How To Fit Waeco Heated Seat Kit

[rich17865]

A few weeks ago, I bought this Waeco heated seat kit from eBay. It cost £49.99 delivered. No point in posting a link as eBay links are dead after a few weeks, but the manufacturers website HERE.



It is designed as a retrofit for cars that haven't got heated seats fitted. My drivers side heating element was broken and as the genuine article is no longer available it seemed just the job.

In the box you get two pairs of heating elements, a base and a back element for both seats. You also get a loom with a couple of switches. These elements have a high and low setting, so a nice little upgrade from the originals too. The thermostat for the kit is fitted into the seat back and not the base, so it should cycle nicely when switched on, unlike the factory ones.

I wanted to make the kit work using the original switches so I wasn't left with a pair of redundant switches, and because it looks better if OEM stuff is used.

If you have no existing heated seat switches or loom, follow the wiring instructions included with the kit.

The first part you need to do is separate the loom. It is supplied with a relay and a couple of inline fuse holders which are supposed to be installed behind the dash. You don't need this as all of the wiring will be fitted inside the seat base.



The looms are connected to the relay by a white and brown wire, you can cut these wires from the relay plug and discard the relay and inline fuse holders. You will be left with two identical looms that have a switch in the middle, the wires that you have just cut at one end and a plug on the other end to connect to the elements.

That is all the prep work needed for the wiring at this point.

I have shown this how to on the passenger side seat as there is less wiring in the seat and following the pictures should be easier as a result.

Lie the back of the seat as far down as it will go and remove this screw. Then return the seat to a normal seating position.



Move the seat as far back as it will go and remove the front seat bolts.



Move it forward a bit to reveal the rear bolts and remove the rear bolts.



Remove the headrest.



Tip the seat forward and remove the seatbelt height adjuster cable.



Then unplug the seats electrical connectors for airbag, pretensioner and the heating and electrical movement plug. You can disconnect the battery for 30 minutes beforehand to discharge the airbag system if you like, I don't and nor does any garage I have ever visited.



Now back in the comfort of home.....

Tip the seat up and remove this nut, it is only finger tight and no tools should be required to remove or refit it.



Now remove this screw.



You can now remove the seat side panel which will vary depending on electric or manual movement.

You can now start to unpeel the seat cover from the seat base, these clips hook over the edge of the steel frame, simply roll them off. There is one each side, one at the back and another along the front edge.





With all the securing clips released, you can peel the cover up from the seat foam and base.



Now grab the seat base foam either side and lift it forwards and up to remove it from the frame. You will need to disconnect the heated seat element plug if you have elements fitted already.



The centre panel of the seat is secured to the foam using hog rings.



Using pliers you can pull the hog rings apart to release the seat cover from the foam.



I only undid the rings half way so as to reveal the heating element.



I started to remove the old heating element from the foam side and I felt that it was removing too much of the foam so left it in place.



I did completely remove the centre part however, this came off quite easily and I cut the parts attaching the outer element.



Now position the replacement element on the seat base, as far forward as possible without the new element being pinched by the hog rings.



Now reassemble the seat base by re attaching the centre panel hog rings and put the seat base to one side.

Follow this 'How To' for instructions of removing the seat back panel. This picture may be useful.



With the seat back removed you can unpeel the back rest cover from the frame in a similar manner to the base.





The cover will fit over the headrest tubes with a little effort.



Once the cover is over the front, you need to remove the hog rings from the centre panel again. I only removed half of them as before.



With the cover partially removed you can now remove the centre section of the heating element and fit the new one. Fit it as high up as you can without it getting trapped in the hog rings.



Now you can refit the centre panel hog rings and the cover over the seat back, which will be very straightforward after removing it.



I routed the backrest element cable in the cable clip that the other cables were fitted into.



Now refit the seat base foam, then the seat base cover, routing the cables as you go so they are not trapped against any sharp edges.



You will now be able to connect the seat back and seat base elements together.



I used the memory seat switch location (or where it would be in a LHD car) for fitting the kit switch. You need to drill a 19mm hole for the switch to fit properly.





Identify this cable (assuming you are replacing your heating elements and the seat loom as this plug present). Orange and white is live and yellow is earth.



Connect the white wire from the kit to the orange and white wire of the seat loom, and the brown wire of the kit to the yellow wire of the seat loom. If your seat loom doesn't have the heated seat plug, the wire colours are the same at the main loom seat plug. I would recommend soldering the connections and using heat shrink to insulate them.

The original kit loom had a 470uF 25v capacitor fitted to the supply to the kit, so I have fitted one to each seat. I couldn't establish why it was there, but it may be to stabilise the current for the benefit of the LED in the switch.



Refit the side panel and connect the new switch to the new loom, cable tie it all up so that it doesn't hang down or foul any moving parts.

Refit your seat and test.



Here is where I fitted the switch on the driver side.



Disclaimer:
You are responsible for any work or modifications carried out on your car and you undertake any such work at your own risk. Neither The 75 and ZT Owners Club nor the original author of these How-To's can be held liable for anything that may happen as a result of you following these How-To's.
Any modifications should be reported to your insurance company.

[DaveyC]

Brilliant how to Rich. Looks like a job that needs planning for. Wish I had seen this before I fitted my new seats

[vindaloo]

Absolutely brilliant write up, well done.

[rich17865]

I have 7 more capacitors, one extra required to fit the kit as I have described, free to anyone who wants to fit them as above.

[Godfer]

Kudos alert! This is a phenomenally detailed 'How To' Rich...a forum star! Well done Sir!

[carguy143]

Another good guide. I'll be looking to do the same for my mum's Corsa soon, I doubt they'd have a guide as detailed as this to follow.

[rich17865]

First proper trip out today and these heating elements are superb.

After a short distance they are almost unbearable, just the way I like it. Far, far better than the original elements.

[vindaloo]

Brings a rosy glow to your cheeks!

[Dragrad]

Excellent

And made it to here

[trebor]

great how to, i have done the job twice and forgot to do the how to, so i can stop feeling guilty and refer members to yours now Rich