How To Add Heated/Ventelated seats and Heated Wheel to Express/Tradesman

[JRust]

Nah it started just a bit before my motor blew. Has gotten worse as time goes. Some days it doesn't work at all. Others it works half the time.

I didn't think of a wire chaffing. I'll pull it apart to check. That would be a nice quick fix.

 

[GordDavey]

Trying to config my heated/vented seats from a Laramie, and while I see the ecu3config settings, there are no ecu5config settings at all that appear in AlfaODB. All the ecu3config settings have been set and double checked to ensure the truck accepted them (it does, they are set correctly after many "reboots" of the truck). But I get no ecu5config list at all. The section for the seats and their buttons show on the RA4, but the heat/vent buttons themselves are grayed out, and pushing the manual buttons they just turn themselves off after a few seconds.

Anyone have any idea of how to get the ecu5config options to show up in the AlfaODB list? I have a feeling without being able to set those values, the truck doesn't know which seats have which feature and therefore it grays out the soft keys and turns off the manual buttons.

 

[WilliamS]

Its in the same list, near the to youll find the bcm setting, and scroll down about 40 miles and youll find the soft key buttons for the radio. or is that backwards?

 

[Ricks Ram]

Trying to config my heated/vented seats from a Laramie, and while I see the ecu3config settings, there are no ecu5config settings at all that appear in AlfaODB. All the ecu3config settings have been set and double checked to ensure the truck accepted them (it does, they are set correctly after many "reboots" of the truck). But I get no ecu5config list at all. The section for the seats and their buttons show on the RA4, but the heat/vent buttons themselves are grayed out, and pushing the manual buttons they just turn themselves off after a few seconds.

Anyone have any idea of how to get the ecu5config options to show up in the AlfaODB list? I have a feeling without being able to set those values, the truck doesn't know which seats have which feature and therefore it grays out the soft keys and turns off the manual buttons.

You will have two in ECU Config#3 Heated Seat and Vented Seat
One in ECU Config#4 Heated Seat
One in memory Front Vented seat
Then set heated wheel type and seat material type in memory as well. Go to the CustSetmenu and enable the (auto on driver comfort) select option #2. This with give you the ability to seek t how you want to use your auto on comfort in your settings menue on the radio. You have to have the 8.4 radio in order for the vented seats to work.

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[GordDavey]

You will have two in ECU Config#3 Heated Seat and Vented Seat
One in ECU Config#4 Heated Seat
One in memory Front Vented seat
Then set heated wheel type and seat material type in memory as well. Go to the CustSetmenu and enable the (auto on driver comfort) select option #2. This with give you the ability to seek t how you want to use your auto on comfort in your settings menu on the radio. You have to have the 8.4 radio in order for the vented seats to work.

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Ricks Ram,
Perfect, thank you very much! It was the CustSetmenu I was missing. We put in a VPN4CA 8.4 radio so we should be good. I'll give these settings a try!

 

[Ricks Ram]

Ricks Ram,
Perfect, thank you very much! It was the CustSetmenu I was missing. We put in a VPN4CA 8.4 radio so we should be good. I'll give these settings a try!

The seats should work without enabling the CustSet-menu but it definitely doesn't hurt to add it. If you are sure the 4 main codes are added then they should work. The alfa shows the codes in a little different configuration than it did before but I was able to successfully activate them in a 2017 with the alfa with the update previous to this one about a month ago.

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[Dillonjm]

So did some more diagnostics and wire diagram tracing today.

I’m starting to think that I’m missing something on my tradesman that I need to establish communications to the CAN BUS system.

As I look at the wire diagrams from the HSM to the truck, I see that it should connect to a door module enroute. I’m starting to think that I’m missing something there.

Something I hadn’t even thought about is that my truck was special ordered bare bones with manual windows, mirrors, etc.

Rick, do you have any experience with this? My truck has all the wires at the seat plugs that it should from what I can tell, but here are pictures of my harness:




Any insight where the driver door module is located so I can see if it’s present and rule that out potentially?

Another thing that leads me down this road that it isn’t present is I’m unable to connect to the DDM in Alfa.

 

[GordDavey]

Dillonjm,

There is no need to connect the seats to the Drivers Door Module (DDM) (which is located inside the drivers door panel) unless you are going to wire up the memory seat module (which would be under the front drivers seat and is not the heated seat module if the seats have the Driver 1 / Driver 2 seat memory) and you are getting memory enabled door mirrors.

There are two sets of canbus wires within the 2 connectors (Yellow and Gray) under the front drivers seats. The pair of canbus wires in the Gray connector are used by the heated seat module, and that is how both the radio and the center console buttons talk with the HSM for both the seat heaters and the seat vent fans.

The Yellow connector under the driver seat can have a pair of canbus wires in pins 5 and 6, and those connect the Memory Seat Module to the canbus. That allows the other computers to control the memory seat positions which would be used for moving the seat position between driver 1 and driver 2 or the on exit feature which would move the seat when getting in or out of the truck. I do not know for sure if the 2 purple colored wires which can be in Pin 2 and Pin 13 of the yellow connector actually need to be connected to the door module, I would think they may only need to be connected to the door module, if you are using door mirrors that have memory positioning in them, if you get door mirrors with memory, then you would definitely need those two Purple wires (Pin 2 VT/YL and Pin 13 VT/BR where VT means Violet (purple)).

If there are no "powered" functions in your doors (no power windows / locks, no heated or dimming mirrors, no outdoor ambient temp sensor in the arm of the drivers mirror...nothing) then there may very well not be a DDM (Drivers Door Module), but I know my 2015 Tradesman came with Power Windows and Power Locks, Heated and Auto Dim door mirrors and the outside temperature sensor in the drivers mirror arm as standard equipment and I do have a DDM in my doors that appear to allow not just the black connector for the door mirrors, but also has three pins available for the potential white connector from the mirrors, which is a second possible connector that mirrors have if they have puddle lights/turn signals (or potentially power fold and memory). So for my truck FCA appears to have allowed for the possibility of my switching to tow mirrors with signal lights as a minimum for the drivers door module that came standard with my tradesman.

 

[DeereGuy]

So did some more diagnostics and wire diagram tracing today.

I’m starting to think that I’m missing something on my tradesman that I need to establish communications to the CAN BUS system.

As I look at the wire diagrams from the HSM to the truck, I see that it should connect to a door module enroute. I’m starting to think that I’m missing something there.

Something I hadn’t even thought about is that my truck was special ordered bare bones with manual windows, mirrors, etc.

Rick, do you have any experience with this? My truck has all the wires at the seat plugs that it should from what I can tell, but here are pictures of my harness:




Any insight where the driver door module is located so I can see if it’s present and rule that out potentially?

Another thing that leads me down this road that it isn’t present is I’m unable to connect to the DDM in Alfa.

You have all the wiring you need to make it work. Wires 12 and 13 provide the CAN connection to the CSWM. Did you truck come with the 8.4 or did you add it?


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[Dillonjm]

You have all the wiring you need to make it work. Wires 12 and 13 provide the CAN connection to the CSWM. Did you truck come with the 8.4 or did you add it?


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I added. It’s an infotainment piece from before I knew anything about Alfa.

Follow on question. Is the 8.4 required for the heated/cooled seats? I removed the radio and put in my stock radio for diagnostics and the switch panel wouldn’t even light up when I pushed the buttons.

 

[Ricks Ram]

Couldn't have answered it better myself. As stated by GordDavey you have all the correct wiring for the heated/vented seats and heated wheel. The DDM has nothing to do with the heated/vented seat functions. He explained it very well. You should still be able to connect to your DDM with the tool but that may be an issue with your OBD connector.

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[Ricks Ram]

I added. It’s an infotainment piece from before I knew anything about Alfa.

Follow on question. Is the 8.4 required for the heated/cooled seats? I removed the radio and put in my stock radio for diagnostics and the switch panel wouldn’t even light up when I pushed the buttons.

Yes you need the 8.4 for the heated/vented seats.

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[DeereGuy]

I’m not sure that’s the case. Im almost positive I’ve built heated seat harnesses for trucks that didn’t have the 8.4. Is the 8.4 fully converted with the hvac module and conversion harness?


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[Dillonjm]

No, it still has the 4 speed fan and bezel.

Not sure how far along you’ve followed so here is what is baffling me.

I start the truck and turn on the seat vents on high. The seat fans will run, I can hear the seat vent system working (in both seats). Then after 15 sec it will power off and won’t turn back on until the truck is shut off for a while (gives the quick 3 second light on then off routine).

If I understand the system correctly and i might not, the signal is sent to the HSM to turn on whatever function and then it reports status back via the CANBUS wires. This leads me to believe there is a breakdown in the return signal from the HSM.

Is my logic off?

 

[DeereGuy]

No, it still has the 4 speed fan and bezel.

Not sure how far along you’ve followed so here is what is baffling me.

I start the truck and turn on the seat vents on high. The seat fans will run, I can hear the seat vent system working (in both seats). Then after 15 sec it will power off and won’t turn back on until the truck is shut off for a while (gives the quick 3 second light on then off routine).

If I understand the system correctly and i might not, the signal is sent to the HSM to turn on whatever function and then it reports status back via the CANBUS wires. This leads me to believe there is a breakdown in the return signal from the HSM.

Is my logic off?

I have seen on several occasions that the truck needs the correct 8.4 hvac module for the heated/vented seats to work correctly with the 8.4 radio. I can’t explain it, but the symptoms we have encountered is almost exactly what you post from what I remember.


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[Ricks Ram]

No, it still has the 4 speed fan and bezel.

Not sure how far along you’ve followed so here is what is baffling me.

I start the truck and turn on the seat vents on high. The seat fans will run, I can hear the seat vent system working (in both seats). Then after 15 sec it will power off and won’t turn back on until the truck is shut off for a while (gives the quick 3 second light on then off routine).

If I understand the system correctly and i might not, the signal is sent to the HSM to turn on whatever function and then it reports status back via the CANBUS wires. This leads me to believe there is a breakdown in the return signal from the HSM.

Is my logic off?

I think DeereGuy nailed it. I asked you if you did the 8.4 in the past because as is necessary for the heated/vented seats to function but it never occurred to me to ask you if you did the full conversion because that's pretty much what most people do these days. We have had several instances from the past with the heated/vented seats not functioning properly unless the full conversion was done. I would feel pretty confident saying that is your issue.

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[Dillonjm]

Looks like it’s time to order the new bezel and fan parts.

Thanks guys! I’ll report back.

 

[DeereGuy]

Looks like it’s time to order the new bezel and fan parts.

Thanks guys! I’ll report back.

I have a bezel and harness that I can send you if you want to test. The only thing I don’t have is the module.


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[Dillonjm]

I have a bezel and harness that I can send you if you want to test. The only thing I don’t have is the module.


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Thanks for the offer. I planned on converting anyway as I don’t like the cheap volume knob that comes with the infotainment bezel.

Just gotta figure out where to source parts.

 

[DeereGuy]

Thanks for the offer. I planned on converting anyway as I don’t like the cheap volume knob that comes with the infotainment bezel.

Just gotta figure out where to source parts.

Ok well we can do the harnesses if your interested and I have a few single zone bezels laying around. If your interested in anything just shoot me a PM.

In the meantime, can you just unplug the infotainment bezel and see if your seats act any different? We have seen it do crazy things to the CAN.


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