Seat Heater Kits

What are Seat Heaters and where are they Located?

Seat heaters help to make your ride more comfortable. At the press of a button they can begin to warm you up on a cold day. They use a circuit of electrical wires as a heating element to warm up your seats, and are typically installed underneath the seat upholstery. Some newer vehicles have the seat heater element integrated into the seat cover. A seat heater kit may consist of a separate pad for the seat bottom and the seat back or one pad which covers both parts of the seat.

In a vehicle that comes equipped with heated seats, usually there will be heating pads for each of the front seats. However, while this tends to be more common, not all vehicles have both seats heated; some vehicles will just have a seat heater on the driver side. Typically, seat heaters are an option on vehicles that have leather seats, although there are some rare vehicles that can have them on cloth seats.

How do I Know if my Seat Heater Needs to be Replaced?

The wiring inside the seat heater can fail, leaving the seat heater unable to work. The electrical circuit inside the heating pad is a bit like the one in Christmas tree lights. If you’ve ever had a bad set of Christmas tree lights, you know that one bad bulb can ruin the whole strand. In your seat heater pad, one break in the circuit can keep the whole pad from working properly. 

You may find that the pad doesn’t heat up when you turn it on, or that the bottom heats up but not the back or vice versa. The electricity may carry as far as where the circuit brake is, so you may feel one exceptionally hot spot in your seat. That spot is at the break. When you remove the faulty pad, you may see a scorch mark on the cushion in that area. If your seat has a hot spot, you should stop running your seat heater to avoid the risk of burning your skin (known as “toasted skin syndrome”) or starting an electrical fire. 

If your seats don’t heat up, you’ll want to check that the heating pad is the cause of your problem before replacing it. You may also have a blown fuse or a problem in the wiring. You may want to use a multimeter to check that voltage is actually being supplied to the heating pad. 

A number of causes can damage the wiring inside your heating pad. Applying too much weight on the seat by standing or kneeling on it could damage the pad. The wires could also become crimped by heavy objects with sharp corners. The wires can also burn out from overuse.  It’s best to avoid running the seat heater at the highest settings for extended periods of time. 

Can I Replace a Seat Heater Myself?

You can certainly replace your own seat heater pads, but you should definitely put aside some time for the project. Although there is nothing especially complicated about replacing seat heaters, it can turn into a big job. In order to get access to the heating pads you’ll have to remove the seats from your car or truck. Then you’ll have to pull off the upholstery. You can then peel off the old pad and stick the new one in place with double-sided tape. Then you can put your seat back together and reinstall it into the car or truck. As we said, the process is straightforward but it will take considerable time and effort. 

Need a New or Replacement Seat Heater For Your Vehicle?

Has your vehicle’s seat heater failed? Or, if your automobile didn’t come with heated seats, do you wish it did? Well, in either case, you are in luck. 1A Auto also sells a universal seat heater kit that can be installed in any vehicle with a 12 volt electrical system. Aftermarket seat heaters work quickly and provide heat directly to your body to keep you warm and comfortable inside of the vehicle when the temperature outside is bone chilling. For those of you who happen to live in a place where the thermometer spends a lot of time in the negative, having the luxury of seat heaters will be a blessing.

At 1A Auto, we make shopping for aftermarket seat heater kits, for your car, truck, SUV or van easy - we're here to help you select the right parts for your vehicle! Call our customer service toll free at 888-844-3393 if you have any questions about our automotive seat heaters, warranty, compatibility or to purchase, or you can buy online. If you are tired of waiting for your factory heating system to kick in and turn the block of ice your seating in to a nice and warm place, and want a fast way to heat up your body, seat heaters are what your vehicle needs!