The factory Level II buckets are really very good seats but I've always wanted seat heaters like the high end Explorers have. As with just about anything else, there are several vendors on eBay who offer heated seat conversions. I ordered two sets.

I finished converting mine just in time to try them on the way out to the recent Michigan meet (11/17/07). They work great and, other than wrestling with disassembling the seats, the install wasn't difficult.

The kits I chose are sold by Cobraheat LLC. Each includes 2 heating elements (enough for one seat cushion and one back). A nice feature is that the elements, switch and relay for each seat are prewired in a harness with connectors where you need them and enough wire to satisfy just about any front seat installation. There are only 2 wires for each seat, a hot and a ground, to connect to the vehicle's electrical system. As with any circuit, the wiring for the seat heaters must be properly fused.



The switches can be installed on any flat surface where there is adequate clearance for the back of the switch and its wires. Since they are round, the basic holes can be drilled. I used a step drill to take each hole out to 3/4" (19mm), then filed it out the rest of the way for a snug fit on the 20mm switch body.

In this picture, the two switches are in the front corners of the center console right below where it meets the dash.



In use, the switch has 2 heating positions with a center off. The indicator LED illuminates red for high and green for low.





The heating mats are very thin and go between the seat fabric and its foam support. In the LII seats, they fit perfectly between the junctions where the side bolsters meet the center panel of each seat cushion. The wiring was simple and the switches easy to install. Taking the seats apart to install the heating elements was the hardest part.

 

nice score Bob!

i might have to get a set when i get my leather Explorer buckets (which are freakin cold in the winter) recovered.....

 

OOO... i'm gonna get a set soon!

 

after seeing/feeling yours, Im thinking of gettn a set. Might get the 4pack for 185ish, and do my mom's element too

 

good lord...bob does it again. beautiful job there, your holyness of badassery.

 

Bob, once again your truck dominates all other Rangers. I need to get some Level II seats or at least some of the new ones to add something like this!

 

very nice Bob!! i need to do this when i install my buckets

 

Very nice Bob. I will be ordering mine on Monday.

 

those look like the ones i install every day. when i do my seats, i plan on putting a set in.

 

I think I know what I want for Christmas now!!

 

i already said im not intrested in you renton!

 

As of right now, each heater kit is $62.50 with free Priority Mail shipping. Last winter the same kits were $75 each - I don't have any idea if they will return to the higher price as the weather gets colder.

The ultimate deal is the "buy 3 get 1 free" for $187.50 shipped. Less than $50 per seat. Perfect if you have 4 seats to heat or want to split an order with a friend.

 

Presumably these would work on any Ranger seats, or is the heating pad itself too wide for say 2002 seats?

 

That's a very important question that you would need to answer before ordering. Some investigation and a couple of measurements should help to keep you out of trouble. Just remember that these are universal kits and may need to be adjusted for different apps.

The heating elements in my kits measured about 11 3/4" wide by 20 1/2" long. The sides are like bus bars for the heat grid, so the width cannot be narrowed by trimming and the instructions also warn against folding it. The length can be trimmed as necessary to make it fit. This would be useful for a seat with a shorter back or cushion.



In the picture above, the 11 3/4" width of the element fit exactly between the lines where the black side bolsters meet the blue center panel and needed no trimming at all. In the LII buckets, the underside of each of those "tucked" lines looks almost like a Velcro tube that attaches the fabric cover into a groove in the foam cushion. I decided that I did not want to risk separating the tube and foam in case they refused to reattach. Instead, I just worked the heater element pad down into the space between the fabric and foam, being careful not to fold or wrinkle the element. I was lucky and the elements fit as if they were custom made to go in there.

I should add that disassembling the LII seats was a chore. In addition to the incliner lever, there is a lumbar **** and cable to disconnect. Then the seat and back have to be separated before the foam and covers could be removed. The buckets have an added twist because of the tilt and slide mechanism - I don't believe that the split bench worked the same way on my 97 or 00. I've never tried to disassemble a split bench but the absence of the tilt and slide linkage and the lumbar mechanism should make it go easier.

Seat back pivot bolt (Torx):


Tilt and slide linkage bolt (Torx):


Heater cable routed beside lumbar cable through seat belt slot:


If it looks like the heater element will not fit your application, you could try contacting Cobraheat for help. I think that they may sell some other sizes.

Cobraheat website

.PDF Instruction sheet Minor FYI: The instruction sheets that came with the kits said that the ground wires are black but, in my kits, they were white. No biggie, just a heads up.

 

Thanks for the heads up Bob. Those tips should come in handy when I get ready to install them.

 

very cool Bob thanks

 

Thanks Bob. I didn't think they would work but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. I've been hunting for a nice pair of Ranger bucket seats in my area. I'll definitely be bookmarking the outfit. Now if I can just figure out how to swap in an Explorer axle...

 

measurements dont work? he said if it doesnt look like.. not it wont?

 

I've wanted to trade the seats anyway...if I could do so, it would make sense to install the heaters as I change out the seats.

 

very cool Bob. I like the idea and have always wanted some, but it's one of those things I probably never install.

You have enough buttons, a pilot might mistake it for a planes cockpit:

 

Can never have enough buttons Bob fails to mention the button for the ejection seat hidden under the shifter ****.

 

The woes of havin' a 98. You can change everything externally, but nothing much internally. I guess that's where the benefits of having some cushion comes in.

 

how much was the seats and center console? jw. i bet they will come in handy when it gets really cold this winter.

 

I was wondering where that button was...

 

The seats came stock in the truck, the J/Y console was $25, the seat heater kits were $62.50 each.