DIY: Heated Seats for 2006-2011 Yaris

[CTScott]

Attached is my DIY for installing seat heaters on a 2006 to 2011 Yaris. The DIY includes installing and wiring the seat heaters both with aftermarket seat covers and under the OEM seat fabric.

I installed a set (both front seats) in my 2009 Yaris Liftback, under my Clazzio leather seat covers (purchased from MicroImage). This installation was incredibly easy and would have been even easier if I was installing the seat heaters and seat covers at the same time.

I also installed one seat heater on Crashy's OEM driver's seat (2008 Liftback) under the OEM fabric. Fortunately, as a budget car, the Yaris seats are quite simple, so removing and reinstalling the OEM seat fabric was not difficult.

I have not removed the OEM seat fabric on a Yaris with the side airbags in the seat, so I would not recommend doing so. For seats with side airbags, I would recommend using seat cover like the Clazzio ones (which are designed to be used with seat mounted airbags). The other option for airbag equipped seats would be to install a single pad style seat heater, where just the lower cushion receives the heat pad.

The power circuit used in my DIY is more than capable of supplying power to four or five seat heater kits, should you choose to also outfit the rear seat. My kids are arguing that it is unfair that my wife and I have heated seats and they do not, so I believe that I will soon be adding rears to my installation to prevent a mutiny.

I purchased my seat heater kits from http://www.warmseats.com. Upon receipt I was very impressed with the quality of the pads and the wiring harness, so I would definitely recommend them to others.

As a final note, you will notice in the DIY the significant rust on the OEM seat which I perform the under OEM fabric installation. If you are wondering how a seat frame gets this rusty; It was Crashy's seat. After her demise and before I bought her, she spent over a year parked outside with all but her left rear window missing. There was actually moss growing on the front seats.

Yaris - Seat Heater Installation.pdf


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