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Thread: retrofit heated seats to 2003 A4 Cabriolet

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  1. Cool retrofit heated seats to 2003 A4 Cabriolet 
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    Hi All,

    Thought I would write up my experiences doing the above retrofit.

    I am doing this in 2 parts, part 1 is the wiring/climate control module, part 2 will be putting the mats into the seats.

    Today I completed part 1:

    Time taken: approx 3 hours:

    Items required:

    1 Kufatec heated seeting wiring loom €49 from kufatec + €22 postage
    1 climate control unit with seat heating dials - €30 on ebay - got lucky

    Steps involved:

    1) remove negative from battery 1 hour before starting (not included in the 3 hours)
    2) undid drivers seat nut (4 bolts in seat tracks)
    4) moved seat back and undid wiring for lumbarsupport/airbags under seat
    5) removed seat back panel (to undo connection to screens in back of headrests that I had installed earlier) Note not necessary for retrofit
    6) removed drivers seat
    7) did same for passenger seat
    8) removed the cover for fuse box
    9) removed cover under steering wheel (1 nut in fusebox, other 2 are underneath steering wheel)
    10) removed fusebox (2 nuts - silver)
    11) unclipped back of fusebox
    12) pulled panel beside rear seat out (at front) Drivers side
    13) pulled up cover inside door (4 clips that bend easily so be careful!!)
    14) removed cover over A frame (under steering wheel on right) - only has one clip about 1 ft up frame
    15) installed red cable from kufatec into holder 49 (need to pull lilac catch to get clips in) feeding cable through the cable tray
    16) connected other end of cable to main positive connector from battery behind the fuse box - can't miss it, has lots of red cables coming out of it
    17) connected power cable from kufatec loom to other pin on fuse 49 - feeding through cable guide.
    18) connected brown cable from kufatec loom to the neutral behind a pillar.
    19) removed rear seat (just pull up to release clips then pull forward)
    20) removed seatbelt holder at floor level (drivers side) -
    21) loostened carpet
    22) undid grey air outlet in drivers foot well
    23) undid the screw holding in the plastic cover on left of footwell
    24) took shorter cable on loom and fed it under carpet to plug frame in center under drivers seat and attached it into the frame (if you are agile you don't need to undo the bolt holding in the connector)
    25) routed cable carefuly around the soundproofing .
    26) removed radio - mine is a double din Kenwood that I installed myself
    27) removed climate control unit
    28) fed loom into central console where climate control cables come out
    29) wired into climate control cables as per instructions supplied by kufatec
    30) removed plastic triming on passenger side
    31) loosened carpet and pulled it back .
    32) fed socket for passenger heaters through back of radio and under carpet - due to the length of the cable it goes into the the rear of the radio up past the grill in drivers footwell and down the other side
    33) attached socket to frame under passenger seat
    35) put everything back together in reverse order - don't forget to plug seats back in (also fed cables for rear screens under floor while I was at it)
    36) installed new climate control module
    37) reattached battery
    38) started car and scanned using vagcom
    39) checked and cleared errors on HVAC (module 8)
    40) set adaptation 81 to 26467 and saved (gets unit to learn car's vin)
    41) tested all functions of unit - cycled through vents etc
    42) rescanned got errors (as expected) saying problem with seat thermostats - not installed yet.
    43) locked up car pleased with phase 1

    44) UPDATE!!! started getting errors in the control unit on vagcom - looking for an immobiliser (what a climate control would want to do with an immobiliser is beyond me) and others. Anyway turns out I needed to code it ("00100" for a cabriolet) and then have it "self learn" the car. this is done by opening up adaptation and putting it on code 001 and leaving it, at the start there are loads of numbers but after a few minutes they all go to 0 then clicked save and all is okay.


    If you have any questions let me know. I took some photos that I can share if someone needs help. Note if asking questions please mention the step number that is causing the issue.

    Step 2 will be next week as I am waiting for the seat mats. Will try to install them myself but may get a third party to do it.

    Note seat mats are expensive (€75 * 4 for front seats!!) since they are stuck to the seats you can't get second hand ones without getting the whole seat)

    Stay tuned for phase 2,

    Walter.
    Last edited by wmccann; 23-03-2009 at 02:29 PM.
     
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  2. Re: retrofit heated seats to 2003 A4 Cabriolet 
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    I like this bit "don't forget to plug seats back in" lol
    Good write up and well done so far,Walter your a top bloke made me laugh
    vag diagnostics, retrofits and general repairs
     
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  3. Re: retrofit heated seats to 2003 A4 Cabriolet 
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    Hi All,

    Promised phase 2 of this project and it is now complete:

    installing heater elements in seats. I approached this with some some fear and intrepidation and in the end I was correct but it is now complete

    Ok here we go:

    1) Remove passenger seat (chose this incase it all went horribly wrong so I would still be able to drive the car to get it repaired ) - don't forget to disconnect the battery for 20 mins before starting to ensure the airbags capacitors are empty.
    2) move seat to a large open area as this requires full access to the seat.
    3) remove the plastic coverings on both sides of the chair (there are 2 small pins which are accessible from the rear - you have to use some force to remove these - they will be broken so get a few spares.
    4) The side with the handle for raising the seat, remove the handle - raise the handle up as high as possible and you will see a small hole with a piece of metal in it - insert a screwdriver and pull the handle off - this is very difficult.
    5) turn seat upside down and undo clips which hold the plastic covering on.
    6) disconnect cable to switch for lumbar support.
    7) If you can undo the 2 nuts on each side that hold the back onto the base - I failed in this as I did not have the correct "star" driver. This will make the cover removal much easier.
    8) The back: carefully prise the kick plate from the back of the seat - 3 clips - one near the edge on either side (top) and one in the middle. insert a screw driver and twist carefully - the clips will pop out - remove the kickplate.
    9) around the edge of the kickplate you will see some black plastic beading, on the side opposite the airbag, unclip the beading.
    10) tip the seat upside down and un do the clip in the bottom of the seat attached to the elastic strip attached to the back of the seat.
    11) turn seat back and unclip the black beading at the bottom of the kickplate
    12) carefully feed the beading through the gap between the back and base of the seat (assuming you couldn't take the seat apart)
    13) carefully peel the leather back from the bottom side opposite the airbag you will soon see red clip holding the leather in, get a screwdriver and inserti it into the clip - pull the black beading out.
    14) continue doing this for all the clips up to the top ridge (no heating element goes here).
    15) peal the leather back and insert the heating pads - they are difficult to control once the back is off them as they are quite sticky, so remove one side first and then peal the other side (like a plaster)
    16) once elements are installed with one hand hold the rec clips and with the other guide the black beading back into them - is difficult but with practice becomes easier - snap the beading in place,
    17) continue until all beading back
    18) feed piece under seat back to the kick cover hole and clip in beading.

    The base:

    19) Unclip the piece of leather going under the seat
    20) remove the black frame which held on the plastic cover - 3 star nuts.
    21) unclip the beading under the seat for the 2 side cushions - push down on the seat to get some slack in the leather. These can be difficult to remove
    22) feed the leater going under the seat back through
    23) on right hand side the wires for the lumbersupport and airbag need to be slackened - these feed throught a hole in the leather on the base -
    24) loosen the leather and pullthe wires through
    25) undo the red clips as you did for the back moving carefully from the back to the front of the chair.
    26) pull ou the leg extension
    27) peel the leather back so that you can see the black plastic strip that holds the leather into the main seat -this pulls out quite easily
    28) on either side of the space between main seat and leg extension pull out the plastic strip
    29) the leg extension pad is held on by a metal bar going through the leater and under some clips - using a scresdriver to push the bar down and towards the back of the seat at each clip release the bar.
    30) peel the leather back so you can get your hands under the leather covering the leg extension
    31) carefully stick the heating element under the leather.
    32) apply the rest of the elements (on main seat and side cusions)
    33) put leather back in the reverse order of above - making sure the plastic strips are in the red clips as you go
    34) put wires through the leather from the back (airbag and lumbar support etc)
    35) put the wire from the seat base through the hole in the seat base
    36) feed the covering that goes under the seat back and clip it in.
    37) put metal fram you removed and the plastic sides back on.
    38) reinstall the seat into the car

    Note I am missing the cable between the back elements and the base elements and the floor box - can't find them so will have to build my own.

    This is not for the faint hearted. The passenger seat too e 3.5 hours, the drivers took 2 as I knew what I was doing.

    Be careful not to pull the leather too much as it might rip.

    I was quoted €350 in Dublin by an upolsterer - could be worth it.

    Also my hands were very stiff the next day - you have been warned.

    If anyone has a set of the cables I am missing for both seats let me know as it will save me much hassle.

    Soon I will have heated seats

    Any questions let me know.

    Walter.
     
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  4. Re: retrofit heated seats to 2003 A4 Cabriolet 
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    Hello,

    I Bought new leather seats for my A4 b6, so the new seats are lumbar electric and no heated. My old ones are just heated. I am planning to transfer the old heating elements to the new leather seats.
    Is it possible? it is almost like you did...

    And I need to feed 12v to the new seats.
    How to wire the power source for the lumbar electric function? ( red wire - fuse box? )
    Send me pics or more information, please.

    Under the seats, on the carpet floor, I have the yellow connector (airbags), Red connector ( just one wire - A thick Brown wire) and the green connector ( heating source), no Black connector (seat belts).

    On my new seats, I have just yellow and red connectors.

    On red connector, two wires, the thick brown wire and a red with white stripe. I figure that this is the one that I have to link it to the power source, the brown it is probably the ground, Am I right?

    Thanks!
     
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  5. Re: retrofit heated seats to 2003 A4 Cabriolet 
    #5
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    Hi,

    1) it is difficult to remove the elements as they are in a foam pad stuck to the old seat and tear very easily - though I did do it once.
    2) I assume you have the control dials in the dashboard (part of AC control unit)
    3) connector under the seat on my car is the Green connector - pins 1 and 4 go to the AC unit, pin3 is the earth for the heater element, pin 2 is the earth for the thermostat.
    4) removing the covers on the seat is no easy job and should not be taken lightly - for me to do it takes approx 2-4 hours per seat. If your seat has "ridges" it is even more complicated. It will probably "kill" your fingers so I would advise you not to take it on unless you really know what you are doing. Also make sure you have the correct tools - the start nuts (if you have them) between the back and base of the seat will sheer if you do not use the correct tool.

    There are quite a few connections from the AC unit involved. - the power comes from here so it can be controlled (earlier models) or via a relay unit (newer models).

    hope this helps,

    Walter.

    Update, re-read your email and yes you should have no wiring problems for the seat element. For the Lumber you need just one wire from a switched fuse - the heated power line will not do as your lumber would only work when the seat is heating . Connect the brown cable to the earth of the heating elements.
     
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