Heated seats auto-off possible when turning truck off?

For those that have the factory heated seats, is there a way to have the heated seats reset to the off position when you turn the truck off?

Example...when I have a passenger, they will use the heated seat, leave it on the 3 setting and when we get to our destination, they don't manually turn it off. When I get back in my truck later on without a passenger and start it, the heated seats turn on automatically to what the previous setting was. Its not until later that I realize that the seat is sitting empty with the heat on.

Thanks.

 

I would like that capability too. I could not find a solution in the manual or looking through the head unit. I believe that is how the heated seats work, but I too will be watching this thread.

 

This is ideal when you have an a remote start feature. Seats are warm already... Since we don't have this as a factory option I agree with having the ability to turn it all off.

 

Seems to be just how Toyota set it up, I don't know that there's anything to be done to change the behavior though.

I like how my funcar does it; if restarted within fifteen minutes the seats go back to the last setting. Beyond that they default to off. Kinda wish Toyota would have done that.

 

might look up the poster that has done a work around so the ECT defaults to ON at startup. this would be right up his alley to come up with something that defaults the heated seats to OFF at startup.....

 

I thought this was just a common design flaw/option for toyota. Since my seat heaters like to remind me i forgot to put them off last time i was in the truck

 

Maybe rewire to a 12v ignition line? With ignition off, your seats will not be powered. Hit your remote start and the seat's should come on.. Course Idk if you would have to press the button to get them back on but it would make it turn off...

 

Wow...

 

Has any solution been found for this issue?

For those that have the factory heated seats, is there a way to have the heated seats reset to the off position when you turn the truck off?

My wife leaves it on all the time, I don't seem to notice it for a week.

 

Wife’s Subaru Forester and my previous Hyundai Elantra heated seats do/did not default to off.

 

My friend with an ecoboost Mustang with heated and cooled seats wishes his car was like my truck, where it remembered the last setting.
Try using a passenger exit checklist. Butt-warmers off? Seat back in normal position to where it does not obstruct driver's view? Get all your shit so that you're not texting driver later asking them to bring your stuff back?

 

I kinda like that my seats stay to the heated setting when I turn it off, I suppose a person could just rewire the switch a different way if they wanted them to go off each time.

 

I really don't mind the driver seat staying on, but the passenger seat rarely has someone in it.

 

I have a feeling that heated seats, especially ones similar to those in our trucks (they get hella toasty) would draw far too much current to be safely used with the vehicle turned off.

Also, the seat warmers only activate when they sense someone sitting in them, therefore a remote start does not really solve that problem other than just generally warming up the inside of the truck. However this would be really awesome, but I think it's probably not the best idea for your battery/charging system.

 

I would not want them on when the truck is off either, my seats warmers come on weather someone is seated in the passengers seat or not, I have put a water bottle on the seat and it got warm on the drive to my destination.

 

Edit: Although the diagram seems to show otherwise, the seats do indeed heat up when empty (ignition on, dash seat heaters switch on). I tried it. Time to eat crow. Yum.

 

They work off the switch on the dash wether or not there is someone sitting in the seat does not matter, they will still heat.

 

After checking out the service manual diagrams, it looks like you're correct. I was under the impression they were wired into the seat belt/airbag sensor circuitry. But it also appears the heating elements have fail safes for overtemp/no temp change/no signal from the seat temperature sensors.

Would seem pretty dangerous/inefficient to have an unmonitored resistive element just running without a heat sink (your body) but wouldn't you know it, it seems those Toyota people might just know what they're doing!

 

I just saw your edit
MOC221_

I too tested this today, nothing on the seat and the warmed up nicely, but this is what im trying to avoid, i'm surprised that they are not connected to the Air bag on sensor.

 

When you look at the diagram though, the cushion/seatback heater elements are wired in parallel with that "switch" component tied to both before being tied to a return path (presumably). It doesn't work the way the diagram portrays, as we now know.
At least there appear to be thermistors supplying feedback for temp control as you mentioned.
It doesn't make much sense to me that an unoccupied seat would be heated, as the fabric doesn't sink much heat at all. You're just pre-heating the heaters themselves lol. Maybe it makes sense for leather
Anyway, they blast your kidneys pretty darn quick from cold start anyway, so meh.