Heated Seat Question

Folks -

Need your help. Still can't open the back cover of the fuse box. The side facing me is hinged, so it appears to open from the front side, but there isn't any obvious way for it to unclip, unbolt, slide, etc.

No videos anywhere, no threads on how to do this, no pics, and boy have I searched.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Should just be retainer clips on the other 3 non-hinged sides. Swing open and pull the fingers out of the hinge. From there you pull the pink lock 1/8"-1/4" towards you and it should "click" this allows you to push the electrical connectors into the back of the fuse panel. Press the pink clip back to lock in the pins, insert your fuse, hook up your main powers, and your buns are toasty.

Good luck.

Fairly simple. I have built a few of these heated seat and powered seat harnesses... like that kauftec kit. Simple enough install though.

Sadly, still doesn't make sense, and still can't open it up.

There definitely is no retainer clip on the bottom. On the top and the front there is something that doesn't look like any kind of clip normally seen in a VW, and can't figure out how it opens. Doesn't slide, or anything. Probaby one of these things that, once I do get it open, it'll seem so simple and I'll feel foolish.

I'm about to the point of taking a big screwdriver and prying, but that would be bad.

I can only remember being totally perplexed and about to give up as well. I then grasped it and popped it off, I believe (I was tempted to use something to pry it off but I'm no thinking I didn't do that, though it might have been OK as long as I watched out for breaking something).

Got it, finally. I had to unscrew the two little bolts that hold the fuse box in place.
Then, on the top is a plastic tab - a flat piece - and using a screwdriver, I loosened that. Ditto on the front side - you're blind, but after freeing the fuse box from its mounting bolts you can get at it, again with a screwdriver.

I don't like my harness, however. It runs the two ground wires from each seat all the way up the center to the switches. I'm going to pull those, and research where a good ground point would be on the seats themselves. It probably would work the way I have it, but a good short ground wire is always a better idea.

Well, yeah, had thought that the fuse box was loose already.

Kufatec provides a long ground wire, so I figure long is just fine. I run to the lower A-pillar ground (behind kick panel). There's a good ground just under the steering column (I used that for other things).

Yeah, I decided to use one ground from the steering column (just above and to the left) and one below, down to the right of the power connections (75x, 30, 30, etc.). One goes to the driver's seat switch, the other to the passenger's.

Still need to add the fuses into the fuse box. Probably won't happen today, though, too busy.

Got them wired into the fuse box. Found a video online that explains how VW electrical connectors worked, which I needed for the antenna extension. And, believe it or don't, the heated seats are working!

Judson said:

Got them wired into the fuse box. Found a video online that explains how VW electrical connectors worked, which I needed for the antenna extension. And, believe it or don't, the heated seats are working!

Click to expand...

Of course you'd do it! Good job! I've been driving my car now for a while and am for sure thinking it was all worth the effort.

It's funny how one thing - wiring in the remote antenna wire - can lead to a solution in another. I've had to take my time during the myriad of projects, and doing so found that questions on how to do something are answered as I go from one task to another.

Been learning a lot!

Good to hear your learning more and fixing what you see. I find that the most rewarding messing around with these cars, and everything in general. Glad the seats are working too. Id not worry about the ground much. The ones I make put the 1 ground for the system to the ground point under the steering wheel. Mine might be wired slightly different then kauftec, but 5-6 cars of heat and 3 cars of power seat harnesses that I have wired to there have had no problem using that as a ground point.

I'm very happy that I finally got my heated seats working, it has been well worth it now that winter is here. I need to get the truck's seats wired up too now!