Heated seats - conversion

[MikiSpaga]

Hi gents,

Was looking at a C class W204 2012 and saw it does not have a heated seats option. Can these be retrofitted?
Has anybody tried adding them? Is the operation as simple as just change the seats and connect the wires?

Thanks

 

[markjay]

Yes, it can be done, but an original retrofit is a specialist job. I had the original retrofit done to my W204 by www.comandonline.co.uk in Lightwater, and they are highly recommended.

It requires the heating pads, fabricated wiring looms (they are not available ready-made, apparently), and a new switch panel.

It also requires coding with STAR.

The whole process is quite labour-intensive.


A cheaper option might be an after-market solution with a manual switch, to avoid the new switch panel, custom wiring, and STAR coding - but it won't look great.

Or, you could try one of the heated seat covers from Amazon or eBay - cheap as chips and will keep you warm...

 

[whitenemesis]

I had non OEM seat heaters fitted to the rear seats on my S203 when I had it retrimmed and they got hotter, faster than the MB fitted front heaters..

 

[MikiSpaga]

Yes, it can be done, but an original retrofit is a specialist job. I had the original retrofit done to my W204 by www.comandonline.co.uk in Lightwater, and they are highly recommended.

It requires the heating pads, fabricated wiring looms (they are not available ready-made, apparently), and a new switch panel.

It also requires coding with STAR.

The whole process is quite labour-intensive.


A cheaper option might be an after-market solution with a manual switch, to avoid the new switch panel, custom wiring, and STAR coding - but it won't look great.

Or, you could try one of the heated seat covers from Amazon or eBay - cheap as chips and will keep you warm...

I was thinking to get heated seats from a braker and just replacing the current non heated ones?

 

[markjay]

I was thinking to get heated seats from a braker and just replacing the current non heated ones?

That would be a good start, but:

-:Make sure the seats colour matched the current trim.

- See if you can return the seats if the heating elements prove faulty.

- I would also replace the sensor mat while the passenger seat is being fitted.

- See if you can also get the lower switch panel from the same donor car.

- Dont turn the ignition on while the seat loom is unplugged, or you'll get an SRS fault.

- You'll still need to fabricate the wiring looms and run them under the floor carpets, and get the heated seats coded using STAR.

 

[MikiSpaga]

That would be a good start, but:

-:Make sure the seats colour matched the current trim.

- See if you can return the seats if the heating elements prove faulty.

- I would also replace the sensor mat while the passenger seat is being fitted.

- See if you can also get the lower switch panel from the same donor car.

- Dont turn the ignition on while the seat loom is unplugged, or you'll get an SRS fault.

- You'll still need to fabricate the wiring looms and run them under the floor carpets, and get the heated seats coded using STAR.

Can you explain the sensor mat more? What it is? Where it is?

 

[markjay]

Can you explain the sensor mat more? What it is? Where it is?

Front Passenger Seat Occupancy Sensor.

It's a mat with sensors inside the passenger seat.
It's purpose is to deactivate the front passenger airbag when the front seat is unoccupied. Only the passenger seat has it. They often go wrong and need replacing. If buying a second hand seat, I'd replace the sensor mat as a matter of course. But you can also just leave the original in place and deal with it when and if you get an SRS fault on the dash.