Seat heaters not working. Repair or just let it go? (1 Viewer)

[04gto]

Hello, I have only been an LC100 owner for 3 months and I have been going through and fixing little things here and there while getting a nice baseline on all routine maintenance items. In general, I am not super anal, but I like my vehicle to be VERY clean and for everything to work, so all of these issues will be 100% sorted at some point. Items left that need attention:

1- Cracked windshield ( not a real priority since the crack is on the PS, if it gets bigger or I get a ticket, I will replace).

2- Power antenna not working (I have the rear antenna connected to my Pioneer AVH-4100NEX so not an issue, I may use the antenna switch to power a winch in the future).

3- Third row PS cupholder broken ( I broke it last week, it was stuck shut from sticky drink spills, this will only be repaired/replaced if I find one for very little $ at the dismantler)

4- Sunroof does not work, but motor makes noise like it wants to open. (This will be addressed in the spring, maybe)

5-Various light bulbs throughout the dash are out. (I only started to notice this recently, I will address this asap, very annoying. The "D" for drive will be left out, not needed anyway)

6- Just tested the seat heaters and they are either really weak or not working. (see below)

The seat heater rocker switches light up (mostly) so I figured they were probably working, wrong. I live in Los Angeles, so they are not necessary. So it becomes a value equation. What will it take to fix them? What should I check? If it not reasonably easy/affordable value to repair them, I will just take the switches out and use the switch openings for winch, lights etc. Any help or experience on this will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[AimCOtaco]

Check the fuse, the back lights are probably powered by the interior lighting circuit and not indicative of power to the seat heaters (don't recall for certain).
I would say that if your driving around so cal with them on hi you'll know whether or not they work for sure after about 5 minutes, they are uncomfortable on a warm day for sure.

 

[04gto]

Check the fuse, the back lights are probably powered by the interior lighting circuit and not indicative of power to the seat heaters (don't recall for certain).
I would say that if your driving around so cal with them on hi you'll know whether or not they work for sure after about 5 minutes, they are uncomfortable on a warm day for sure.

I will check the fuses first. I knew they were not working right away, past experiences with seat heaters tells me that you will cook your arse off in about 5 minutes with even average heaters on high setting. Thanks

 

[jemsec]

There's a lot to be said about those that keep everything on their vehicles in good operating condition. It's a sign of good care and maintenance. Just my opinion.

 

[guerasfj60]

I too like everything to work regardless if I use it. With that said, 99% use will be for keeping take out food warm.

 

[04gto]

Update: It is not the fuse

Next I am going to check the connectors on the rear of the rocker switches, then the under seat connections. If that does not work then I will check continuity at the heaters themselves. If it turns out to be the heating units, I have to say I may throw in the towel. Too much money to spend on something I may only use a couple times . Wish me luck.

 

[cedarcruiser]

Any update? I told my wife I would look at hers tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[04gto]

Update: Yesterday I double checked the wiring and connectors etc from the console switches to the seat heaters. All seem fine. In the next couple days I am going to test the seat heaters by wiring them directly to power. If I had to guess right now, I would say both seats have bad heating elements. Which is unfortunate, because If that is the case, I will bot be having seat heaters.

I do some traveling into colder climates on occasion, but I live in southern California and cannot rationalize spending $800-1000 to repair something that never gets used. Even though I really hate it when things in my vehicles don't work. So if they don't work, I will just have to take those switches out and put some aux light switches there or something. Then I can just play it off that I never had seat heaters.

 

[DirtDawg]

You can just buy aftermarket elements and wire them to the stock circuit. Aftermarket elements are cheap with a capital C. Probably some that work better than these ever did!

 

[Bomar]

Very cheap. Like probably $50 cheap

 

[DirtDawg]

$19 if your short on cash

https://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Fiber...478471077&sr=1-6&keywords=seat+heater+element

 

[04gto]

$19 if your short on cash

https://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Fiber...478471077&sr=1-6&keywords=seat+heater+element

Hmmm I will have to look into that.

 

[04gto]

So after checking all my connections, fuses etc. I even had tried using my infrared digital thermometer a couple times and nothing. I tried them one last time. Guess what? They are working now! They are almost useless on the low setting and pretty slow to heat up on the high setting, but they work. I am not sure what I did, maybe when I disconnected them and reconnected them after using the contact cleaner I jiggled them just right? Whatever, now I can get on to using them 5 days a year LOL.

 

[tacoduck]

regarding your sun roof, mine doesn't work either. from what I've heard, its a pain in the ass to fix, and big money. something about the cables rusting blah blah blah. Sometimes I wish mine work, but I enjoy the moonroof for now. not worth shelling out $2k on a truck I paid $7k for!

 

[04gto]

regarding your sun roof, mine doesn't work either. from what I've heard, its a pain in the ass to fix, and big money. something about the cables rusting blah blah blah. Sometimes I wish mine work, but I enjoy the moonroof for now. not worth shelling out $2k on a truck I paid $7k for!

Yes after some investigation into the sunroof I came to the same value equation.

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

So after checking all my connections, fuses etc. I even had tried using my infrared digital thermometer a couple times and nothing. I tried them one last time. Guess what? They are working now! They are almost useless on the low setting and pretty slow to heat up on the high setting, but they work. I am not sure what I did, maybe when I disconnected them and reconnected them after using the contact cleaner I jiggled them just right? Whatever, now I can get on to using them 5 days a year LOL.

Mine didnt' work well when I first got the truck. A bit of cleaner to get the spilled coffee off of the wired connections for the button, and a touch of dielectric grease and we are back to warm bums in the LX.

 

[RyanStl]

Glad the heaters work now. I don't use them a lot, but when it was zero degrees earlier this week they felt very good. When I was test driving I had one drive with a salesman with me. As testing things he didn't know I flipped his seat to high. I learned fairly quickly they passenger side was working when he went WTF.