The cold season is upon us here in the NorthEast and my driver's side seat heater is not working. There have been many posts about this topic on brickboard, which have helped me narrow down the problem to the actual heating elements (arrgghh). Some questions remain:

Question (1) is about preventing the side airbag form popping when I take the seat out. According to Haynes: disconnect the battery, and stick the safety clip into the SIPS sensor unit. - Is there anything else I need to be careful about?

Question (2) is about taking the upholstery apart: do I start at the front edge of the seat? Any hints / cautions? In the event only one element is broken (I understand there are two), can I get away with replacing just one?

Question (3) is about the heater recall, which I had done on my vehicle. I read that it results in the seats getting less warm than they did before. Well, my spousal unit would rather have the wagon go up in flames than her backside be cold. Is there a way to undo the recall work?

Question (4) - Instead of fixing the heater: are there any fabric/sheep seat covers that are compatible with the side airbags? Let's face it, the heater does not heat the entire seat anyway, leaving the rest of the leather below zero.

I think that's enough questions for now. Thanks much.

1997 850 Wagon NA