Seat heater hack? Need wire diagram

I do not like the fact that my seat heaters only work while sitting on them. I have a great remote starter and it works well, I leave my heater on high when I park my truck and then when I remote start, it starts blowing. I want the same from the seat heater. I could leave something in the seat, but I’m looking for a way to hack it.

Ideas? Anyone have the wire diagram?

 

? Mine (at least the passenger) works whenever the button is on. It doesn't seem to get as hot but I figured that was due to lack of an insulating butt.

 

Definitely don't have to be sitting in the seat for the heaters to function, but the ignition has to be on.
You'd have to bypass that requirement at the risk of draining your battery if you forget to turn them off:

 

I have a Fortin remote start and my seat heaters work just fine when the truck is unoccupied. The truck will shut off automatically if you don’t enter the vehicle after 15 minutes of using the remote start function

 

Well, mine do not come on unless someone is sitting in them. Drain the battery? How?. They key must be on, doesn’t matter is someone is sitting there or not. The bypass would only be active with the key on...or I suspect, having not seen how it is wired.

 

The taint heaters come on when they are turned on. No butt in seat required. Look, just turn on the passenger side and rest your hand on the cushion. Wait. You'll see. I've done this, because at one time I also believed a butt was required. It is not.

 

Well, all I know is I can have the remote start running the truck for 15 minutes, I go out and get in....cold seats. 5 or so minutes driving to work...hot seats

 

I figure you're right about that. Without said butt acting as a rather large heat sink, there's really not a lot directly above the heater assy that would hold the thermal energy. I'd imagine it mostly dissipates into the cabin.

As an aside, I just tried the taint heaters again with no butt in the passenger side (cold truck, 6 degC here). I also took my handy thermal scanner with me, and after about 5 minutes on the "nuclear" setting, I was getting 30+ degC in some spots on the passenger side bottom cushion. I have a video, but I'm too damned lazy to put it up on youtube. I'd rather just have another shot of Scotch.

 

There isn't any mention in the owners manual, or service manual about requiring an occupant for the seat heater to work.
Why do you think you have to be sitting on them for them to work? I think it simply feels warmer with a butt in the seat because it's trapping heat.
Most weak seat heaters feel pretty cold when you're just checking them with your hand after turning them on.

Regarding draining the battery, I assumed you were trying to bypass the 'key on' requirement. If not, carry on.

 

My Colorado was the same way; felt like zero heat until I had sat in them for a while. The culprit was crap seat heaters, not a weight requirement.

I'm digging through the service manual for you for a wiring diagram, but not having much luck.

 

My Seat heaters in my 2013 Tacoma and my 2017 4Runner are on whenever the switch is on. and the vehicle is running. 2013 is aftermarket and the 2017 is factory.

 

I read through the seat heater diagnostic procedure in the service manual. There is no weight requirement. I have to dig further to figure
out what the heck an air conditioning amplifier is, because it is mentioned in almost every troubleshooting procedure for the seat heaters.

Here is the wiring diagram:

 

Well I guess you guys are probably right. I cant see anything in the diagram either. I just want warms seats lol

 

Where are you guys getting the diagrams?

 

Assuming you have factory heated seat? Leather or cloth?

The reason you may not be feeling heat right away is pretty simple, the pad is under the fabric it has to transfer the heat from the pad, through the material of the seat (fabric or leather) then through your pants and any other layers you may have. The pressure from you sitting on the seat helps with the transfer but it takes a few minutes to do so. If you have leather, the heat takes longer to transfer through leather as the material is thicker than the regular cloth fabric in some models. If you wear jeans or another heavy material, again this will take longer to absorb the heat and also may not feel as warm as if you had on thinner material or less layers.

You could start your truck and leave run in the driveway for 30 min with the seat heaters and come out and feel the seat and it might not be very warm to the touch. It’s because the seat fabric is barely touching the heating element and the element is wrapped inside its own cloth housing. It needs that contact weight to help transfer the heat to the next material.

 

Only the passenger seat has a weight sensor, but it is only used for safety features like the airbags.

As was said, the heated seats do not operate based on weight. They're not that advanced, haha.

Jeff

 

Ummmm no I turn mine on in the morning when I start my truck. Go inside grab my things, load them, jump in and seats are warm and ready

 

I,m looking for a wiring diagram to trouble shoot a Toyota Tacoma 2015 Second generation heated seat not working issue. Can anyone help out?

 

Welcome to TW. You’ve resurrected a thread from 2018. Chances are nobody will respond.