Heated seat conversion for a CLK
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12-03-2011 | 11:12 PM
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Heated seat conversion for a CLK
I have a 2001 CLK 320 Cabrio and have been doing some research on converting stock CLK seats to heated. For the past several months, on and off, I have been speaking to mechanics at dealerships and Indy shops and have come to a dead end. Furthermore, there has been some misinformation and some truths, but to no end.
First, the CLK 320 does not have the heating elements in the passenger side of a non-heated seat as many have said. I pulled my seat and what they think is a heating element is actually a sensor pad for children that turns the airbag off on that side. Secondly, I did find two extra plugs on the wiring harness behind the climate control bezel that were taped back; they plug into the switches for the heated seats and the head light washer switch. I actually found a heated switch gang with head light washer on ebay for around $65; it included the laminated wood bezel. After installing the switches the two heated seat switches illuminated properly; down once for one LED down a second time for two LED. Done in the reverse and it turns off. If I would leave it on two LED the timing function would shut it down to one LED after a period of time. That much works.
I did pull the sills from the door and looked through the loom and found a few unused plugs, but don't know what to pull off to power the elements. On that topic, I did find out that the MB elements do get nice and hot, but have been known to fail, crack and burn out. There are aftermarket elements that are made of carbon fiber and although they do not get as hot they will not fail if random areas break over time.
Back to the loom that runs under the sills. If someone can point me in the right direction and or post some photos of what there loom looks like under their sills (those of you with heated factory seats) I think I can get this to work with the factory switches. I doubt there is anything else other than connecting the heating elements to the loom under the sills. The four pronged plug that I connected to the heated seat switches had three small gauge wires (approx. 16) and one large gauge (approx. 12). That tells me that that plug does regulate the current for the element.
Any help would be appreciated and if I do get it working I would be happy to post a full tutorial on doing this. I know it would be used by many and the parts are cheap. Aftermarket carbon fiber elements are about $90 a seat and the bezel and switches are only $65 on eBay.
SirSwift93
First, the CLK 320 does not have the heating elements in the passenger side of a non-heated seat as many have said. I pulled my seat and what they think is a heating element is actually a sensor pad for children that turns the airbag off on that side. Secondly, I did find two extra plugs on the wiring harness behind the climate control bezel that were taped back; they plug into the switches for the heated seats and the head light washer switch. I actually found a heated switch gang with head light washer on ebay for around $65; it included the laminated wood bezel. After installing the switches the two heated seat switches illuminated properly; down once for one LED down a second time for two LED. Done in the reverse and it turns off. If I would leave it on two LED the timing function would shut it down to one LED after a period of time. That much works.
I did pull the sills from the door and looked through the loom and found a few unused plugs, but don't know what to pull off to power the elements. On that topic, I did find out that the MB elements do get nice and hot, but have been known to fail, crack and burn out. There are aftermarket elements that are made of carbon fiber and although they do not get as hot they will not fail if random areas break over time.
Back to the loom that runs under the sills. If someone can point me in the right direction and or post some photos of what there loom looks like under their sills (those of you with heated factory seats) I think I can get this to work with the factory switches. I doubt there is anything else other than connecting the heating elements to the loom under the sills. The four pronged plug that I connected to the heated seat switches had three small gauge wires (approx. 16) and one large gauge (approx. 12). That tells me that that plug does regulate the current for the element.
Any help would be appreciated and if I do get it working I would be happy to post a full tutorial on doing this. I know it would be used by many and the parts are cheap. Aftermarket carbon fiber elements are about $90 a seat and the bezel and switches are only $65 on eBay.
SirSwift93
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