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Retrofit Heated Seats

Forg

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If you live in QLD, no

Melbourne, yes
Probably not if you didn't have leather or vinyl seats ... do even Omegas have the same leather-impregnated vinyl that pretty much all other spec levels of VF have?

But wait a sec, if it's cold enough you're wanting heated seats you're probably not wearing shorts. :)
 

UTE042_NZ

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I think HSV may have only put heated seats in their GTS.
The MY17 Limited Edition VFIIs all have heated seats, and they were an option in MY16 VFII sedans and wagons.
So, no factory heated seats available until MY16 (VFII).

This 2015 review of MY14 VFI HSV GTS Auto has heated front seats.
Therefore if you got your hands on a HSV GTS BCM (or a factory series 2 one), your series 1 loom would likely be missing the connections that HSV added to the GTS at least two years before Holden did with the VFII.

What with every part being VIN locked nowadays, I don't know if you could ever find out if HSV has a MY14 GTS loom part let alone buy one (or even get a circuit diagram of).
 

lmoengnr

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Probably not if you didn't have leather or vinyl seats ... do even Omegas have the same leather-impregnated vinyl that pretty much all other spec levels of VF have?

But wait a sec, if it's cold enough you're wanting heated seats you're probably not wearing shorts. :)

I jumped in the ute last night at 8:55pm, had the Ice possible, drive with care message straight up...
 

lmoengnr

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Saw a thread but it looked dead, really hoping to revive one on this topic here possibly.

Really interested in retrofitting a driver and passenger set of heated seats into my MY14 maloo which missed out on this feature

I’ve seen people talk about attempting it but I never saw anything past their effort of saying they want to do it or “I have the seats just figuring out the wiring”

I know you 100% should purchase a head unit with the heated seats buttons as they’re wired into it so that’s already like $300+ in. I know it’s a costly and annoying feature to figure out and fit in but surely some people are interested as long as it isn’t costing $1000.

also if people didn’t know the USA “Chevy SS’s” had heated and *cooled* seats, a feature Aus missed out on completely :(

If you want to try aftermarket, contact Incharge Automotive in Tullamarine, I know they've done a few VE's.
 

mpower

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I jumped in the ute last night at 8:55pm, had the Ice possible, drive with care message straight up...

remote start with the heater on!
 

Forg

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I think HSV may have only put heated seats in their GTS.
The MY17 Limited Edition VFIIs all have heated seats, and they were an option in MY16 VFII sedans and wagons.
So, no factory heated seats available until MY16 (VFII).
I think also the Calais range only.

Checking the specs from Red Book, who I know aren't always perfect with pricing but are pretty good with this sort of thing, shows them as standard fitment in the LS3 Calais V, and not in the 2017 Redline. I didn't check in the lower Calais spec, probably optional.
This gels with my recollection, as I moderately-seriously specced-up a 2017 SSVR wagonoid a few times & don't recall seeing the heated-seat option.
 

KING46Calais V

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Do we really need heated seats in Australia ?
Would of much rather preferred seats with cooling.
And factory HIDs and auto dimming side mirrors and every other standard feature the Chev SS got
 

Skylarking

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The physical seat heater buttons sit within the HVAC panel. When the button is pressed HVAC sends a message to BCM. The BCM is the mater controller for this feature and it cycles through the various heat settings with button each press. The BCM send the desired heat setting to the Seat Heater Control Module which lives under the seat itself. The SHCM recieves the signal and applies a PWM voltage to the self regulation heat pads within the seat... Each seat has its own button and SHCM. The BMC and SHCM (and presumably HVAC) need programing (just like everything else within modern cars)...

From the VF workshop manual:

Heated Seats Description and Operation

Heated Seat Components
The heated seat system consists of the following components:
• HVAC controls with heated seat switches
• Body control module
• Seat heating control module
• Seat cushion heating element
• Seat back heating element
• Seat temperature control module

Heated Seat Switches
The driver and passenger heated seats switches are located in the HVAC controls. The body
control module (BCM) monitors each switch activation to determine which seat is activated and
at what temperature level. With each press of the switch, the system will cycle through High,
Medium, Low, and then back to Off again.
When a heated seat switch is pressed, a serial data message is sent from the HVAC controls to
the BCM indicating the heated seat command. The BCM serves as the heated seat system
master to determine the requested operating mode. The BCM then sends a LIN bus serial data
message to the seat heating control module indicating the heated seat command. The BCM
also controls the seat temperature and mode indicators, via the serial data line, used to
provide the operator with feedback as to the operating status of the system.

Heated Seat Operation
When the seat heating control module receives a heated seat command, it applies a high side
drive pulse width modulated (PWM) signals driven at the required duty cycles to generate the
appropriate effective voltage to the heating elements to attain the commanded seat
temperature.
This heated seat system utilizes a self-regulating heating element system, which is different
from the non-regulated heating element systems with seat temperature sensors previously
used on GM vehicles. In the self-regulating type of system, temperature feedback to a control
module is not required for temperature regulation. The heating element material itself
regulates the surface temperature based on the effective voltage applied to the heating
element.

Load Shed Management
The electrical power management function is designed to monitor the vehicle electrical load
and determine when the battery is potentially in a high discharge condition. The heated seat
system is one of the vehicle loads that is subject to reduction during a battery discharge
condition. For more information on load management refer to Electrical Power Management
Description and Operation.

If you want to backport the factory seat heaters/coolers, then the issue is how to program the appropriate control modules but more importantly where to get the actual software needed. The manual goes into some aspects of this but as i have never played with GM service equipment, i have no idea how difficult it is to update software associated with a specific RPO code on a vehicle that doesn't have such RPO within GM database for its specific VIN. GM's methods may not be as locked down as we think... or it may be very locked down... i don't know...

If you want to connect up some seat heating pads via some non standard method that doesn't connect via the HVAC/BCM/SHCM then you'd need to ensure adequate control of the heating function (seat temp feedback) to avoid burns or fire... so it's not a simple swicth and pad arangement, some controll is needed somewhere...
 

stooge

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I don't think the HVAC controls the seats. There would be 3 settings required for the heated seats which is done by resistance. The auto switching of heated seats would be controlled by BCM at a certain temp just like the heated mirrors as there isn't a switch for them.

You would just need to know the voltages for the three settings of different comfort of the heated seats. Or one switch to turn on/off which would work. There is a part number for heated pads for the front seats.

yeah, what i was getting at is if the bcm is controlling the temp then it will not be just simple power to the seat.


looking through the manual it does have serial data involved so it is not something that can be just connected to a analog switch.
Heated Seats PDF

the components used are on page 1.
basically the seats have a heater control module under them (page 6) which will be controlled by the bcm using serial data over the can and that will allow temperature control via the hvac control switches.

as you mentioned controlling the individual heating elements might be possible by creating a custom control module with something like arduino which eliminates the heater contol module but that would not work with the hvac control switches on the dash unless the bcm is programmed to send the on/off data from those switches so you can read it with the arduino.
 
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lmoengnr

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