I can't tell if the backrest portion of my front heated seat is working.

If it is covered, I will have them fix it. If not, then I really don't care.

 

Per dealer, they are. They are looking at it today while they look at my CEL for what I believe to be my thermostat.

 

they should be covered

 

Thanks. Dealer says they can't tell if the backrest is working because it is like 65 degrees today. When it was cold, it was not working. I am sure I will be back before my warranty is up in May. The seat bottom and steering wheel become unbearable hot before anything happens with the backrest. Honestly, I think the tech just does not want to pull my seat apart.

 

Yes, they would be covered.

However, I'm disappointed in your dealer tech. If your seat cushion heats, the seat back heats, too. The heater grids are electrically in series, if one works, the other does also. If one fails, nothing works. I think he should have known that from talking to you.

Normally the seat back never warms as much as the cushion. On top of that, with a jacket on it's that much harder to tell anyway.

Cheers,

 

Ok so maybe it is working. I very intentionally sat in them while cold with only a tshirt abd could not feel the back working before by bottom got unbearably hot. The service writer said over a certain temp they have a lockout which I can't possibly believe as they worked in summer at 80 degrees out.

So if they are in series, there is no way the back is not working if the bottom is?

I appreciate the help and also appreciate that techs post. As a dealer employee way back when, I know most techs are great and unfairly maligned.

 

Correct. Remember the Christmas tree lights of old?? One bulb goes out, they all go out? That is a series circuit like your seat heater. Each heater grid is like a bulb, just a bulb that warms your tush.

There is a temp sensor in there so that the module can tell if it's too warm, and then turn it off.

Class dismissed.........

 

Is there just one temp sensor or one for the back and one for the bottom?

 

Just one, in the cushion of each front seat.

 

I need a new sensor, or a way to tell the damn thing to make my cushion hotter, because I can't even feel the dang thing when its 30something outside in the morning. Love my wheel, good temps there, but the bum needs some warmth!

Can my SDD up the shutoff point by chance?

 

My seats heat but my steering wheel isn't heating. I hope the steering wheel heater is covered by Select Edition. Would anyone here happen to know whether it is covered?

 

I'd wager on it certainly being covered...its electrical, after all.

 

Look for a broken supply wire under the seat.

During the first winter drive, I turned on the seat heaters. My passenger thought they were great. After several trips I finally realised that the "heat" in the drivers seat was nothing more than accumulated body heat.

The supply wire under the seat was broken because not enough slack was available. With the memory function, the drivers seat is in motion much more than the passenger seat. That means more flexing of the wire.

And no, SDD cannot up the temperature because the sensor is only inlined into the supply inside the seat.

 

That's correct! Steering Wheel shows up on the covered parts list for Select.

Matt, Plums comments are accurate, but I thought you said your seat heater warms, just not enough. If you have access to an infra-red thermometer, [if you don't, you need one] some cool morning fire up the XJ and turn on the seat heater. [it does have to be running for the heater to operate] After a minute or two, scan the cushion side to side slowly. You should see the temp rise and fall as you go across the seat. The temp should be 82-90 deg. F at the grid, and 60-70 deg. in an open area. If it's not working the temp will stay within 1-2 deg. over the entire seat. Usually the squab will top out at 78-80 deg., don't know why.

Good luck!