Heated seat wiring help

Will do. I bought 4 seats worth so Im doing the install on the Yaris first because I dont care if that thing blows up then I will attempt it on my Tacoma. Should I also bolt or screw the relay down or just wire tie it? Everything else sounds good
I didnt mention it before but the reason I never learned anything electrical is basically because when I was 16 I had to replace a wiper switch in my civic and somehow the wires shorted out and the whole harness melted all together and I was trying to run and fix wires all over the play. Was such a disaster I was scared to touch them again and just avoided it all until now

 

Here, let me try....



Oops! Sorry about that.

 

No, you learned something. Bad things happen easily when you work on hot stuff.

Pull the ground off your battery while futzing around to reduce your risk. I have blown many fuses thinking my steady hands could keep things apart that shouldn't be together.

 

Nice. Hopefully this thread helps someone else eventually like me. I'll post pics when I do the installs. Cant wait to toast my ass!

 

I think you'll find an add-a-fuse will be the easiest method to make the connection since no splicing will be needed with the add-a-fuse. Personal opinion but I'm not too crazy about the wire taps you selected since they compromise the wire and are a pain to remove. Just make sure to purchase a low profile mini if you go with the add-a-fuse.

 

Where does that go? Replace the fuse for the cig lighter? Or a new one? I'll probably have to add more wire to the red too to make it that long I bet. Sounds cleaner though

 

You will use the add-a-fuse in place of the inline fuse which came with your the heater. The wire with the butt splice will connect to your red wire on the harness. Attached are photos from my Tacoma.

The add-a-fuse has locations for the original fuse and new fuse. It does matter which location those fuses are placed unless both are the same value. The diagram shows the location of the factory and new fuses. Note that this is not a low profile mini add-a-fuse.

 

I'm an idiot with electronic stuff too. I paid to have mine installed. Good luck OP! You can do it!!

 

Ok so where exactly do I put both seats new fuse at? Replace the cig one but what about the other?

 

You'll install the add-a-fuse in the cigarette/power outlet fuse location. That fuse location should be off when the truck is off and key is removed from the ignition. The photos I took were to give an example of what the add-a-fuse looks like. I used them for the bed lights and glove box lights on my truck. You only need one add-a-fuse since you'll be powering the seat heaters from a switched (i.e. not always on) power source.

 

But if I have heaters for both seats don't I need two separate fuses or can they be attached to the same thing. Actually ya I forgot about that, if I was just splicing them into the cig lighter can I put both seats to the same wire?

 

This is all dependent on amperage. Wire size, switch rating, fuse size. If both heaters draw 17 amps together and you're on a 10 amp fuse then it will blow. Too many amps in a wire and it will melt. Your better off having everything on its own. You'll have to have a separate relay for a second heater anyway.

 

Ya I have two separate harnesses for each seat. The picture I had was of just one seat. So I probably cant put them both the the same thing then......hmmm I ll have to find something else

 

This is why it would be nice to have the heater power directly from the battery. Then you could use the cig outlet as the power to close the relays for both heaters. I'm not a fan of that relay sharing main power and relay power.

 

So you think I should just run the red right to the battery?

 

Unfortunately with that relay you would need to rewire one of the tabs. You definitely want the switched power from something when the truck turns on, like the cig lighter. But it would be nice to get the heater power from the battery.

 

Not saying you can't use the cig lighter, just that it would be more convenient since you want to have 2 heaters. You'll just need to find another switched source that has the amperage rating suitable for the heater and whatever that circuit normally powers.

 

OP, my answer a few post back was thinking your original photo was for both seats with one pad per seat. Now I get it that you have two sets of these with four pads total.

I'm in agreement with what moondeath has posted this evening. With two sets of these it's better to run the heater element power from the battery (relay pin 30) while the relay's control signal (pin 86) can come from a switched 12V source from the fuse box behind the coin tray. Just note that two of those fuse locations are always on (doors is one of them, I can't remember the second; you don't want to use either of these) while all the others are powered once the ignition key is one of the two non-off positions.

I suggest wiring the driver side up first, understand the connections, and then make similar connections for the passenger side. You will use a separate relay for each heater set and separate fuses for the connections to the battery. You can use the same add-a-fuse for both relay's control signal since the current draw (amps) will be fairly low. Basically make a "Y" connection at the add-a-fuse's butt splice connector with one part of the Y going to the switch then to driver relay pin 86 and the other part of the Y going to the the other switch then to passenger relay pin 86.

 

I threw an add a fuse in where my rear right window fuse plugs in. Now my butt warmer stays powered for several minutes after I turn the key off. Or until I open the door.

 

Does anyone know if there are any spots in the fuse panel that are pre wired and not used?