Heated seats in older JK possible?

[MacGuyver]

My rig is a 2009 Rubicon Unlimited. I used to have a 14 sport and I really preferred the seats. There is a local scrapyard that has a pretty good selection of later model seats, and I'm fairly certain after a bit of research that the bolt pattern is the same, I may just need the mess with the wiring connections. The current seats do not have airbags which will make the wiring easier, and the scrapyard ones cheaper.

So the question is, I would love to have heated seats. Is there a way to connect heated OEM seats from a later model year into different year? Well, of course there is, but I guess what output would be needed and is there a plug and play option or would this be a tear apart the dash thing? Fully wiling to do that but easy is nice.

 

[Chris]

Yes, it's pretty easy to install heated seats using a kit like one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001L6HYQK/?tag=jkforum-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JYQFM8Z/?tag=jkforum-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M9V1FTF/?tag=jkforum-20

That's literally all there is to it. You have to remove the seat skins to install them, but once you do that, it's very easy to do. The wiring is very, very minimal as there isn't much to it other than a power and ground.

 

[MacGuyver]

I've seen that option, and thank you for the links, perhaps that is the direction I will end up taking.

The core of the question is about using the newer seat type in a pre-2011 jeep and if the OEM heaters can be used or if aftermarket is the best/only option.

So seats out of a jeep that came with seat heaters into a jeep that didn't.

 

[JimNH]

i just put watercarbon seat heaters in my wife's jeep - covered them with new Iggee seat covers. very easy to do. I got a power tap from quadratec - but that was a waste, the wiring is pretty easy to manage without it.

 

[Chris]

I've seen that option, and thank you for the links, perhaps that is the direction I will end up taking.

The core of the question is about using the newer seat type in a pre-2011 jeep and if the OEM heaters can be used or if aftermarket is the best/only option.

So seats out of a jeep that came with seat heaters into a jeep that didn't.

You could use newer seats in your pre-2011 I believe. I'm fairly certain the mounting points on the floor pan are the same. Of course you're going to run into issues with wiring such as airbag wiring, sensor wiring, and heated seat wiring that will not match up at all. So while you can make them work, you're going to need to be well versed in reading wiring diagrams, cutting and soldering wires, and finding new automotive grade connecters to tie the wiring in together.

 

[MacGuyver]

You could use newer seats in your pre-2011 I believe. I'm fairly certain the mounting points on the floor pan are the same. Of course you're going to run into issues with wiring such as airbag wiring, sensor wiring, and heated seat wiring that will not match up at all. So while you can make them work, you're going to need to be well versed in reading wiring diagrams, cutting and soldering wires, and finding new automotive grade connecters to tie the wiring in together.

Everything I've read so far agrees that the mounting points are the same. I guess I'll find out in a week or so.

I've finally figured out how to see images of the wranglers at the yards and some are pretty bad despite the seats have a grade "A" marking. So it's less about what options I want and more about which ones have been getting rained on for the last year or more.
For me the wiring will be easy, especially since the seats will be out anyway, so I'll just do aftermarket heaters, plus I'll see if I can get the yard to give me the vehicle side of the connection plus some of the wire as well, though I'm not going to hold my breath.

Thanks for the recommendations
M.

 

[Chris]

Everything I've read so far agrees that the mounting points are the same. I guess I'll find out in a week or so.

I've finally figured out how to see images of the wranglers at the yards and some are pretty bad despite the seats have a grade "A" marking. So it's less about what options I want and more about which ones have been getting rained on for the last year or more.
For me the wiring will be easy, especially since the seats will be out anyway, so I'll just do aftermarket heaters, plus I'll see if I can get the yard to give me the vehicle side of the connection plus some of the wire as well, though I'm not going to hold my breath.

Thanks for the recommendations
M.

Yep, mounting points are the same.

As long as you can do the wiring it shouldn't be too difficult. I look forward to hearing / seeing your results!

 

[MacGuyver]

Yep, mounting points are the same.

As long as you can do the wiring it shouldn't be too difficult. I look forward to hearing / seeing your results!

Excellent, that is what I've been seeing.

I'll get my build up as I can. Semester is finishing up right now.
These seats will fit the FrankenRubi I have so far. 2009, with a 2013 soft top and my hardtop is from my poor lost 2014.

 

[Chris]

Awesome, I look forward to it!

 

[Barry]

My rig is a 2009 Rubicon Unlimited. I used to have a 14 sport and I really preferred the seats. There is a local scrapyard that has a pretty good selection of later model seats, and I'm fairly certain after a bit of research that the bolt pattern is the same, I may just need the mess with the wiring connections. The current seats do not have airbags which will make the wiring easier, and the scrapyard ones cheaper.

So the question is, I would love to have heated seats. Is there a way to connect heated OEM seats from a later model year into different year? Well, of course there is, but I guess what output would be needed and is there a plug and play option or would this be a tear apart the dash thing? Fully wiling to do that but easy is nice.

Be aware that the Heated seats run on a timer so they don't over heat. I do not know the location of the timer.

 

[Anybodyhome]

Be aware that the Heated seats run on a timer so they don't over heat. I do not know the location of the timer.

Is it a timer or a thermostat? Once the seats get to a certain temp, they shut off, I believe. Also, unless the Jeep is reading an outside temp at a certain minimum threshold, the seats will not come on. In other words, the heated seats will not come on if it's already 75 outside.

 

[Barry]

Is it a timer or a thermostat? Once the seats get to a certain temp, they shut off, I believe. Also, unless the Jeep is reading an outside temp at a certain minimum threshold, the seats will not come on. In other words, the heated seats will not come on if it's already 75 outside.

I never tried them when it was warm out but when I turn them on when it's cold out they run for about 15 to 20 minutes and they shut off and stay off until I recycle them manually.

 

[Largehit71]

I never tried them when it was warm out but when I turn them on when it's cold out they run for about 15 to 20 minutes and they shut off and stay off until I recycle them manually.

Most likely just like a rear defrost timer.

 

[MacGuyver]

What I ended up finding was a pair of '14 Sahara leather seats. I kit bashed some aftermarket seat heaters from Amazon for the wiring. So I now have a couple of switches just behind the gear shifter. I had the junk yard cut several inches of the wiring on the jeep side for the seats and was able to tie that into the existing wiring. A 2009 Rubicon has completely different wiring for the seats than new models, and the passenger seat had none.
in all it wasn't that hard, cleaning the seats took the longest. That being said, I do need to redo some of the wiring when I have time, and now a warm place to do it, as there is a short on the lower setting. I had to use a voltage tester and my eyeballs to figure out what each wire was doing. I guess I got one of them wrong.
Regardless, in high mode it works well, and the lack of an auto shutoff is not a concern for me due to the fact that eventually I end up having to turn it off because of how hot it can get. It does take around 20 mins to get to that point though.

On a related note, The Sahara stitching in a Rubicon is a minor annoyance. Has anyone ever pulled the stitching out of a leather seat? 'Sahara' on the seats is annoying to me when driving a Rubicon.

 

[SteveF]

I have a 2015 JKU Sport. If I had heated seats, where would the switch be to energize them?

 

[mrjp]

 

[JimNH]

I retrofitted a heated seat kit and put new switches on the center "dash" by drilling new holes for them.