Installing heated seats

[Don Ridley]

Unless your 2016 TC has leather seats, you likely do not have heated seats. I know that heated seats are not really necessary, but they are wonderful!

I combined this project with a future stereo amp and subwoofer upgrade.  I was adding 7 circuits to the rear aux junction box (AJB). I would connect directly to the back of the AJB for each circuit using the connectors Don Shockley and I sourced.

http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/5618-add-circuits-directly-to-aux-junction-box-using-oem-terminals/

I chose seat heaters by Rostra.  They cost about $55 each.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rpc-250-1870

(The forum directs the web link to  a third party web page. Click at the bottom right to go to the real link)

I was most worried about taking the seats apart and installing the heater pads so I decided to practice on the single, rear passenger-side seat. I muscled the seat covers on and off this seat but learned the hard way that I needed hog ring pliers and hog rings, like these:

 

HEATED SEAT installation

Take the seats out of the van to install the heater.  Remove the outside plastic cover panel taking care not to beak any of the tabs (it slides off, it does not pop off). Pull the cover off the seat back or bottom (there are straps, Velcro and one elastic strap that needs to be cut then reconnected using hog rings).  Cut the hog rings as you uncover them.

The seat back does not have rings, just a long rod with a loop on the end…unloop this rod.

Install the seat or back pad per the instructions. Here I had to cut a channel so the center seam on the seat could be reconnected. Rostra has a good YouTube video on this. Now the reinstall the new hog rings.  You have to hook the plastic rod/stiffener on the seat cover (it has an official name but nobody but upholstery guys know what it means) and push it down into the seat foam to connect to the metal rod embedded in the foam. Several times I closed the hog ring only to find I did not catch the bottom rod. Just cut the ring and try again.

After the heater pads are installed, route and secure the wiring harness under the seat. The OEM location for the switches has a power outlet and coin slot and I could no buy the insert with the switch cutouts. I chose to put the switch on the seat so I did not have to run wires to and from the dash or the center console. Here is the switch on the driver’s seat:

I pulled 8 wires to the AJB (7 + 1 spare). I followed the existing wire harness. This was probably the most difficult part of the project.  I installed ground lugs under each seat.

I used the Leer terminals to connect each wire to an open slot in the AJB.  There is one column of ACC power and 2 separate columns of +12 on the AJB.  After installing all the terminals the wiring looks completely OEM.

The seat heaters work great. The only downside is I can’t see if the passenger heater is on (but I can feel the seat).  The next step will be to install the amp, sub and the heater switch for the rear seat (it will be in the console below the power plug). I am waiting since I only want to remove the console once and nobody rides in the back seat anyway.

It was difficult finding the right hog rings. I would recommend using 12 GA galvanized or stainless steel rings. They don’t have to be pointed. The ones I used will probably rust if they get wet. Hog rigs are typically sold by the pound, like nails, so you may have to buy a lifetime supply. The specific brand of pliers (CS Osborne) I used were highly recommended by a YouTube upholstery guy and they worked great and cost about $25.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2017 by Don Ridley

[Don Ridley]

Maybe the rings I used were 14 GA ( no info on pkg or the website, just a bunch of rings in a bag). I also bought some 16 GA that were not strong enough.

[mrtn]

I need to do this. I bought the single heated seatless car in the whole country.

[chong]

This has been on my todo list since I bought the Transit. I've did this back when I was still daily driving my WRX through the winter. Definitely a must have! Good write-up!