96 850 Heated rear seats?

[895meztz94]

The 850 has slots for two switches, while the 70 Series only have a slot for one switch.

Therefore, the Right and Left arrows would correct for the rear seat of an 850.

[Maxbaby]

I remember seeing a writeup from someone on the same topic as well, but I can't find it either. Having replaced the heating pads on my drivers seat, I can tell you that it's a time-consuming job, but hardly a difficult one. And if the wiring is already there, then I'd think it would be pretty easy for a do-it-yourselfer. You'd just have to undo the coverings for the seat cushions, and then connect everything up to the (if it's there) wiring already in place. My thought is, is it difficult to get the parts brought in to North America if this is an option only available in Europe? (What an option to have though...)

[double_platinum]

yeah I have done the heating elements on my 960 before, and on a few saabs too, and it isnt too bad, just labor intensive. I just called the dealer and he said he could order the relay, but he would need my vin for the seat cushion elements (?). He also didnt list the switches in his system, so I have a set of front seat switches that I have to replace the bulbs in, then I can use those, as long as it is wired. If it isn't I can rip the sockets out of my parts car and use those to wire it up by hand (though I would rather plug and play). Before I start I guess I should go get a new cable for my camera so I can post a tutorial here on adding them. Might be a week or so before I can get started, so maybe someone with this option or with intimate knowledge of the wiring near the back seat of the wagons can chime in and tell me if it is wired, or any suggestions for the process.

I also have a set of 850 heated front seats to pull the t-stats from, though I think the elements on the seat bottom would be too long to swap into the rear bench, but I will pull those apart and see if they might work. Also am I looking at being able to use the same part # relay for the front?

Thanks

[Ozark Lee]

Here is another thread with additional part numbers.

http://volvospeed.com/vs_forum/index.ph ... entry22212

...Lee

[double_platinum]

Thanks Lee, I stole the part #'s from that thread to repost here

9128541-1 Switch
9128542-9 Switch
9148513-6 Harness
3523201-6 Relay
9132197-6 heater element 2 required
9138876-9 heater element 2 required

though I think they are missing the thermostat for the seat as well as per the diagram. I will just use the front seat t-stats I already have, and if that works I will post the part number in here as well. Pics soon

[findude]

Our 1996 850 sedan has rear seat heaters. There is one switch and one heater for each side (not one big heater for the whole seat). The switches are located in the center above the ashtray. See the photo:

IMG_2383s.jpg (59.69 KiB) Viewed 4912 times

(yes, I too am shocked by how dirty the car is).

We ordered this car through TDS (Tourist and Diplomat Sales) and this option was on the TDS option sheet but not on the North American option sheet. We also ordered the Sport Chassis without the rear spoiler (they were bundled for the North American market).

The heaters work great, and the kids love them. They complain that our other cars don't have seat heaters in the back.

The switches differ from those for the front seat heaters in that they turn on and then rest in the off position with the indicator light on--then they time out like the defroster switch. I think it's a 15-minute delay. This is good, because the driver can't see the switches. I can't recommend doing a retrofit with switches that don't time out.

Ours can't be the only 850 in North America to have this option, but I've never seen another one.

[double_platinum]

Very cool, and a 5 speed to boot as well. Nice!

I think the relay might do the timing, that would probably not be in the switch itself, but I will find out.

Thanks for the great info and picture!

[SlickBrick]

I've got a 96 854T that is prewired for rear heated seats. Don't know if other models are or not. It also has the two pop out holes for the switches and the fuses under the hood. findude - I'm jealous of your car!!! Stick shift AND heated rear seats!

[findude]

I recall the rear seat heaters being a $300 option when we ordered the car.

Our car sort of has an interesting history. When we decided we were going to buy an 850, we couldn't agree on color (me white, wife red) so we let our 3-year-old choose (black). The car will be his now that he is getting his license.

We're picky buyers and the 850 was a lot of money at the time. We studied the option sheets and decided we wanted a manual transmission, leather, heated seats front and rear, "sport chassis", and "no sunroof". Not surprisingly, there were none of these on the three dealer lots we visited. We expressed an interest in ordering a car, but nobody would order sport suspension without the rear spoiler and nobody would order leather without a sunroof (GLT).

When we discovered we could configure the car the way we wanted it via TDS, we visited a Volvo dealer while vacationing in England and ordered the car there. Apparently most TDS orders are made in the destination country and then picked up in Sweden and driven around Europe, but this worked out for us. It is a US model (Market Code 31). The catch, of course, was that we had to pay for the car in full when we ordered it. I have heard that ordering in Europe and having it shipped home is no longer an option Volvo offers.

I don't blame dealers for trying really hard to sell cars they already have on site, but I remain mystified why they won't order a car for a willing customer who doesn't mind waiting 3 months. Ironically, we had previously bought two used Volvos (a 1985 240 wagon and a 1991 740 Turbo wagon) from one of the dealers--I never understood why they wouldn't work with us. We also have a Honda Odyssey and a MINI Cooper S that we ordered (and waited 3 months for).

We are stuck on ordering cars when we buy them new. We can always wait 2-3 months for a car and it is much more satisfying knowing that you have the car you want rather than just what is on the lot. We have also bought many cars used over the years, that's different because you don't expect to get exactly what you want.

I don't know if we'll ever buy another Volvo unless the right used V70R comes along. The current line up does not excite me much. I like the C30, but we already have a MINI. The shift to the 6-cylinder engine for the V70 was a disappointment for me, and I've never liked the pseudo-SUV genre manifested in the XC cars. We actually had a 2002 S60 AWD for a couple of years, but when we took delivery of the MINI and had to thin the fleet, we chose to keep the 850 instead. We've had no regrets with this car except that once in a while I wish we'd ordered a wagon. At the time we almost ordered it in Midnight Blue (not a USA color for 1996 but available via TDS), but the black has worked out OK, especially with the black leather interior (the dealers were selling black cars with white/tan leather for some reason).

Of the four Volvos we've owned, we like the 850 best (though the 740 Turbo wagon was also an awesome car). The factory sport chassis makes a big difference (stiffer springs and fatter sway bars) and we've never missed the turbo with the manual transmission. Also, we had had problems with the unit on the 740 Turbo and were somewhat hesitant to buy another turbo. Since the 850 T was not available in US spec with a manual transmission when we ordered it, it was not an option for us.

[MadeInJapan]

There is now the OSD option through your dealer- Overseas Delivery. You buy or finance the car, Volvo sends you round trip tickets for two to Sweden and a free night stay there. You take a tour of the Volvo facility, drive around Europe, deliver your car to a port which loads it in a ship, fly back to the U.S. and get your car a month or two later (if you're lucky). Cost is slightly less than buying a new Volvo over here (or at least it was a year ago). You can inquire at your dealer if there is interest.