Toyota Celica DIY

So I’m a huge fan of seat heaters, and was disappointed to find that they were not an option on the Celica, and as far as I know no one had attempted an aftermarket install. So as a post-Thanksgiving project, I decided to install a pair of my own, just in time for the cold weather.

The seat heater kit I got came from www.heatedseatkits.com. They seem to be very high OEM-quality, with clean, two-level switches. A set of two cost $180 (enough for both front seats).

Here’s an overview of what we did for the install:

Remove front seats (4 bolts):

Unclip the airbag and seatbelt sensors:

Remove the seat and have your buddy sit in the car looking goofy:

Move the seats to a warm place where you can remove the ~15 hog-type clips that hold the seat covers in place:

Remove the bottom cushion altogether in order to remove the bottom seat cover:

(I forgot to take pics for these sections): Proceed to install the seat heater kit, using the supplied adhesive tape. Put the seat covers back on (use zip-ties so you don’t have to mess with the hog clips), and re-install the seats.

Wire the heaters through the carpeting to the center console, past the shifter, and up to the back of the cigarette lighter plug.

Drill holes for the switches in the center console area (this is the step that required the most thought, and unfortunately the switches did not align as well as I had hoped…)

Enjoy the finished product, especially on those frigid winter mornings!