05 Lincoln LS heated/cool seats problem

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LNCDUP

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v8 73k miles. Ok so i get in my car hit the heated seat button and it turns on but then literally within 5 seconds shuts off. I hit the button again and it just blinks at me but does not turn on nor does the light light up. Same for the cooled seat option as well but only in the driver seat. I noticed a few times that if i turned the seat on the lowest setting it may have lasted longer but we are talking about maybe 10 more seconds and thats it.
 
The ductwork in the seat may have become crushed over time. This results in the warm air not being able to move, and the system overheats. The "circuit breaker" cuts in to protect the system from the heat, and that may be why your system turns off shortly after you turn it on. This was a known issue on the 2003 and some 2004 cars. There was a TSB on it. The fix involved taking the seat apart and replacing the ductwork. The other possibility is that you may just have a faulty circuit (which was known to happen too). Replacing the small control panel on the instrument cluster was the fix for this problem I believe.
 
Also, check and see if the seat filters are clogged. They're supposed to be changed every 30K miles.
A Ford specific scan tool can retrieve trouble codes from the seats to determine where the problem is.
Common issues:
1. crushed duct work.
2. disconnected duct work.
3. failed fan motor.
 
ToddG said:
... Replacing the small control panel on the instrument cluster was the fix for this problem I believe.
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There is no "small control panel." The seat button are part of the DATC (climate control). Usually, the DATC is not at fault for seat issues. It just sends commands to the seats. The electronics for the seat heater/cooler are mounted in/under the seat cushions of each seat.
 
joegr said:
There is no "small control panel." The seat button are part of the DATC (climate control). Usually, the DATC is not at fault for seat issues. It just sends commands to the seats. The electronics for the seat heater/cooler are mounted in/under the seat cushions of each seat.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I was referring to the actual panel where the passengers control the entire HVAC system. Apparently there are a lot of built-in electronics, and I've seen several TSBs where replacing that panel is a step in the repair process.
 
you won't feel heat after the seat only being on for 5 to 10 seconds so you can't assume it's the seat itself...so


check to see if there is a load or a spike ( at the moment you turn on the seat heater ) in the positive lead...your problem may be upstream of the seat
 
ToeCutter said:
you won't feel heat after the seat only being on for 5 to 10 seconds so you can't assume it's the seat itself...so


check to see if there is a load or a spike ( at the moment you turn on the seat heater ) in the positive lead...your problem may be upstream of the seat
Click to expand...

It only takes 5 to 10 seconds for the TED to overheat if there's no airflow.
 
gcwimmer said:
Crushed duck work.
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duck%20small.jpg
 
This has happened with my car a couple of times. For me i just pulled to the side of the road and turned the car off. When restarted the heat worked fine and stayed on. Not saying it would work for you but sometimes it gets a little sensitive.
 
Fla02LS said:
This has happened with my car a couple of times. For me i just pulled to the side of the road and turned the car off. When restarted the heat worked fine and stayed on. Not saying it would work for you but sometimes it gets a little sensitive.
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That's a warning sign of reduced airflow. Either your filter(s) is/are clogged, or (more likely) the duct is slowly getting crushed. The passenger seat in my 04 is getting that way now. If someone on the heavy side sits there, then it shuts off, otherwise it is okay. I'll get around to fixing it someday...
 
I am having the same problem right now. How would i go about fixing the crushed ducts? i mean the problem is not a big deal, but i would rather have my car working 100%
thanks!
 
Same thing just happened to my 2006. Took it to the dealer, they said it was the fan that blows air into the seat. $275 for the part, another $200 for labor. :\
 
lexmarkz00 said:
Same thing just happened to my 2006. Took it to the dealer, they said it was the fan that blows air into the seat. $275 for the part, another $200 for labor. :\
Click to expand...

Yeah, the fan on my 06's passenger seat failed. A half hour of your time could save you $200. There' not much to doing the replacement.
 
this was the same issue with my '04. the tsb stated that the duct work could possibly pull apart in the back of the seat. I removed the seat back and sure enough the plastic ducts had pulled apart so the top and cushion of the seat was getting a mixed signal. I did as the ford repair suggested and reconnected the ducts and used duct tape to secure... no joke, that was exactly what was stated in the tsb repair... duct tape. lol. It has been working perfect ever since.
 


"many cheeseburger result in crushed ducts"​
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Don't mean to bring a thread back from the dead but I just purchased an 03 LS v8 and my heated and cooled seats worked. They worked up until I put leather conditioner on the seat. I am thinking perhaps this did it? So IF this is the case, word to those who use leather conditioner.
 
jruppert said:
Don't mean to bring a thread back from the dead but I just purchased an 03 LS v8 and my heated and cooled seats worked. They worked up until I put leather conditioner on the seat. I am thinking perhaps this did it? So IF this is the case, word to those who use leather conditioner.
Click to expand...

More likely a coincidence than putting conditioner on them. Both driver and passenger seats out, check fuses/relay.
 
jruppert said:
Don't mean to bring a thread back from the dead but I just purchased an 03 LS v8 and my heated and cooled seats worked. They worked up until I put leather conditioner on the seat. I am thinking perhaps this did it? So IF this is the case, word to those who use leather conditioner.
Click to expand...

Doubt that's the cause. I've been using conditioner every few months since I bought the car(s); almost 8 1/2 years on one and almost 5 on the other. I believe there is a section in the OM about leather care......
 
This happened to both of mine on my 06, at the same time... at first my passenger seat would trip off a time or two, but nothing consistent. The Christmas night, I went to drive home and both seats failed, even without a passenger in it.

If I pull the fuse on the passenger kick panel fuse box, the controller(s) will stay active. The moment I put the fuse in, a few seconds later, click, it shuts off. Always ran strong up to that point. Driver seat never gave me static till it went cold turkey.

I haven't had a chance to tear the seats out to see what's going on...
 
Oh yeah... how do you read the trouble codes for this? My regular scanner won't pick anything up.
 
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