W124 Cabrio heated seats retrofit

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

adrianlle

New Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2012
Messages
2
Car
w124 E300D
Hello, I'm pretty new on here so forgive me. Just buying a nice E320 cabrio, but doesn't have heated seats. I was hoping to source from a main dealer the heating pads to go under the leather, but am being told not available as stitched into leather. Anybody know if that is right and if not the part numbers? The loom and switches looks easily available on German ebay, but its a headache trying to find a walnut centre trim for the cabrio with holes cut for the heated seat switches as well as all the other holes needed. Anyone have one ( miracle!) or know anyone who can cut the holes- I don't trust myself with a dremmel . Also know of any good trimmers in my area-Bristol- to take the seat covers off/on?
 
They are stitched into the leather. New walnut trim is still available from MB (at a price) but it has all the holes for every possible option that could have been fitted.
 
you can find the wood trim on ebay germany normally.

You will need switched, relays etc and then you can use a Waeco Heated Pad kit which will need to be fitted under the leather.
 
Every 1993 through 1995 Cabrio in the US via MBUSA had heated leather front seats, the woodwork is the same US vs EU with the possible exception of earlier ones having a slot for the aerial height control – put a switch in and forget it.

Genuine elements are available for other Mercs of the period but not the post 93 124's with leather. The problem appears to be the central elements, the side elements are out there but hard to find. They are made by two separate companies IGB and WET both in Germany, both have no further stock and advise they cannot sell to the public even if they did.

My understanding of the Waeco set up is that the element/s attaches to the horse hair pad [is not stitched in] and has to heat through many layers of upholstery foam and leather before you feel the heat. In the meantime it has heated up the horsehair nicely. How long they would last being heated in that way I am not sure, but they smell [badly] when heated just by the sun.
I believe this may be one of the reasons why the elements were stitched into the cover initially, to make them an integral part of the cover and to get them as close as possible to the user to heat up the cold leather quickly.

Let us know if you do find a full set of elements, I think if anybody has them they will probably sell quite well because sooner or later you are going to need to replace them.
 
That is for a sedan, he will need another hole for the hood switch and of course the hard part - the elements themselves.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom