LS - 1st and 2nd Gen (1990-2000) Discussion topics related to the 1990 - 2000 Lexus LS400

Heated seats ?

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Old 12-23-14, 12:53 AM
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Mike524
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Default Heated seats ?

Hello everyone. I have a 92 LS400. My car has the wiring for the heated seats plugged in back of ashtray, but my tray does not have the switches for seats or trac control. Does that mean my car has this option? It has the fuse installed. Was wondering if I can buy the ashtray with the heated seat switches and see if my seats warm up. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Old 12-23-14, 01:42 AM
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You could check under the seats or thereabouts whether there are free connectors/wiring visible ie. if the seats are equipped with heating elements.
Old 12-23-14, 02:29 AM
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Not sure about the seats, but for Trac system there is a lot more stuff than just a switch that is needed. Trac is plumbed into the ABS and brake system.
Old 12-23-14, 06:00 AM
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johnnyg66
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Bet it does and the ash tray you have is not original. Might try search your vin on lexus web site and see if it will list your options.
Old 12-23-14, 06:03 AM
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all cars are wired for the options but the options are not installed.
Old 12-23-14, 07:42 PM
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Originally Posted by PureDrifter
all cars are wired for the options but the options are not installed.
Maybe I need to dig more then, because I don't see any wiring for a trunk CD changer in my one 90 that doesn't have one.
Old 12-25-14, 06:13 AM
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Originally Posted by dicer
Maybe I need to dig more then, because I don't see any wiring for a trunk CD changer in my one 90 that doesn't have one.
That is because the wiring for the trunk mounted CD changer was not factory installed unless the CD changer and the head unit supporting it was factory installed. I saw an OEM CD changer installation in progress when I bought my first LS400 in 1990 and the salesman took me to the maintenance area to show me an installation in progress to justify why a dealer install cost so much more than a factory install.

My 1990 LS400 did not have seat heaters and was not prewired for them. It did not have seat memory and was not prewired for that either. The only pre-wiring I found on my 90 LS during the 13+ years I owned it was for a dealer installed Lexus-branded phone system. I opted for a much less expensive "President" cell phone system through the Lexus dealer but the installer did not use any of the factory phone system pre-wiring to install it.

If the OP's car did not originally have seat heaters and he wants them, I recommend Rostra carbon fiber seat heater kits which are what I am going to install in at least the second row and maybe the third row of the Sienna I bought in April: http://www.rostra.com/comfortheat-au...-by-rostra.php

On some vehicles, the round three-position switch of the Rostra seat heater can be installed on the front edge of the seat cushion frame. I'm going to install the switches on the front inboard corners of my Sienna's second row "captain chairs" so I can easily verify from the driver seat that they have been turned off.

Toyota does sometimes provide pre-wiring for options not installed at the factory. Our Sienna and Prius both came with factory installed seat heaters but lower trim models without seat heaters are pre-wired for them.
Old 12-25-14, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Kansas
That is because the wiring for the trunk mounted CD changer was not factory installed unless the CD changer and the head unit supporting it was factory installed. I saw an OEM CD changer installation in progress when I bought my first LS400 in 1990 and the salesman took me to the maintenance area to show me an installation in progress to justify why a dealer install cost so much more than a factory install.

My 1990 LS400 did not have seat heaters and was not prewired for them. It did not have seat memory and was not prewired for that either. The only pre-wiring I found on my 90 LS during the 13+ years I owned it was for a dealer installed Lexus-branded phone system. I opted for a much less expensive "President" cell phone system through the Lexus dealer but the installer did not use any of the factory phone system pre-wiring to install it.

If the OP's car did not originally have seat heaters and he wants them, I recommend Rostra carbon fiber seat heater kits which are what I am going to install in at least the second row and maybe the third row of the Sienna I bought in April: http://www.rostra.com/comfortheat-au...-by-rostra.php

On some vehicles, the round three-position switch of the Rostra seat heater can be installed on the front edge of the seat cushion frame. I'm going to install the switches on the front inboard corners of my Sienna's second row "captain chairs" so I can easily verify from the driver seat that they have been turned off.

Toyota does sometimes provide pre-wiring for options not installed at the factory. Our Sienna and Prius both came with factory installed seat heaters but lower trim models without seat heaters are pre-wired for them.
Thank you for setting things straight on the factory prewire deal. Could you elaborate on what you saw 25 years ago during that dealer CD install? I'm betting pretty much the whole interior and trunk panels were all removed to accomplish the task.
Old 12-25-14, 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted by dicer
Thank you for setting things straight on the factory prewire deal. Could you elaborate on what you saw 25 years ago during that dealer CD install? I'm betting pretty much the whole interior and trunk panels were all removed to accomplish the task.
It was definitely memorable. At the time it looked like the Lexus dealer mechanic had completely trashed/ripped the interior and trunk apart. Knowing what I know now, installing the CD changer, cables to the trunk and the different head unit with the CD button probably wasn't all that difficult for the mechanic. I've since pulled head units, removed glove compartments, door sills, rear seat and trunk trim panels of both the 90 and 00 LS400's I've had to run cables to the trunk and found it pretty easy to do.

User dcfish on the http://us.lexusownersclub.com/ forum used to sell everything needed to install a trunk mounted CD changer including the cables that run to the trunk (maybe he still does?) but who needs a CD player or changer these days?. CD changers and players in cars may soon go the way of cassette tape players - i.e. into history. I've burned my CD music library to my phone and mirrored on USB flash memory but I mainly stream audio from the Internet - Pandora, Slacker, Turnin, iHeart, etc. I'm just about to the point where I don't care if a vehicle has a radio. All I need in a vehicle audio system is a decently powered amplifier, a bunch of high quality speakers and a Bluetooth A2DP interface between my phone and the vehicle's amplifier ... and maybe a nice screen in the vehicle to show what is playing and to allow me to select audio from my phone.
Old 12-26-14, 12:14 AM
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Mike524
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Originally Posted by johnnyg66
Bet it does and the ash tray you have is not original. Might try search your vin on lexus web site and see if it will list your options.
Thanks definitely going to look into this further. Appreciate everyone's input.
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