Passenger heated seats

[tigger19687]

Does anyone know if you can buy a heated passenger for the 2012 'i' ?
Since the car doesn't come with the passenger, but Does have the 'pop-out' for where you would turn it on.

Today was the 1st time I tried the seat heater. It was nice, but my butt got hot !
I think my DD wouldn't complain about cold as much if there was heated seat on her side.

I wonder if you could buy a heated seat. OR if there was a MOD that could be done to the existing seat ?

 

[Don]

I think the 2014's came with a heated passenger seat, so I'm sure you could buy one . . . . but you probably wouldn't like the price

Might be better to buy an aftermarket seat heating pad which plugs into the lighter socket and put that on the passenger seat

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Winter-Warmer-Car-Heated-Seat-Cushion-Hot-Cover-Heat-Heating-Pad-winter-12V-24V-/181576103871?hash=item2a46c777bf&vxp=mtr

Don

 

[PV1]

It could be done, but it'll cost you the Diamond premium :lol: . Personally, I got one of these for Christmas, and I think it provides better heat than the factory heated seat. This does both seat and back. Except for high being low and low being high on mine (switch put in wrong, easy fix), I like it. I've even used it once or twice to heat my bed up before going to bed :lol: . It's rather helpful to have 12 volt outlets in the house as part of a hobby off-grid solar system.

http://www.amazon.com/Wagan-IN9738-Black-Heated-Cushion/dp/B000ANOUHQ

 

[tigger19687]

Yeah, I guess I could just get the plug in heat seat thingy.

 

[RobbW]

How many heated seat pads could the iMiEV handle being plugged in? Could I get a 3-to-1 12V splitter and plug three heating pads into the one 12V outlet?

 

[BarryP]

...OR if there was a MOD that could be done to the existing seat ?

Well this is probably not what you planned on.
I found myself rarely using the seat heater in the winter after I put packing foam on the seat; covered with a terrycloth towel my wife sewed as a seat cover.

The 2.5” thick packing foam is similar to this: http://www.foambymail.com/EC/eggcrate-charcoal-regular-foam.html that I got out of a discarded postal box. I am impressed with the insulative quality.

And in the summer, I don’t sweat on the seat. The egg crate probably allowed enough breathing/air flow. And it makes the seat much more comfortable; plush .

-Barry
-being cheap

 

[fjpod]

I don't love the seat heater myself. I find my butt gets too hot by the time it cycles off. My problem is my feet. I wish the floor mat got warm under my feet.

 

[Don]

Motorcyclists use all sorts of heated apparel - Vests, socks, gloves etc. They all plug into 12 volts and use very little power

Robb - I suspect the iMiEV accessory outlet could handle 2 or 3 of the seat heaters. To know for sure, you'd need to find how many amps each one draws

Don

 

[bennelson]

I rather like the seat heater. Too bad there is none for the passenger!

Does anyone have experience with an aftermarket seat heater? One where you actually remove the seat, take off the upholstery, and install the pad inside?

I ordered one (for the passenger seat) and am looking for tips on the best way to install it, where to put the switch, etc.

 

[RobertC]

After my driver seat heater failed last November I bought ...
Aftermarket heated seat cushions.
These are inexpensive, install quickly, have both a high and low setting, heat both the bottom and back, stay on all the time, and are made out of real cushy velour. They use 40 watts each on the high setting, and I can take them off in the summer.

I put them on both the driver's and passenger seat. You don't have to worry about them draining the battery when the car is off, because the car's 12V power outlet switches off. I used them all last winter leaving them on the low setting all the time and they are really comfortable.

Total cost last year for two heated seat cushions and a 4-way socket extender was $54.01. The price for these items varies on Amazon.

Wagan IN9438 12V Heated Seat Cushion with Lumbar Support (Black Velour)
http://www.amazon.com/Wagan-IN9438-Heated-Cushion-Support/dp/B0041RPGQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418151244&sr=8-1&keywords=wagan+in9438&pebp=1418151276933

Wagan 4-Way 12V Automotive Socket Extender
http://www.amazon.com/Wagan-4-Way-Automotive-Socket-Extender/dp/B0009JB7GI/ref=pd_bxgy_auto_img_y

 

[tigger19687]

Ben, Will you be doing a video of the install of the seat heater you bought ?

I just bought a Serta small heater blanket for the car. Works well and Daughter is happy

 

[bennelson]

My seat heater kit just showed up in the mail.

Here's what it looks like.

In the kit are two heating elements, a fuse and holder, and wire harness including relay and switch.

 

[JoeS]

Hi Ben. You had double-posted on your thread so I moved one of those posts over here. Be careful and don't remove the seat as simply disconnecting the airbag connector (even with power off) sets a flag on the dashboard which can only be reset by the dealer.

 

[bennelson]

How do I remove the seat WITHOUT setting off the airbag flag?
In all the installation videos I have seen, the first step is always to remove the seat.

I'd plan to shoot a video while I do the installation.

I'm also wondering on people's thoughts for location of the switch and connection to power.
It seems to me that connecting into the "cigarette lighter" plug is most logical, as it's a switched outlet.

What would be the best location for the switch?

On our Prius, there is an aftermarket seat heater on the drivers' seat. The switch is installed on the side of the seat. It's simple in that the wiring run on it must be short. However, what I don't like about it is that you can't SEE the switch while driving the car. (It's easy to forget if it's on or off, especially if it was bumped by mistake, etc.) It's also a bit hard to fit my hand between the closed door and the side of the seat when I'm wearing heavy winter gloves.

On the iMiEV, there's a blank panel space at about the passenger's right knee. That seems like a good spot for the seat heater switch.

Any other logical locations?

 

[PV1]

That sounds like a good spot to me. The cover pops off quite easily and exposes two blank spots.

On the 2014 and 2016, Mitsubishi put the passenger switch down by the tray below the climate controls. Not a bad location, but near the right knee of the passenger seems like a much better spot. The glovebox comes out really easy, too. Open it, and at the top, squeeze in the sides to release the catches, lower the box down and lift out of the hinge.

 

[jray3]

My seat heater kit just showed up in the mail.
Here's what it looks like.

Hmmm, Ben's kit poses a quandary, does one add bilateral control in a right cheek/left cheek topology, or thighs/butt? Definitely a decision to be made by the copilot!
:roll:

One could always just install the aftermarket heater under an aftermarket seat cover and skip a lot of reupholstering work.

Having young kids, if I had put slipcovers over the rear seat, my car's resale value would certainly be 2.5% higher. Hey, $200 is nothing to sneeze at! :|

 

[tigger19687]

I would say one across the seat but right where the buttock/thigh meets.
The other up the back from mid Lumbar up

 

[databeestje]

I have not really needed heated seats yet, but I do consistently have cold feet, I was wondering if it would make sense to just put one of the seat heater pads under the front of the foot well to heat the floor mat against cold feet.

I especially notice that the left foot rest is particulary cold because I don't use the left foot during driving. Perhaps insulating the wheel well would make some difference, but cold steel is cold steel. Maybe a spray can of rubber to coat the clear steel in the foot well would make a difference.

Maybe a sheet below the steering column so the warm air stays in the foot well and doesn't go into the dashboard?

 

[PV1]

I put in my Wagan heated seat pad yesterday. What a difference over the stock seat. I was able to go without cabin heat today (granted, it is considerably warmer at 26 F vs. 12 F) and using only the heated seat pad, which warms both the seat and back. I can't stand it on high, though. That thing burns my back on high :lol: .

(I know it doesn't really relate to the passenger seat, but that was the original purpose of getting the pad. Now just to poach a heated steering wheel from a LEAF :mrgreen: .)

 

[databeestje]

Don't they have these electrically heated steering wheel covers you could use?