, but I'd really like to see someone take the cooled seats out of the expedition and get them into the van...
I am glad I have them built in, but I think if I had the option today I'd go with the wet okole ones and leave the seats stock.
My airbag sensor wires for the passenger seat ripped out the first time I spun the seat. I'm like, the van is two years old and no one has ever spun the passenger seat before now? They didn't know to make them longer? Extending the wires shouldn't be difficult, they should be basic power and ground wires.