Rostra Seat Heaters Review

[rbattelle]

Today I installed Rostra Controls seat heaters in both my front seats. These are the ones Geno's is selling now. Thought I would post my opinions.



This is a well thought-out kit, with almost everything you need to finish the job. Geno's also includes a nice supplement that tells you how to remove the driver's front seat cover. There is an omission on their instructions, however: non-power seats have to be removed from the vehicle in order to remove the seat covers. This quickly became apparent as I started to work with my passenger seat (non power). There are brackets in the way of the j-clips that can only be moved by removing the seat. Simplest way to do this is with a 13mm socket on the 4 bolts that mount the seat to the seat-track brackets. Very easy job.



Anyway, I mounted my driver switch in the cigarette lighter socket (I don't smoke), and the passenger switch in the plastic patch panel on the passenger side. I had to lengthen the switch wiring in order to place the seat controls under their respective seats (the switch wires are only 1 ft long in the kit.



They have 2 settings: 135 degrees and 145 degrees. One strange thing is the passenger-side heaters make a slight buzzing noise but the driver's side seems to be silent.



Installation was easy, but took me about 6 hours to do it right including all the wiring.

 

[Tony T.]

Heated Seats

Ryan, good luck with your new mod, sounds like your going to be nice an toasty this winter. This also reminded me of a test drive around four years ago that me an my wife took in a Tahoe that had heated seats an her side we could not figure out how to turn off. You've heard of a "hot foot" well she had the "hot buns" all the way back she was holding herself up off the seat while I was laughing, "yeah" I got the "look". I'm sorry honey, but it's funny.

 

[rbattelle]

Finally I won't get frostbite for the first 15 minutes of my drive waiting for the engine to warm up!



-Ryan

 

[CoreyPerez]

hey guys,



I purchased these from Genos for the wife's car and got a question. They worked fine at first, other than one element on the P. S. didn't heat up. I swapped boxes, same story and when I tried to the PS box on the DS, nothing worked, put the DS back on the DS, didn't work. Now neither work, and I just got a replacement element for the PS & a replacement box, still no workie. They just click 2 times (assuming on and off) but no heat. Just wondering if yours click one time or two times. I also cut the blue wire on the new one just for giggles to see if THAT would make any difference. I've tried all different wire configureations between the 5 elements and 3 boxes, pulled the wire looms apart, everything LOOKs perfect, but its isn't...



Thanks,



Corey

 

[rbattelle]

I'm only guessing here, but since you've replaced the box and it still isn't working it must be a problem with the wiring on the car itself. Where did you tap to get power for the box. IIRC, the boxes need both a continuous hot and an accessory hot.



Neither of my boxes make any clicking noise at all...



-Ryan

 

[Graphic man]

Post some pic's

would love to see them !!!

 

[CoreyPerez]

Guys,



Man, I feel like such an idiot. In retrospect... DUH!



The seat heaters only require that the switched power (I think it was) be fused (ie: equiped). Well I ran the constant straight from the battery. Seems a wire got pinched (which I noticed & checked the fuses that I tapped into the switched power @ the fuse box). Those were fine, so I assuemd that the boxes were bad or I surged the system some how and fried the elements (if you unplug your seat heaters, you will get the double click sounds I was getting). Well I figured it had to be something like that. Well I'm the dumb*****. It actually blew the constant power fuse I had in line & forgot about... So, after pulling the car apart about 10 times trouble shooting everything, pulling the looms apart, checking contunity, checking the heaters... EVERYTHING it was a stupid fuse. The instructions didn't mention anything about that in the troubleshooting guide, but still, I'm the moron here. Plus, my sister in law was down there with me and specifically asked if the fuese thingies were good, which I replied they were... .



Well anyway, it hit me about 1230a while in the shower to check that, ran to the garage in near zero weather, soaking wet, checked the fuse and BINGO! dried off, got re-dressed and fixed the car. Right now as I'm typing this, the wife is driving to school with tosty buns!



And since I've got part of another kit... :-laf Looks like the ram is atleast getting DS seat heater! And let me tell ya, damn those things got HOT!



OH!



Just wondering for those that installed them. Did you put the foam backing up towards the your butt, or down towards the seat. Seems like the emement up (foam down towards the seat) they would get a LOT toastier...



I had to replace the lower element on the P. S and tried it that way to see what it would do. If I get any feed back, I'll let you know.



One last thing. I'm considering buying a micro switch from radio shack to toggle the blue wire, what position are you folks usually running them in? I cut the one on the new box, and will let the wife decide what she wants.



Thanks again for the prompt feedback, and we are toasty in frigid UT.



And as far as pictures, what would you like pictures of? Seats look normal, and you can only see the switches in by the center arm rest.



Corey

 

[rbattelle]

Oh well, glad it was just a simple fuse.



I clipped the blue wire on both of mine, so my switches are high/low (as opposed to front/back). When I installed them I put the foam facing out... didn't even consider putting them the other way.



-Ryan

 

[CoreyPerez]

You say that you didn't even consider putting them the other way. Is this a bad idea or something?



She has leather seats, so I was wondering if they would be toastier one way or the other.



Corey

 

[rbattelle]

You say that you didn't even consider putting them the other way. Is this a bad idea or something?

Corey

Not at all! I just meant that it never occurred to me to attempt that. Actually, I think it's a good idea and wish I had done it that way instead.

 

[CoreyPerez]

I'll let you konw when I get a chance to ride around in the car if one seat bottome feels warmer than the other. I wouldn't directly think that it should matter, but when it was out of the car, and I was testing it, the element side was much hotter than the material side...



I figured the sticky side should be down the first time I installed everything, but thought I'd flip that one when trying it the second time. Oh, and as a side note, those buggers were a bear to pull out with the tape stuck to the foam of the seat & I'm surprised the instructions don't mention anything about which way to put them.





Corey

 

[VicR]

Are you guys putting these under cloth seats, or just leather?



thanks,



-Vic

 

[Sootscooter]

Are you guys putting these under cloth seats, or just leather?



thanks,



-Vic

This is my question as well. Also, will the kit work with the 1st gen seats? I would like to have a set... . Thanks, Ryan

 

[rbattelle]

Mine are under cloth seats.

 

[JGK]

This is my second or 3rd season with them under cloth seats, foam side down, no problem.



-Jay

 

[CoreyPerez]

Wife's is leather.



My truck is cloth, and will be getting heaters soon



Corey

 

[JJW_ND]

Highly recomend for any northerner!

I have had one of these in the driver side for several years. now. I only turn it off June - August.



I don't even notice the lack of coolant heat when driving to work any more. Seat is hot in seconds. They high settting gets to hot for me after awhile.



If you live in the northern tier states you will love this add on.



jjw

ND

 

[Oliver88]

I have a 99 with leather seats. Does it work well with leather?

Greg

 

[LightmanE300]

Congrats on your installs. I only wish I had gone this route. The factory Laramie seat heaters take MINUTES to warm and never get that hot, even on high. Arghhh.

 

[CoreyPerez]

I've got the ones I've got on my truck under cloth, but my heaters have gotten "weak" over the past season or two. They get hot and then cycle off. they seem to stay hot until they were shut off before...



Corey