GaryF

My driver's seat heater doesn't work, and I automatically suspected a broken connection at the element cince that is so common. However, I noticed that the switch on the dash doesn't light. I replaced it with a switch that I know is in fine working order, and the unit didn't light either. When I dial the heat adjuster, I can hear the relay activate. Before I dive into a seat R&R job, do any of you think the fact that both switches would not light indicates a connection problem at a point other than the heater element?

5000CDQturbo

Gary ...mine don't lite up either ?? but if you hear the relay click that is a good sign !!
So the bad news is the seat is broken ....... I have fixed all four seats in my car so I've become an expert on fixing them ha ha.
- 9/10 the bottom seat heater wire is broken
-it's rare the back heater fails.
- use as little solder as possible on the repair .... as too much will create a hot spot, my wife's backside is just starting to
heal up.
-If you are going to work on the seat by far the best thing is to take them out.
- send me a email if you want or need more instruction.
David.morralee@aaaaaaaaaaAlcatel.com ( take out the small a's )
regards
David

5000CDQturbo

hmm I should be working, but here is how you do it ...sorry for any spelling mistakes, grammer ... but u will get the idea.....................

tools needed
-soldering iron / solider
-exacto knife and small scissors
- needle nose and reg pliers
- phillips screw driver and a slot
- meter for continuity test.
- electrical tape

General info
the seat has to be moved first to the rear most position to get at the front bolts. Don't forget to at this time to unplug the heated seat plug..shoud be attached to the base of the seat.( this is where you do your testing from ) and also the seat motors plug. The seats are bolted to the floor on the front by two bolts .. the rear legs are on rails.
Now after the bolts are out move the seats forward by hand to expose the two rear rail stoppers. The rear stopper that runs along the middle of the drive tunnel is long .(unscrew using a Phillips s driver ) Slid seat out of rail ...be careful not to lose the white or black rail inserts that are attached to the seat feet, sometimes they fall off .... they stop rattling and help movement along the rail.
Once test are complete ( test can be done in the car, but repair is best done outside of car )
Heater 1 seat, bum
Heater 2 back

Testing plug Heater 1 Seat and Heater 2 back
Plug is found under seat
looks like this

---(1) ** ---(2) --- (3)
---(4) ** ---(5) --- (6)

** space in plug between connectors

-to check the Heater Seat 1 (bum) check continuity between 2& 6 ( yellow strip (black) & Blue strip (brown ) )
-to check the Back heater 2 check continuity between 1&4 brown/blue & brown.
- 5&3 is for the temp button in the seat ( temp sensor )

Heater 1 seat *** but bum ( HOW TO TAKE SEAT APART )

- take cover off of seat controls , up , down, sideways etc
- pop hinge covers of L & R
- unscrew hinge screws L&R ( you need to do this so that you can get the fabric up off the seat )
- now go to the back of the seat ... you will notice a skid plate fabric at the bottom of the seat ( black ) this sort of connects to the fabric of your seat ( leather, gray fabric etc ) Both of these fabric are shoved into a small channel to hold the upper and lower .... pull this apart.
- now at the L & R near the hinges .. there is a wire that runs along the base seat inside the fabric of the seat .... loosen off both sides .... looks like common bailing wire.
- start from one side of the seat and work your way around the base. What you are looking for is clips and plugs than hold the skirt of the seat down. Be careful as there are a couple metal clips that you could miss. undo all these.
- now pull the fabric up over the hinges , front and sides.
-NOTE fabric is attached to small straight wire rods. These coat hanger size rods or wires go horizontally in both Longitude and latitude directions.

this is what it looks like

note there are two rods that hold the seat fabric to the cushion.

top of seat
----------------fabric-------------------------------
fabric is attached to rod below
L .....................rod.......................... .................... Right

L........................rod...................... .......................right

the Rod above is kind of attached to the cushion
the two rods are held together with small circular clips
This system of little rods goes along the pleat lines of the seat.

-Okay now start and peel the front of the seat back and you will come to your first Rod this will be held by about four circular clips. Take the pliers or needle nose and you have to twist them off.
-Once you have finished the first lateral rod you will have to work on the longitudinal rods.
-now that you have the fabric off the seat you will see the white pad that the little wires go though..... before you start cutting away at things look for a small brown stain ( burn marks )
that is where the brake is usually, not always.
-attach your meter at rear of the seat you will see two wire attach your meter to one of the wires ... that is the circuit of the heating element. Work your way up this wire until you have no beep
... ( using the little metal probe to genitally break the surface of the wire ) look for the break in this area ,, most of the time it is a fold where one of the rods has been.
-Fix with a small amount of soldier . Too much solder is bad = it creates a higher resistance and thus More HEAT to that area. Trust me my wife's *** can attest to that!!!
Now the fun part take all those nice little wire clips and straighten them out and make them round with a gap so you can get them over the rods ... the first couple are a real bitch but you will get the hang of it. Work from the back to the front.
This job can be about a three to five hour job ( for your first seat )
just do the revers to put the seat back together.
To do the BACK same sort of procedure as seat.....
any questions please get back to me at David.morralee@aaaaaaaaaaAlcatel.com take the a's out

regards
David

Randolph

Thanks for that post. I saved it to MS Word for future reference. The pass heated seat quit working on my 5K (per my girlfriend's complaint) and the switch and relay are working so I imagine I'll have to fix/replace the element per your instructions.
Randolph
87 5KCSTQ
93 928GTS

Adam Mowafy

I personally can do without heated seats....

But I promissed my girlfriend her butt would be warm this winter. She was complaing about her *** being cold all winter last year!


Cheers.

5000CDQturbo

send to my email address that is in the above email.

Adam Mowafy

Thanks a lot for the fax dave!! also, it was nice talking to you.