Tackling Factory Controls or: How I learned to stop worrying and love

Darth_Vader · March 18, 2017

Okay, here is the big update. The seat heating portion is done, everything is tested and confirmed to be working, the harness has been built. I am awaiting an enclosure for the power board, and bugging my wife into letting me get a 3D printer so I can make my own enclosure, on top of that I am waiting on the elements for the passenger seat. I haven't done much on the AC side at all, mainly because I don't have a set of seats to experiment with, feel free to ship me a pair of front seats, black leather, if you want to donate to the cause.

Okay, I have been coy up this point of completing the project while trying to decide if this is something I want to monetize for the few people who want this functionality on their non-fancy trucks, like me. But I will be honest, if you can take all of this information I am about to present and do it yourself you deserve to do it without giving me any cash. So to that end here comes all the information of what I have used to accomplish this project.

Seat heater elements (In lieu of stock seats with heaters):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001L6HYQK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

$28 per seat

Dash trim with seat heater or seat heat/AC buttons:

Ebay or your favorite GM parts supplier, can provide part numbers if need be

$100 or so

Switch Connectors:

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Molex/31068-1011/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMs7eK6h2EBtKuk1fUeupRrxcLsO5tRhpWs%3d

Less than $1 each

Pins (For about everything on this truck with small gauge wire, buy extras)

https://www.amazon.com/Automotive-Connectors-RECEPTACLE-CONTACT-pieces/dp/B00LVKB3S6/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1489871981&sr=1-1&keywords=928999-5

These can be found for cheaper elsewhere, do some looking, but lets say $10

Power board:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5VRZWF/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

$16

Controller, can't say enough great things about the guys who make this over in Russia. I am working on getting a discount to bring a bulk order over, check out www.cannylogic.com for more information:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Automotive-Visual-Programmable-Logic-Controller-CANNY-7-/162358910401?hash=item25cd585dc1:g:jHAAAOSwVL1WC5Jd

$100

And of course various wire, crimpers, etc.

Wiring is simple. Use the upfitter manual but basically you are going to have these wires to hook up:

Controller:

Power (tied in with power and ground for the switches)

Ground

Lin 1 (Channel 9 to driver switch LIN)

Lin 2 (Channel 10 to pass switch LIN)

Channel 0 DO to Power board Signal 1 in

Channel 1 DO to Power board Signal 2 in

Channel 2 DO to Power board Signal 3 in

Channel 3 DO to Power board Signal 4 in

Power board to seats (both power and ground for elements will land on power board):

Channel 1 to Driver Heater Back

Channel 2 to Driver Heater Seat

Channel 3 to Pass Heater Back

Channel 4 to Pass Heater Seat

And then you are going to need the program in the picture I have attached. Don't worry, if you ask nice I could be inclined to email it to you. And I might even be convinced to sell a couple of these. The completed harness, controller and power board would run around $250, you would supply your own switches, and seat elements but I would make it in a way where all you would have to do is plug the switches in and tie in the 8 wires from the seat heater elements (Screw terminal, super easy).

Thanks for following along with this project the last couple of weeks and I will update you all when I start to tackle the seat AC.

Thanks,

Kyle

Edited March 18, 2017 by Darth_Vader

pgamboa · March 19, 2017

This is awesome work! I get satisfaction when someone (Dealers) say "it can't be done". I wouldn't have a clue (nor have a need since I already have heated seats) on how to program a controller, but wouldn't mind learning. I enjoy messing around with electronics. I wouldn't mind to see the logic you have pictured in more detail. I worked around some Electrical Engineers for a few years, but the work I did was basically replacing bad parts with new ones. Never got down to any board level work like they did. They did lots of ICs, Atmel, FPGA, and stiff like that. Way more than I could handle... but enjoy learning.

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Darth_Vader · March 19, 2017

This is awesome work! I get satisfaction when someone (Dealers) say "it can't be done". I wouldn't have a clue (nor have a need since I already have heated seats) on how to program a controller, but wouldn't mind learning. I enjoy messing around with electronics. I wouldn't mind to see the logic you have pictured in more detail. I worked around some Electrical Engineers for a few years, but the work I did was basically replacing bad parts with new ones. Never got down to any board level work like they did. They did lots of ICs, Atmel, FPGA, and stiff like that. Way more than I could handle... but enjoy learning.

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PM me your email, I'll send you a copy.

silveradosid · March 19, 2017

that is truly awesome darth, been following all a long. the last piece of the puzzle for me is for the seat heat to come on with remote start, which i think i can accomplish with a relay

Will2015 · March 19, 2017

Darth_Vader I've been following a lot of your work and I must say I'm very impressed and a huge fan. When you get a solution for heat and cooled oem seats I'd like to buy a set from you for my 2014 lt cc. I have tried swapping ltz seats and switches but neither worked. I'm guessing I need new harnesses maybe control modules. Thanks

cmysstailights · July 12, 2017

PM me your email, I'll send you a copy.

I have a 14 high country with heat and ac seats. Love the ac seats. My wife's suburban 15 only has heated seats. How hard so you think it would be to add ac seats to her suburban

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Dnt · July 12, 2017

I want you electronic geniuses to figure out a way for us to use our driver alert system forward camera as a Dash cam on the cheap. Dang thing is there lets use for something other than annoying us when we veer out of our lane a bit.....................

odave · August 4, 2018

This is great! I've been wanting to ad factory heated seats to my "17 CC since I bought it. But after researching it, factory was not going to be easy or even possible and I really wanted to use the factory switches. Then I stumbled onto this thread. What an excellent work around to utilize the factory switches! Did you get this installed on your truck?

pgamboa · August 8, 2018

Hey Dave,

I know the exact thread you’re talking about. But unfortunately, he never gave me anything. That stuff is above my head.

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odave · August 8, 2018

Thanks Phil for the response. I think the pictures above show Harlech's programming but unfortunately they are unreadable.

odave · September 1, 2018

Harlech- I found a pair of cloth power seats with heat out of a wrecked 2017 for $175 (the air bags were blown) So I plan to use the heat elements for my seats and I used the passenger power seat frame and wiring harness so I now have a power pass seat! I bit the bullet and acquired all the required parts per your parts list above as I really want heated seats but use the factory controls switches and this like an excellent work around. Have you installed this setup yet? If so how did it work?

I ran into a road block when it came to the programming of my Canny plc. Thanks for graciously sharing your programming above! Any chance you have a readable copy?

Darmichar · September 1, 2018

On 3/18/2017 at 4:35 PM, Harlech said:

Okay, I have been coy up this point of completing the project while trying to decide if this is something I want to monetize for the few people who want this functionality on their non-fancy trucks, like me. But I will be honest, if you can take all of this information I am about to present and do it yourself you deserve to do it without giving me any cash. So to that end here comes all the information of what I have used to accomplish this project.

Guys like you, @pgamboa, and recently @th3magpi3 are the reason I keep coming back to this board. The odds of me doing this are slim to none, but the fact that you took the time to figure this out for yourself, then share exactly how to do it with the community astounds me. I've never came across an online community like this where people are actually working to help each other instead of tearing each other down. Kudos to you, and keep the education coming!

Darth_Vader · October 15, 2018

I'm working on a way of hosting the current version of the program I am running, which is what is outlined here which are the factory heat switches to function with the Canny unit. Not sure if there other will work with the heat only switches as I used the heat/cool, but to be honest I doubt the addressing would be different.

None the less, I'm going in for ankle surgery tomorrow but once I get a bit healed up I'll have the program and will try to assist as I know Dave and a couple others might be trying this retro fit.

Sorry I have been as active in here in the last few months, focus has shifted to getting the truck ready to race and most of my time had been spent getting the 4-link dialed in. Oh, and passing Pennsylvania emissions with more than 700hp.

Thanks for everyone's interest and stick around for more.

Kyle

odave · October 15, 2018

Sorry to hear about your ankle.. So did you get your heated seat set up installed and working? I know you had concerns about the mosfet board being able to handle the current draw of the heating elements. As I said I have seats with the factory heat only elements and am kinda struggling with the canny7 programming. 700hp? nice!

pgamboa · October 16, 2018

Great to see you back! Sorry to hear about ankle surgery. Hope/Pray for a quick recovery.

I'm working on a way of hosting the current version of the program I am running, which is what is outlined here which are the factory heat switches to function with the Canny unit. Not sure if there other will work with the heat only switches as I used the heat/cool, but to be honest I doubt the addressing would be different.

None the less, I'm going in for ankle surgery tomorrow but once I get a bit healed up I'll have the program and will try to assist as I know Dave and a couple others might be trying this retro fit.

Sorry I have been as active in here in the last few months, focus has shifted to getting the truck ready to race and most of my time had been spent getting the 4-link dialed in. Oh, and passing Pennsylvania emissions with more than 700hp.

Thanks for everyone's interest and stick around for more.
Kyle

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