Once I pulled enough wire through the firewall, I ran it over to the driver's side and tucked it under the kick panel. You will have to remove most of the screws on the panel but it doesn't have to come off. Pull it out a wee tiny bit and slip the wire under the panel.
Remove the metal scuff plate and run the wire under it too.
Remember that seat bracket I left in the truck? It's time for it to come out. There are two bolts inserted from the top and two studs in the bracket going through the floor. Those studs have nuts that are easy to reach under the truck. Pull them all and lift out the bracket.
You'll be frightened how much stuff collects under the seat. I was pressed for time and didn't get to clean out 273,000 miles of nasties.
After the bracket is out, you need to lift the carpet by the door and get your hand under it. It may be stuck down pretty well. You do not need to remove it or peel the insulation off the floor. If you can get a gap between the carpet and insulation you're good.
Look by the seat belt buckle and you'll see the seat belt wiring running under the carpet. Slide a second wire into that hole in the carpet and run it towards the door.
Reach under the carpet from the door side and pull the second wire through. You can tape the end of it to the end of your power wire and pull them through the hole for the seat belt wiring.
I decided to mount the switch in the side of the center console. In that location it's easy to reach, hard to hit by mistake, and it's not a big nasty wart that catches your eye while you're driving. As a bonus, it's protected on the inside by the cup holder and box contour. The switch should not get damaged here.
The side of the console just behind the cup holder is flat. There is no appreciable radius in the vertical or horizontal plane. That's important because it keeps the switch bezel flush with the console for a clean appearance.
These switches are 20 mm in diameter so I used a step drill with the proper size to make the holes.
The switch has two little clips that hold it in place. Again, it makes for a clean installation.
In this orientation, rocking the switch down turns on the low heat setting. Rocking the switch up turns on the high setting. The middle position is off.
STOP RIGHT HERE
Feel around for that wire you ran under the carpet. Make sure it is NOT going to be crushed by the seat bracket. That would be a bad thing.
Once you know it's clear, reinstall the seat bracket. I ran the ground for the seat heater to the rear bolt in the seat bracket. There's a nice hole in the side of the bracket that was made for seat heater wiring.
Now you have lots of extra seat heater wire left over. Not a problem. It will lay inside the seat bracket and be happy as a clam.
Set the seat back in the truck and lean it backwards. This will allow you to plug the seat heating pads into the switch wiring.
Pull the seat into it's upright position and start one of the front nuts. Before you tighten the seat, grab your flashlight and poke your head under the front of the seat. There's a big opening in the seat bracket that will let you see inside. Make sure the wiring is not getting pinched. If it all looks good, bolt down the seat.
This is a tidy installation. It looks professional. The switch is in a user friendly place and is the only visible change.
It is very easy to access the fuse with it sitting between the seat and console. You can either reach beside the seat from the front or from the back should the fuse need replacement.
It's time to connect the power wire to the power source. Hop on the seat and flip the switch on high. It will take a couple minutes but you'll be able to feel the heat growing.
Remember the pressure switch in the heating pad? If you're not in the seat the heater won't work.
It was cold, wet, and nasty that night. The seat heater sure felt nice on the way home.
