Heated seats in 09 GT, a huge success!

[tpollauf]

As I somewhat mentioned in a few posts recently, I was to install heated seats into one of our Vibe GT's over the Christmas break. My son Corey's Vibe GT was the chosen vehicle seeing how it does not get the garage and is stuck out in the elements of the weather. Anyways, here are just a couple of pics of the progress ......................... Here it shows some of the procedure of installing the lower "Seat" heating element. Here the power selector button fit nicely into the "blanks" not used on the dash I threw this one in just to show how I was confused with the fuse numbering. The glove box owners manual shows one thing, and the cover shows another. Go with the cover as it is accurate. It coincides with the service manuals that I bought also. Speaking of service manuals, there is NO seat info on our Vibe GT seats so I was at the mercy of my prior knowledge when it came to removing everything. Also there are a lot of errors when it comes to interior trim panels & more. Lots of info must be from the previous generation Vibes and it was not updated to this manual when it went to print. Somewhat disappointed in these manuals that I bought Anyways, getting back to the success of this mod ......................... Totally awesome, and despite the difficulty of the work, it is WELL worth it. These seats heat up within 30 seconds and you really feel it after just one minute Thanks to the "thinner" center fabric on the GT seats, it allows the conduction of heat to pass through it almost immediately and go right where the heat is needed .................. your BUNS More pics are available at my cardomain page .......... http://www.cardomain.com/usern...52246

[KITT222]

Nice. I actually was considering something like this for my Vibe, since its a great feature on my dads truck, moms Trailblazer and grandparent's Lacrosse. It wouldn't be too hard at all. Where'd you tap the positive power from? My sister really wants heated seats, so I might end up doing it to her car.

[vibenvy]

Awesome write-up Tim !

[Old Tele man]

...a DIY "touche' toaster"

[tpollauf]

Quote, originally posted by KITT222 » Where'd you tap the positive power from?This pic should answer your question. I chose the Cig lighter circuit for two reasons: It shuts off when the car is off (don't really like it that way BUT I'll add a "HOT" cig lighter circuit later), and it was right under the console so tapping into it was a breeze. Also it is a 15 amp factory fused circuit and the heated seats require a 7.5 amp per seat While I'm showing more pics (my cardomain site is a bit messed up so I'll post a few more here) this one is the main reason I purchased these heated seat kits. Plus it is just to the north of where I live

[BlueCrush]

Nice, Tim! I bought a seat heater kit this fall but hav not had the time or the energy to install it yet. I'll probably just wait until next summer.

[Ocean14]

I called that MI company today to get pricing on the kit and they said that it is only available for the driver side seat due to a pressure sensor in the passenger seat. They said that installing the kit on the passenger side seat may alter airbag response. Did you complete installation for both seats?

[tpollauf]

Quote, originally posted by Ocean14 »I called that MI company today to get pricing on the kit and they said that it is only available for the driver side seat due to a pressure sensor in the passenger seat. They said that installing the kit on the passenger side seat may alter airbag response. Did you complete installation for both seats?Not yet, BUT I plan on doing so. The passenger seat will be a bit more work to remove everything seeing how on the GT models, it has the feature to lay flat forward. Extra hinges, covers, and clips will need to be removed and after just doing the drivers seat (which was the most important) I took a break. Their statement COULD be true BUT in the case of our Vibes, a recalibration can be done to assure the sensor will still measure the proper occupants when seated in the passenger seat. I believe it is a 30kg person & a 60kg person. After seeing what is involved and also seeing how thin and flexible these elements are, I find it hard to believe that they would interfere with the measuring of ones weight while seated and in position. From their standpoint they have to cover their "behind" and discourage you from installing it in the passenger seat. If you choose to do both as I will, when ordering, tell them you are doing TWO separate vehicles or they may not send them to you. Let me know if this helps ........................... Tim

[jake75]

Maybe I am missing something - never considered heated seats a must have - or even a like to have - at least not in central Ohio. Perhaps that is because I have an attached garage. But maybe once you have experienced them you realize the value. I think I'll just remain ignorant of that experience for what's left of my lifespan.

[tpollauf]

Quote, originally posted by jake75 » But maybe once you have experienced them you realize the value. I think I'll just remain ignorant of that experience for what's left of my lifespan. I love your philosophy Jerome and, for the most part, totally agree with you. Where you are located GENERALLY doesn't see hard winters and with your situation, this feature would see little use. My son will likely be attending Kettering University in Flint Michigan and his Vibe GT will be parked outdoors, so when he has to get up in the morning and drive somewhere on a cold January morning, he'll appreciate this "mod" and think of his Pop when absorbing the warmth. After 5 minutes or so of the "(removed) warmers" doing their job, your body is comfortable and any chill you may have had is gone

[jake75]

A week or so ago in Jay Leno's monologue he was joking about heated seats causing 'toasted skin syndrome'. saying "How fat are we getting that we can't feel the heat and burn our butts" or something like that.See http://www.edmunds.com/car-saf....htmlLaw firms are even advertising for client so injured - http://www.coloradolaw.net/con....htmlSome good advice at http://www.limelife.com/blog-e...0.htm - saysThe occasional use of heated seats isn't an issue, but prolonged usage can lead to erythema ab igne (EAI), which can include pain and itchiness, but also lesions.Two women suffered from the "toasted skin syndrome" after using heated car seats -- and there was nothing wrong with the heater involved.One 40-year-old woman reported using the heated seat for an hour a day over four months, while a 67-year-old woman logged 120 hours of winter driving with the heated seats on.Dermatologist Dr. Eliot Mostow notes, "I've seen plenty of cases of erythema ab igne over the years but this is the only case I've seen that's stemmed from a heated car seat."He added that most cases are a result of prolonged usage of heating pads.The extended exposure to a heat source so close to the skin does enough damage to cause a pigment change in some people's skin, as well as the other side effects mentioned above.Mostow explains, "It's probably related to some blood vessel changes and changes in the pigment cells. You get more severe cases with longer exposure, but to be honest, everybody's different. Some people will get it sooner with the exact same exposure. They're moresensitive."Other heat sources that can cause erythema ab igne include hot water bottles, heat packs, space heaters, and -- sadly for many -- laptop computers. Mostow recommends moderate usage of the seat warmer, sharing, "If I had a recommendation, it would be to use the car seat heater to warm up the seat, then turn it off. When it gets cold, turn it on again. But don't use it for a whole six-hour drive."