Operation and installation of seat heating, what should look it for?

Almost all modern drivers equip cars with special seat heating, a similar innovation is now almost impossible to surprise someone. This is simply an indispensable thing in winter, when you want warmth and comfort in the car, they are more convenient than a conventional stove and consume very little energy. However, few people think about how such a system works, how effective it is, and which heating option is more convenient and practical for prolonged use. You will find answers to these questions in this article.

History of the first car seat warmers

Before evaluating the effectiveness of modern seat heating systems, you first need to find out when and how they appeared. The need to create a heating device for car seats, which would work from the on-board network, arose a long time ago, but to create the device in the form as it is now, did not work out right away. With authorship, too, everything turned out to be difficult. America and Sweden are fighting for superiority in creating automobile heaters.

American Robert Ballard in 1955 issued an official patent for such a device. And after 10 years, his idea with heating was embodied in a Cadillac Fleetwood car. The first American seat heater was made of a special carbon fabric, which made its use quite functional. However, the Swedes insist that their heating, which was installed on cars in 1972, was the first. Moreover, the experts consider the Swedish version more structurally perfect, even if it appeared a little later than the American one.

In the meantime, there is a debate about who was the first, engineers around the world are working on improving the device, trying to develop an ideal design for heated seats. Such systems are very in demand by leading automotive concerns. Several times, seat heating was called the most important invention for cars (some experts even put them on a par with the development of turbocharging and seat belts).

Features of the functioning of the car seat heating system

Most often, when they talk about car heaters, they mean built-in heaters that are installed directly inside the seat under its upholstery. They consist of the following components:

• The main heating element. It can be a teflon-coated wire or a nichrome spiral.
• The shell into which the heating element is placed. It is usually woven and made from durable carbon or heat fiber.

This rather simple design is mounted in the back and bottom of the car seat. Installation can be carried out independently, since it does not cause difficulties. To do this, first remove the back and seat cushion. Covers on many seats open with a zipper, after which the upholstery can be easily removed. Next, wiring is laid, a set of wires for connection is always complete with heating, and the device is connected to a standard auto electrician.

Please note that if the chair has a glued fabric cover or there are side airbags, it is better to entrust the installation of heating to professionals. Difficulties may arise without proper experience.

After connecting to the on-board network and activating the heating operation, its elements begin to increase their temperature to about 35-40C. After reaching a peak value, the heating intensity decreases, since very hot seats can cause unpleasant sensations. Further, the system maintains the temperature at a level comfortable for the driver. Many models provide for adjustment of the heating intensity, which is very convenient.

OhFeatures of Using Heated Seat Covers

In addition to the built-in seat heater, there is also an option in the form of a special cape, which is placed on top of the car seat. They are among the simplest and most affordable heating options. The design of the heated cloak almost does not differ from the heating systems considered earlier, it includes: a heating element that is simply sewn into the cover from a special fabric (durable, resistant to fire and mechanical abrasion). The power of the heating-cape is provided from the car cigarette lighter, therefore, for normal operation of the device, it is recommended to purchase a cigarette lighter splitter.

Its main advantage is the ease of attachment, you don’t have to build anything anywhere, just throw it on the seat and secure it with hooks or elastic bands on it. But this is also the main drawback of this heating option-if the cloak is not fixed properly, it begins to shift and slide, which makes their operation uncomfortable. Therefore, it is very important to secure everything securely.

Another disadvantage of wraps is that it can be difficult to choose an option for the style and color of the interior. However, it is still a great alternative to built-in heaters, simple and inexpensive to operate.

Maintenance and troubleshooting

If the seat ceases to heat up, many drivers immediately begin to sin that the heating system has burned out. But since all the main elements are hidden inside the chair, it is not possible to visually determine the cause of the malfunction. But do not rush and immediately open the upholstery. First check the condition of the fuses. If they are working, there can be several reasons for the failure of the heating operation:

• In the heating system itself, there is a break or a section that has burned out.
• The switch failed, which does not give a command to turn on heating.

Switches break quite often, they can fail both from time to time and when water or other liquid gets on the main board. It is possible to establish the breakdown of the switch without dismantling the car seat. To remove the switch you need:

• disconnect the connector from the switch itself, for this, grab it, swing it slightly and pull it down;
• inside the casing there are special stoppers, they must be removed with a screwdriver;
• as soon as everyone has disconnected, you can take out the switch.

Now we need to look at the state of the board and the 3 main contacts. Repair is necessary if two extreme contacts do not work or there are traces of liquid in the board. In the first case, most likely, you will need to replace the switch. In the latter case, everything is simple, you need to try to clean and dry the board and then set the switch back. Usually this is enough to restore the heating performance.

If the cause is not a breakdown of the switch, then it is necessary to check the integrity of the heating element in the seat heating. This is a rather laborious and lengthy procedure. And even if you find a gap or a burned-out area, the repair will be difficult and not always advisable. It is better to immediately replace such heating.

The use of seat heating is also very important for Ukrainian drivers, just such simple at first glance, systems in the winter allow the driver to feel as comfortable as possible. If you want to buy heated seats in Kiev, Odessa or Kharkov, then make an order in the online store 130.com.ua right now.

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