Just wondering:

 

1) would the Recaro Color Concept heating elements work when combined with a third party heated seats retrofit with their switches, i.e. without buggering up the elements ? I'm really not confident

 

2) would I be best to instead aim for the Golf installation if attempting the heated seats

I think apparently the switches do the regulation so understand, so no relay required, is that correct ? Do you think that would be fairly straightforward ?

 

Down side would be quite severe bodging I assume to work out where to put the non-standard golf switches....but thats another hurdle

 

3) matching the fabia stuff up to the golf wiring but I see this as a) more expensive and b: more hassle

 

Is it even worth heated seats....

If you could get hold a wiring diagram for the Golf seat wiring and a set of heated seat switches from a Fabia Elegance and the wiring diagram for them I'd say it was do-able.  Get an auto-electrician if you're not confident though.

 

Due to the way that VW share parts I wouldn't be too surprised if the wiring for the seats and the switches isn't the same on the Fabia and the Golf. 

 

If you like a warm car (or, like me, like a cold car but have a partner who likes a warm car) then heated seats are ace.  Especially on a cold morning with leather seats.

I don't quite think it is though

 

Forums for the golf seem to suggest it without relay/ heating modulation, think the switches are bigger and may actually shift some of this to the switches....my research could be incorrect tho.....

 

The fabia does have heating modulation circuit?? Hence gonna be more costly to get all the parts.

 

If I could somehow fit the switches in would mean the Golf (and maybe Octy?) route would be the better route...no one tried that yet though ?

 

Wonder if the switches could be dismantled to fit better in the dash....using the mantra "anything is possible if it can be proven to be so"

If you are serious about getting it done by someone speak to the guy in the below link, this guy knows his stuff inside and out and has worked on most of my cars for electrical stuff

 

http://www.dkcas.co.uk/

Cheers Jon, Mondy

Fancy doing another recaro conversion at some point

The other option might be to try and swap the heated seat pads from a Fabia Elegance into the other seats, which means that the Fabia switches would then work.  I prefer the idea of factory switches.

I don't favour this unfortuntely...making an already expensive idea even more expensive....the returns are modest (warmer seats with leather til car is warm)

Checked resistance and there seems to be continuity so there ARE heated seats behind the wiring it would seem !

 

Maybe I just need to hang about for ebay bargain for parts at least, I'm not looking to pay hundreds out for this and not against making up a loom if I could at least identify a diagram needed

 

I missed an auction on the needed green connectors and golf switches a bloke was doing but he wouldn't take my low offer and they sold anyway.

Hoping to get clarification from a seller on the Octy switch size so at least I can rule it out or not.

PS Im a stubborn son of a bitch hence my inability to let others do jobs for me.

 

I could have had my cruise fitted by someone on here (was it vrstu or Tech1e) decided to DIY myself a few weeks or so after I got the car.....bulkhead connector for the white wire too rather than the general instruction to "cut into the loom" not a bloody chance on a new car !! lol

 

Mind you it did make for a cheap retrofit, in hindsight I probably should have saved myself all the hassle lol

PS Im a stubborn son of a bitch hence my inability to let others do jobs for me.

 

I could have had my cruise fitted by someone on here (was it vrstu or Tech1e) decided to DIY myself a few weeks or so after I got the car.....bulkhead connector for the white wire too rather than the general instruction to "cut into the loom" not a bloody chance on a new car !! lol

 

Mind you it did make for a cheap retrofit, in hindsight I probably should have saved myself all the hassle lol

how much did it cost you in the end to fit the cruise?  

 

hurry up and get these yellow seats in mate, want to see the finished result

About £50 odd quid If I recall I got the new stalk on ebay (I got the VW specific part number as I personally prefer it)

Oh, plus a few quid to VW for the ad hoc mods to the loom wiring, generally following the old "Fabia vRS" website instructions.....except the bulk head connection rather than splicing the ECU.

 

Yeah tell me about it, I've got the seats now, rears ready to go in more or less, fronts just need bolting together and are currently  in various places around the house

(haven't the room for a full set of seats to be sitting about!)

 

In fact on that note I could really do with someone buying my decent set of standard vRS seats ! They only need a bit of a clean then will look nigh on perfect. Maybe I should split them into parts to stick in the attic after a good clean, and keep them handy in case I sell cos I will get more for selling the Recaros if I ever sell ?

Thanks very much to VW Teesside, who also sell looms, now confirmed the golf switches are rheostats and does not use relays or ECU connection.

 

If there is any way I could fit the switches in (or "a" switch at least, for drivers side only) then it sounds more or less straighforward.

Not really sure about manging the dash up though in the attempt to fit the non-Fabia switches though.

 

So presumably the smaller Fabia switches aren't quite the same and thus would complicate the install. I do prefer keeping it simple, and the Golf loom if possible.

 

I did drop a line down on the DKCAS link above to see if that will help. I think I may resolve to just fit the seats for now and heating another day/year!

click this > http://www.hotdocuments.com/search/d/skoda_fabia_valve/2.html then click to download 'diagrama cablajului skoda fabia'. It's in English. Wiring diagram for drivers side and passenger side is in Section 31/1

subs only to view the page, download not possible ? :(

subs only to view the page, download not possible ? :(

PM me your email, mate. I'll see if I can send you the full PDF but it's 73Mb.

Looking forward to seeing the finished pics of the seats in.  What colour are the standard doorcard inserts in the Fabia vRS - black or white?

 

I got my cruise control kit from VW Teeside complete with loom and instructions.  Decent guys.

Cards? My own ones are currently standard black, wasn't worried about them for the moment.

 

Although if its possible may have some patterns on taking them and seeing if it was possible to salvage any material for donation to my own seats, might be worth a look !

 

Picked up my new seat bolts today - now its ON ! Well maybe tomorrow lol

 

Teaser pic - fully completed rear on standard Fabia rear bases and my own "hand made" temporary badges lol

 

 

Apologise for the state of the pic - its not the seats, dunno what my wifes being doing, she been doing cmshots with the camera or what ! (sorry )

 

Hit a bit of a snag along the way that wasn't intended, had to release the left and right interior seat mechanisms from both the donor and the Recaros to switch, groan, because you can't just interchange the headrests. Oh what fun.

The Recaros are far thicker, and also have passenger headrest adjustment, something the standard ones with their pencil thin headrest brackets don't have.

I reckon that the standard black doorcards should look fine; I wondered if they were white and black like the ones in my Octy vRS.

 

Those are worrying stains on that camera lens!

 

The retrimmed seats look really well.  It's a shame that Skoda didn't do colour coded seats to start with; after all, there were only four colours (excluding the SE/LE blue), so it wouldn't have been hard.

I had the same problem with the headrests. A gentle few taps with a hammer on the bottom of the headrest clips popped them out the metal work and they swapped over easy enough.

Not a fan of the badges though Tbh, would look better plain if they're not flush with the seat imo.

Bear in mind its an odd angle I took, to better illustrate how the fit went between the Recaros trimmed into the Fabia backs.

 

The logos are more midway between the Recaro etching and the side of the seat, not really on the edge. Not permanent anyway, its just a test.

 

I prefer with logos to be honest as it looks like the seats were designed for the car then. Kind of contracts/ makes them stand out more.

Definitely needs the logos, the best thing about the Fabia vRS seats I feel are the proper full-colour logos (as opposed to the mark 1 Octy seats which just have an embossed V logo in the black leather, nowhere near as nice as the Fabia seat logos).