Adding heated seats?

T

TA455HO

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1999 T4R Limited - leather seats - How much work is it to add Toyotas own heated seat elements to the driver and passenger seats? Does anything pre-exist, like the wiring harness to go from the dash switches to the underneath of the seats? I prefer to go with OEM rather than aftermarket pieces.

Anyone ever attempt this?

Thanks
Chad
 
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Not offered in US models until 4th gen, IIRC. Canadian 3rd gens might have had the option.

I too would like to do this mod. Running a fused and switched circuit for each seat wouldn't be too bad (In fact, that stuff might come with the kit). But, you'll have to remove the seats and remove the seat covers just to get started. A pair of hog ring pliers should come in handy for reassembly. Otherwise, I think it's just time-intensive.
 
well, if someone here pops up and shows where the wiring harness is, you have a pretty good chance that you are wired for it because sometimes its easier to wire for an option than it is to leave it out.
 
The wiring harness is the real kicker. I can buy the dash switches and the heating elements themselves, which each come with a short pigtail. I'm sure dealers added this option to a 1999 4Runner if a customer requested it, didn't they? I'm fairly handy with the hog ring pliers and am infinitely patient. I'd even buy the wiring harness if it is needed, just not finding a part number for that yet.
 
TA455HO said:
I'm fairly handy with the hog ring pliers and am infinitely patient.
Click to expand...

hey if your in bellvue wa and not the hospital, let me know where you tracked all of this stuff down from i've been wanting todo this forever, i know there's some shops here in everett that say $100 to heat your seats $100 being per seat, i'm not sure what all that entails and how they go about it, but i would love to do this up stock.


subscribed =-)
 
Yep, down in Bellevue. I've spent a couple of days at Overlake before, but I prefer to avoid that place. Too many needles...

I started out using ToyoDiy.com a couple of months ago. Their diagrams were very handy, but it appears they had to take them down since then. They were slick because you could click on the part number and it would highlight the diagram section or you could click the diagram and it would highlight the part number. Any other web site like that you use frequently for parts locating?

I then took the part numbers that I had found to my local Toyota dealer and they ordered them for me. But, it's going to work out to more than $100 per seat. Also, besides price, they seem to be very low on quantity of the necessary parts I've requested.

If anyone knows about the wiring harness and whether or not it pre-exists in a Ltd 4Runner I'm all ears.

I can share the part numbers we've come up with so far if you are interested.

Thanks
Chad
 
TA455HO said:
If anyone knows about the wiring harness and whether or not it pre-exists in a Ltd 4Runner I'm all ears.

I can share the part numbers we've come up with so far if you are interested.

Thanks
Chad
Click to expand...


i'd chase down the candian lead, they were a factory option in teh 3rd gens up there, and since the u.s. dealers can't access the Canadian database or information it's a good place to start, my 4runner is a Canadian model and i can't get a build sheet since the vin number is a Canadian number, not to mention my climate control reads in Celsius instead of a real temperature measurement...wtf is -10 Celsius you know? 14.333333 Fahrenheit...bah..who wants to do this in their head every time (F - 32) * 5/9 , unfortunately it's like $500 to swap units, not worth it imo, lol
 
Digital climate control? Is that LCD display supposed to be lighted when you turn on the headlights? All the buttons light up (MODE, OUT/T, etc.) but the main LCD is really hard to see/read in the dark. I dismantled the thing completely yesterday down to where I was looking at the little white ribbon cable that connects the two circuit boards and the LED lights behind the buttons, but I couldn't see anything meant to light the LCD portion.

Seems like a person could swap out that whole unit for a U.S. variant that would read in Farhenheit, but it's probably more involved that that. ECU/ECM or other bits that actual do the displaying....
 
I added the Rostra (do search here) seat heaters to my 2003 4th gen Rnnr SE. There was no factory wiring there. The Rostra kits come with all the wiring and good directions. The HI/Low rocker switches even match and fit in the OEM knockouts in the console (a right and a left one). Only gripe is they are not lighted - nor do they light up with an "ON" indicator. Just had to remove hog clips and loosen the seat covers - not remove covers. A nice addition for like $220 and 3 hours work.
 
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TA455HO said:
Digital climate control? Is that LCD display supposed to be lighted when you turn on the headlights? All the buttons light up (MODE, OUT/T, etc.) but the main LCD is really hard to see/read in the dark. I dismantled the thing completely yesterday down to where I was looking at the little white ribbon cable that connects the two circuit boards and the LED lights behind the buttons, but I couldn't see anything meant to light the LCD portion.

Seems like a person could swap out that whole unit for a U.S. variant that would read in Farhenheit, but it's probably more involved that that. ECU/ECM or other bits that actual do the displaying....
Click to expand...

yep 2 bulbs bad there. I had the same problem. few bucks at the dealer and I was in business again.
 
godzilla said:
yep 2 bulbs bad there. I had the same problem. few bucks at the dealer and I was in business again.
Click to expand...

Did you replace the bulbs yourself? Were they LED or incandescent bulbs? I have a factory service manual if it has any info, too. Just not finding the relevent info in it.
 
TA455HO said:
Did you replace the bulbs yourself? Were they LED or incandescent bulbs? I have a factory service manual if it has any info, too. Just not finding the relevent info in it.
Click to expand...

yeah like godzilla said the lights out are a common problem and we just went over it a few days ago here's the link
Climate Control Light - Toyota - 4Runner . org Forum

just 2 bulbs and removing some trim and whatnot not to tough, and yeah the climate control is tied to a cu of some kind, i talked to the dealer and stopped him halfway through when i realized it was way too much $$$ and effort. booo!
 
wolfgang said:
I added the Rosta (do search here) seat heaters to my 2003 4th gen Rnnr SE. There was no factory wiring there. The Rosta kits come with all the wiring and good directions. The HI/Low rocker switches even match and fit in the OEM knockouts in the console (a right and a left one). Only gripe is they are not lighted - nor do they light up with an "ON" indicator. Just had to remove hog clips and loosen the seat covers - not remove covers. A nice addition for like $220 and 3 hours work.
Click to expand...


why don;t you go and buy the factory lighted switches and just use them? it might take some time to figure out whats power and ground and whatnot but it'll look better in the long run, i did that with my hella's and looks very very factory.
 
01 and 02s offered heated seats in Limiteds

several of us have talked about doing heated leather seats- but to best of my knowledge no one has yet wired in 01/02 Limited leather seats to a 2000 or earlier.
 
Here's the factory wire setup for a 2002.
Seat Heater Wire Diagram
Look under driver seat for a plug. If it has 2 in one row, and four in the other, and one of the inside wires of the four is a red/black, then you have your wiring and that R/B is your 12+ for the seat heater. Switches and fuse connection would have to be added, but odds are the rest of the wires would be there, too.
 
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