Adding Heated Seats?

**lwg** · 10-26-2008 01:49 AM

I found a nice Nagaro S4 Avant locally with what seems like every option except apparently heated seats. I have searched and searched and cannot find out if they can be added somewhat easily? Somewhere it was mentioned the dealership could do it for about $500, but no confirmation. I really like this car but the wife says heated seats are a deal breaker so I'm hoping this can be done.

And before it's mentioned, I would prefer not to go aftermarket, really want the clean look of factory heated seats...

**AudiXS4X01** · 10-26-2008 02:09 AM

Nogaro*

**nimski62** · 10-26-2008 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by lwg

I found a nice Nagaro S4 Avant locally with what seems like every option except apparently heated seats. I have searched and searched and cannot find out if they can be added somewhat easily? Somewhere it was mentioned the dealership could do it for about $500, but no confirmation. I really like this car but the wife says heated seats are a deal breaker so I'm hoping this can be done.

And before it's mentioned, I would prefer not to go aftermarket, really want the clean look of factory heated seats...

Sadly, I dont think its possible unless you go aftermarket. They would take the leather off the recaros, put the elements, and wire some stealth switches.. it wouldnt be so bad.

There are no wire connections to the seats for heaters in non-heated cars, and the temp control units are totally diff.. the heated seat buttons are part of the temp control unit.

**covertS4driver** · 10-26-2008 12:14 PM

Def have to go after market. But if you're in the Northeast, its a must have!

**Ill 3.0** · 10-26-2008 12:46 PM

It can be done, but does require removing the leather covering (prob. not DIY) and installing the new switches and rewiring (can be DIY). If you did all the work yourself it would probably only run you a few hundred, but it would take a huge amount of time and be a big PITA. Or you could pay a shop to do it and it wouldn't be cheap but probably still cheaper than the 3k+ you would have to pay for heated leather aftermarket seats. If it were me, I'd keep looking.

**Tiny2000** · 10-26-2008 01:02 PM

i was in the EXACT same position a year ago, found the perfect S4 avant, but alas, no heated seats (it was a south carolina car)

there are definitely aftermarket pads you can buy as described above. I didn't like the idea of cheap looking toggle switches, which would have been fugly looking imo.

the dealership wanted close to $2000 in parts and labour to install OEM heaters, apparently lots of complicated wiring to do

looking back, i should have pulled the trigger. saw a OEM climate control unit FS for $150, which had the heating switches. buy the aftermarket pads (they are kind of like electric blankets). spend a weekend fooling around, i think it's possible - EXCEPT for the weird little seat extension for the driver Recaros. don't know how that would possibly get heat in that tiny cushion.

**Tiny2000** · 10-26-2008 01:06 PM

this is the website i was looking at previously. doesn't sound TOO complicated... and they say they supply OEM heaters to many manufacturers

http://www.heatedseatkits.com/heatedseatkits/index.html

**lwg** · 10-26-2008 01:11 PM

That's kind of what I was thinking. Also the B7's are starting to come off lease so more and more will likely be available in the coming months. And with the current state of economy they will likely only get cheaper the longer I wait.

I guess I'll wait for now...

**UberDave** · 10-26-2008 11:05 PM

Call a few upholstery places to see what they will charge to add the heaters, then buy a new climate control from the classifieds, they show up pretty frequently. Getting a shop to remove the covers, add the heaters and put the covers back on might not be too expensive, you can then wire them up to the climate control yourself. I wouldn't tackle the seats myself but the rest shouldn't be too bad.