Help with heated seat wires

If I could get a hand. I'm wiring heated seats and each seat has it's own separate harness set up. Each one also has a 7.5amp in line fuse on their power wire. I was going to splice those two together after the fuse and then run to the main fuse panel with one wire. Question is, do I need a 15amp tap or only a 7.5?
I bought one of those "add a fuse" taps from the auto store but it says they are only good up to 10amps. If you've got a suggestion on where exactly I should go on the fuse panel that would be great. I also need to tap the yellow wires to a light source. Anything you have for that would be useful too. I was thinking to splice into the light source for the heater controls but the wires back there are pretty confusing and thin.

Thanks

 

There is a thread in here somewhere on seat heaters, I only glanced through it but think I recall that wiring is already in place on our trucks behind the dummy covers below the radio by the ATRAC button.

 

If he has a 2009 there won't be any factory wiring for seat heaters.

 

If the seat heaters came with a 7.5 amp fuse each, it's safe to assume they will each pull that much current. So yes, you need a 15 amp fuse in the add-a-fuse. I would go back to the auto parts store and find an add a fuse rated for higher amperage. I have purchased 30 amp versions at Advance Auto Parts, so maybe go there if you have one nearby.

Someone made this video with dash light wire locations and colors behind the climate control. Although you should still verify with a multimeter before connecting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=312I0FlQ4bM

 

It's easier to tap the lights using the feed to the gear shift lights. When you take up the center console the light plug is on the lower left rear side of the gear selector housing. In my 2014 the wire colors are green and green / white stripe.

Additionally, the diming feature to match the other interior light level setting is fluctuated by the ground wire while the 12v positive stays constant. So in your switch kit, the black wire is likely for the internal light and needs to connect to the green wire ground (can't remember which of the two it is) and not a body ground.

I assume a 2009 is the same wiring scheme as a 2014 but I don't know.

You need to precheck each wire with a meter.

 

This is how we did it ( for one seat)

http://www.lieblweb.com/heatedseat.html

Scroll to bottom of write up.
Good Luck!

 

This is what one of the two identical harnesses looks like.



Black is easy. Ground
I thought the yellow was for the switch light
I spliced the 2 reds (which both have their own in line 7.5 fuses) and ran to the fuse box. Installed an "add a fuse" with a 7.5 in it. Inserted into the fuse panel and the switch light works. Left it on for a few minutes but wasn't feeling any warmth. Maybe the "add a fuse" size I used is inadequate causing the no heat. Could the yellow be for the heat pads? Thanks for replies

 

Thanks, I was looking at this last night actually. It got me close but I'm still short

 

Does the switch light turn on and off with your dash lights, or is it always on? If it's turning on and off with the dash lights you know you have the correct wire.

 

Black is grounding for the illuminated switch. It has nothing to do with the heating element. See me previous post about where it attaches. The yellow is the positive side of the illuminated circuit.

 

But if it is not matching the dimming setting its not connected correctly.

 

I have the same style for my heated sets I am currently installing. I tested them out directly to the battery in the engine bay and yes, the yellow wire is for the amber and green LEDs inside the switch and the red is power. I did wait about 15-20 seconds and felt the pads warming up.

as for the fuse goes, since there is already one in the wiring harness, doesnt that protect you? why go with a "add a fuse"?

I plan on tapping one yellow and one red wire together to each cig lighter hot wire and grounding under the center console area.

 

I could be wrong, but I don't think the heated seat switches dim down.

 

I'm just trying to establish that OP didn't mix up the wire for the switch light and the wire for the heating element. It sounds like he has it correct.

OP, the 7.5 amp fuse in the add a fuse is fine for testing purposes for one seat heater. If the fuse was inadequate it would blow. Do you have a multimeter? I would test for 12 volts at the inline fuse in the wiring harness to ensure your power is getting that far.

EDIT: Also, @EdinCincinnati, if the seat heater elements aren't getting their ground from the black wire, where are they grounding to? The reason I ask is if they are actually grounding to the black wire, putting the black wire to a ground that is controlled by the dash light dimmer would be a bad idea. I'm not familiar with the exact seat heaters OP is using but it seems that you are, so can you clarify? I'm not doubting, I'm just asking.

 

I didn't check that. Will do. It probably would have as I used the "add a fuse" in the same fuse that's used for the dash lights. Maybe not. I don't really care about dimming the switch. Can't say I use that feature. More interested in the light coming on and heat getting to seats. Right now with only the black wire grounded to the body, and the Red wire to the fuse panel, the switch light comes on.

That's what I thought about the inline fuses, but saw other posts, and I thought it would be nice not to T splice existing wires behind the dash. Homeruns are nice and it was pretty easy to run the wires. Any guess why my red is illuminating the seat switch. I don't have the yellow connected to anything yet

Will do, but isn't it weird that the red (supposed heating element wire) is lighting the switch?

 

Ok so I understand why you're confused OP. When you say the "switch light" is working even though the yellow wire isn't connected, do you mean the backlight that makes the switch visible, or the indicator light that actually tells you the heater is on?

 

you could run the yellow wire to the ac control wiring that operate the dimming. I did that with the Flyeze LED deck and works well.

might have to try that as well. I am hoping to wire my seats up sometime this week.

I will have feedback and pics of what I do if it will help you OP.

 

good point...I think my kit had a separate black ground coming from the pad...I'll go pull up the console in a minute and look then report back.

 

Yep, my kit has a separate ground wire from the heating pad side, it is a larger gauge black wire and you can see them both landed on the bolt to the right of the airbag module. Then there is a smaller gauge black wire just for the light in the switch - which is the one I assumed has been the point of focus in this thread.


Additionally for your info, I ran a larger gauge fused wire from the battery that powers the two pads, you can see it on the left side of the module (largest red one) then I have a smaller power wire for the ACC switched feed that comes from an add-a-fuse in the fuse panel.

If you're wiring harness is different, then disregard all my previous post.

 

I installed these seat heaters a few weeks back. I installed the red wired directly to battery I installed the two green wires to accessory switched fuse with add a fuse. Two yellow wires I tapped to illumination wire to fog light switch (green). And of course I grounded the blacks. I hope this helps