idea: Remote turn on heated seats

So I was thinking today that it would be quite nice to simply turn on my heated seats remotely during the winter, as I don't really need to warm the entire car up on most days, and am in the camp that believes it is wasteful to do so often. Anyway, I was wondering if an OEM remote start system could be used to turn the ignition accessory power on, but not to actually start the engine. This would be in a 6MT car, so the clutch switch would prevent starting, but I have no idea how the remote start system is programmed or physically wired within the electrical system.

 

Does anyone have any idea on whether or not this is possible (and reasonable) to do?

 

I could do it quite simply with an aftermarket remote relay, but I'd prefer to not have another remote on my key ring, and not have to mess around with wiring in a home-made solution.

I don't really need to warm the entire car up on most days, and am in the camp that believes it is wasteful to do so often.

 

Can you explain this some more? I'm not sure how it is wasteful, as the heater core uses waste heat from the engine that would otherwise be dispersed into the atmosphere via the radiator.

Can you explain this some more? I'm not sure how it is wasteful, as the heater core uses waste heat from the engine that would otherwise be dispersed into the atmosphere via the radiator.

 

I would imagine the waste is in the fact the car engine is running just to warm up the interior. So it is getting 0 mpgs.

It also takes more time to warm up a car idling than driving it.

Oh, OK. That makes sense. So this would be instead of just using remote start to warm up the whole vehicle and waste gas. That makes more sense, I must have read it weird at first.

For the reasons mentioned by these guys, mostly. I will let it warm up the engine a bit on the absolute coldest days, but mostly I just drive it lightly until it warms up

TDWPgtp, I hail from the northern region of Ohio as well.

 

I don't see any way to do this. I usually just go out, start the car up, turn the seats to high, then come back out in 5 minutes.

The only feasible way I could see this working as our car is wired now, would be to make a timer circuit with continuous power to automatically turn on at a preset time. But of course you would need to ensure the battery wouldn't be run down. Or perhaps wire the timer circuit through a switch that you activated manually to set them to come on with the timer.

 

I am sure it could be done, just a matter of finding the right information or right system.

The only feasible way I could see this working as our car is wired now, would be to make a timer circuit with continuous power to automatically turn on at a preset time. But of course you would need to ensure the battery wouldn't be run down. Or perhaps wire the timer circuit through a switch that you activated manually to set them to come on with the timer.

 

I am sure it could be done, just a matter of finding the right information or right system.

 

This is the way I was planning, if no obody had a better idea. 12v remote controlled switches are cheap. I could wire it in addition to the existing wiring such that I could turn it on with the remote or with the existing switch.

 

Tim, i know where you live.... I am Peter lol

The actual wiring and control I don't think would be too bad. I think the major issue would be finding somewhere to get 12v inside when the key is off. The closest (and only, besides maybe the flasher relay) source I know of that might have power all the time are the seat adjustment controls.

 

I assume the relays in the BIU won't do anything without the whole thing powered, so you'd have to power the seat heaters directly (not just by energizing the switch) which means you'd want some decently thick wire too.

The seat heaters don't really use a lot of power, iirc they are powered by the same circuit as the power port/cigarette lighter with a 10a fuse. You could also run the power from the fuse box in the dash with an add a circuit kit. I am really thinking now this would be a much simpler operation if you added a remote start kit with the option of turning on the seat heaters, rather than a cobbled together timer kit. At least explore the option.

The actual wiring and control I don't think would be too bad. I think the major issue would be finding somewhere to get 12v inside when the key is off. The closest (and only, besides maybe the flasher relay) source I know of that might have power all the time are the seat adjustment controls.

 

I assume the relays in the BIU won't do anything without the whole thing powered, so you'd have to power the seat heaters directly (not just by energizing the switch) which means you'd want some decently thick wire too.

 

I would definitely make sure to use large enough wires, correct value fuses, and a switch/relay rated for the current that the seats would draw. The last thing I would want is to burn down my car:eek:

 

As for actually getting power to the seats, if I am doing a system that is completely independent of the existing systems, I could wire directly to the fuse box or battery (with an inline fuse, of course), and put the remote controlled switch on that line. It would be pretty simple, really. I will have to think it through some more and make sure I am not overlooking something.

This is the way I was planning, if no obody had a better idea. 12v remote controlled switches are cheap. I could wire it in addition to the existing wiring such that I could turn it on with the remote or with the existing switch.

 

Tim, i know where you live.... I am Peter lol

 

Lmao, the MGB should have given it away I keep thinking you have a 2012 GT for some reason.

 

It takes forever to heat the seats up anyways when you're not in them. I've had to car running for a good 15 minutes one time and then they just started to heat up when I got outside.