seat heater issue

[e24kgold]

Had a small issue this norning with my seat heater. Get in put the seat heater on start driving and notice it a little warmer than usual. Another minute later my ass is burning, I look down to see smoke escaping two of the perforated holes in the leather. these smoked for about 3 minutes after the car was turned off. Any ideas?

 

[toddjb122]

Wow! I usually find that my seat heater doesn't get hot enough.

Guess you have a short in there. I'm surprised it didn't blow the fuse, though.

 

[bbyer]

Heat sensor concern probably.

You might try the heaters on the front passenger and rear seats as well. They should be OK however.

Each heater element has a heat sensor that signals back to the seat heat control knob area. Depending on sensor data, the control knob area computer varies current to the respective heater elements, or not!.

As such, the driver side seat heat sensor is perhaps defective. A defective sensor can be a problem as the heater element will merely be consuming current within the circuit limits and hence is not enough to blow the 25 amp fuse F7E, but can sure melt your pants. The smoke however suggests perhaps some sort of short but I doubt it as that should blow the engine compartment 25 amp #7 fuse; the rear seat heating fuse is F8E and also 25 amps.

Seat temperature is supposed to range between 35C and 45C, (95F to 113F).

Also the front and rear seat backs are heated as well and that is I presume working OK.

 

[RichL73]

I'm having the same sort of problem, but it was only burning hot in one little section about the size of a quarter, now it doesn't work at all. After reading that it's probably a sensor how do you change out the sensor? Where's it located? Also where is the best (least expensive) place to buy a new sensor?

 

[bbyer]

Seat air bag - disconnect battery.

Before you fool around too much with the seats, remember the seat backs have an air bag inside. As such, disconnect the starting battery and any other batteries you have before you play around too much.

A single hot spot sounds like a breaking, (not broken), heater wire.

I expect that a local seat upholstery shop would have experience with repairing the heating elements in Mercedes, BMW, or perhaps even Ford heated seats.

Almost for certain, you cannot purchase a sensor even it that was the problem. I expect it is a part of the seat heating mat and somehow specific to the Land Rover computer heater control system, which may be Ford or BMW but who knows.

To get at the heater mat, you have to remove the leather seat cover. To remove the leather, you have to remove the seat cushion. To remove the cushion, I think you will have to remove the whole seat/back assembly to get at the 4 Torx screws on the underside of the seat to remove the seat cushion. You may beable to feel for the screws however - probably will be able to get at 3 of them.

This is why de-powering the air bags matters; if not done, you may gain a lot more knowledge of the seat construction than you initially anticipated.

 

[tomasesto]

Before you fool around too much with the seats, remember the seat backs have an air bag inside. As such, disconnect the starting battery and any other batteries you have before you play around too much.

A single hot spot sounds like a breaking, (not broken), heater wire.

I expect that a local seat upholstery shop would have experience with repairing the heating elements in Mercedes, BMW, or perhaps even Ford heated seats.

Almost for certain, you cannot purchase a sensor even it that was the problem. I expect it is a part of the seat heating mat and somehow specific to the Land Rover computer heater control system, which may be Ford or BMW but who knows.

To get at the heater mat, you have to remove the leather seat cover. To remove the leather, you have to remove the seat cushion. To remove the cushion, I think you will have to remove the whole seat/back assembly to get at the 4 Torx screws on the underside of the seat to remove the seat cushion. You may beable to feel for the screws however - probably will be able to get at 3 of them.

This is why de-powering the air bags matters; if not done, you may gain a lot more knowledge of the seat construction than you initially anticipated.

bbyer,

Can you or anyone recommend an after market seat warmer that works well on the LR3 application? I intend to place them under my front seat covers on trips to ski resorts this season.

 

[bbyer]

Sunspot resistant control system!

I doubt anyone can recommend an after market heater as the elements are controlled by the Medium Speed CAN bus.

I was thinking it was the MOST, the fibre optic bus, but the Media Oriented System Transport mostly control the entertainment items including the NAV, BlueTooth, and TV. I doubt there is any other 4x4 out there that features a sun spot and EMF resistent NAV and radio. This is the ride of choice for those who wear anti radiation suits for a living.

The medium speed bus operates at 125Kbits/second; the high speed CAN bus, at 500 Kb its/second and the MOST at 24Mbs, and that is just for the music system. There is also a LIN bus, Local Interconnect and it operates at 9.6 Kbs, actually there are two of them.

Anyway, you have to be really careful when introducing non Land Rover parts into the vehicle.

 

[tomasesto]

I douby anyone can recommend an after rmarket .heater as the elements are controlled by the optical bus. I doubt there is any other 4x4 out there that features a sun spot EMF resistant seat heater. . This is the ride of choice for those who wear antiradiation suits for a living.

well in that case I will jus dbl up on the thermals