My driver side heated seat stopped working the other day. I dont think it is the fuse considering the passenger side still works. The light on the button also turns on when i press the driver side heated seat it just never gets hot. Dont know if that means anything but i dont know what i need to do to fix it. Any ideas?
Heated Seats
- Thread starter Lmoney
- Start date
mattchaney
LVC Member
probably heating element
If you have the service manual, there are a whole bunch of electrical tests you can do to isolate where the problem is as long as you are comfortable with working with a multimeter. I did this and my situation was exactly like yours in that it was only the drivers side heated seat that was out yet the switch would light up when pressed. After electrical tests were performed, I isolated it to the drivers side heating element. To replace this, you have to remove the drivers seat and take off the leather (this is not easy!). You will then have access to the heating element which you will carefully peel off so as not to damage the foam in the seat and then stick a new element on and replace the leather etc...Hope this solves it. If you need more details let me know and I'll try to remember as best I can how I did it to help you.
If you have the service manual, there are a whole bunch of electrical tests you can do to isolate where the problem is as long as you are comfortable with working with a multimeter. I did this and my situation was exactly like yours in that it was only the drivers side heated seat that was out yet the switch would light up when pressed. After electrical tests were performed, I isolated it to the drivers side heating element. To replace this, you have to remove the drivers seat and take off the leather (this is not easy!). You will then have access to the heating element which you will carefully peel off so as not to damage the foam in the seat and then stick a new element on and replace the leather etc...Hope this solves it. If you need more details let me know and I'll try to remember as best I can how I did it to help you.
itsnotmydaddys
Dedicated LVC Member
Theres a problem with the drivers seat (since it gets used more than the passangers). All the weight that keeps going on and off the system causes it to fail. mine has never worked (bought the car used).
Does anyone know what it would take to fix.
Does anyone know what it would take to fix.
2001LS8Sport
Dedicated LVC Member
Asim said:
If the element is bad, that's what it takes to fix it.
It could be the seat bottom cushion element or the seat back element. You can find the wire connectors under the seat. The seat back element is a 2 wire connector. The seat bottom element is a 4 wire connector. They work in a paralell. (if one goes bad nothing works) Disconnect and measure the resistance of each. The resistance should be between 0.6-0.9 ohms. If the passenger side heated seat is working you can also compare the readings in between the two. Most of the time it is either the bottom or the back heating element is burnt out, therefore the ohm readings will be out of range on your ohm meter. The elements are a real pain in the butt to replace. The leather seat covers are held on with hog rings, which require new rings and a special pair of pliers to reinstall. Hope this help you.
highlander73
Active LVC Member
jacquezzz said:
Any chance you could short a resister across the bad element to make it think the bad element is still intact? This would leave you with a working element in the back or seat bottom. Better than nothing?
KC_Valentine
Active LVC Member
Wow I am confused... the heated seats = both the butt cushion and the lower/mid back cushion get heated? mine has never done more than the bottom/butt cushion.