Heated Seat

[cprob]

Hi guys,

 

The drivers heated seat in my MK1 Gal was getting extremely hot (ouch!). After a few days of this it has now packed up altogether although the passanger heated seat is still working fine.

 

I'm guessing there is a fault with the element so does anyone know if these are repairable or where I can get a replacement heated pad from?

 

Any advice would be welcome.

 

Cheers,

Robin.

[chromedome]

It's a good job you didn't fart at the same time :wacko:

[cyborg]

It's a good job you didn't fart at the same time :wacko:

 

:lol:

[cprob]

Frauds want

[MrT]

There is not just the cost of the heat pad to worry about, it is a major job to fit it as you have to unpick the winding or stitching around the bottom of the seat to remove the cloth then it all has to be "sewn" up again. I had this done under warranty and there were several hours work involved. Care also has to be taken on some models seats as there are airbags in the side of the backs.

[cprob]

There is not just the cost of the heat pad to worry about, it is a major job to fit it as you have to unpick the winding or stitching around the bottom of the seat to remove the cloth then it all has to be "sewn" up again. I had this done under warranty and there were several hours work involved. Care also has to be taken on some models seats as there are airbags in the side of the backs.

 

 

Thanks MrT Looks like I'd better get my sewing kit out! As far as I'm aware, I haven't got airbags in my seats so at least that shouldn't be a problem! Just need to source a replacement heat pad now!

[cprob]

It's looking like the best way forward is to buy a whole new seat from a breakers.

 

Question 1. - Is the fault likely to be anything other than a problem with the seat i.e. the controls etc?

 

Question 2. - Will a seat from a Mk 2 be the same as a Mk 1?

 

Question 3. - Has anyone got one? :-)

 

Cheers,

Robin.

[MrT]

You could test two things with a meter. The first is to check that there is voltage to the seat connector, if there isn't then you can start looking at the controls, fuses etc. You could measure the resistance of the seat pad as if it has failed it will be open circuit - but I am not 100% sure on this but there could be two pads in the seat, one in the back and one on the cushion, so if only one had gone you could still have resistance.

 

Seats with heaters varied between models, not all had them.

[cprob]

The cold weather has prompted me to look at this again and I've finally fixed my heated seat!

 

I tried searching for a replacement from a breakers but finding one locally was like looking for rocking horse sh**. The only ones I found were miles away and they were going for stupid money!!!!

 

So with nothing to lose I took my seat out and stripped it down ..... it was easy! There was no sewing required (Mk 1) and it all came apart as follows:

 

1) Remove 4 bolts that secure the seat to the floor pan and the seat lifted straight out of the car, just had to disconnect the heated seat wire.

2) Remove the plastic moulded trim and handles by undoing a few screws.

3) Remove 2 spring clips and 2 bolts from the bracket that joins the beck rest to the seat and seperate the two. The backrest then lays flat but take care not to pull the wire that runs into the backrest for the heating element. I didn't have to strip the back rest any further as my problem was just with the seat element.

4) The fabric covering the seat is held in place with a wire 'pull cord' which easily releases once the bolts from the backrest are removed. Once this 'pull cord' is released the fabric simply pulls back over the foam cusion to reveal the heating element (which looks just like an ordinary thin insulated wire).

5) Once the heating element was exposed I could see a small scorch mark on the foam from where it overheated. This was where the wire had broken and why it failed altogether. I just cut out the broken part and soldered the wire back together.

6) It was then easy to stretch the seat fabric back into position and re-assembly the seat.

 

The whole job took me about 1.5hrs from start to finish and I have a lovely warm bum again! :-)

[MrT]

I am curious about the "pull chord". Was this fitted in such a way that is looked like a saw tooth blade, sort of straight out, then diagonal in the staight out again? If was I might have been wrong about the stitching as I thought the picture was a blow up of fine stitching, but it could have been a pull chord in a large stitch pattern.

[cprob]

I am curious about the "pull chord". Was this fitted in such a way that is looked like a saw tooth blade, sort of straight out, then diagonal in the staight out again? If was I might have been wrong about the stitching as I thought the picture was a blow up of fine stitching, but it could have been a pull chord in a large stitch pattern.

 

 

The pull cord was simply a piece of steel wire (a bit thinner than the stuff used for wire coat hangers). It was passed through the stiched hem of the seat fabric in the same way as a string through the hood of a coat or hoodie. There was a twisted loop on each end of the steel pull cord. Once the seat fabric is stretched down over the foam cusion the loops on the pull cord are hooked over the mounts where the bolts go which then holds the fabric tight in place - just like pulling the string tight in a hoodie.

 

I wouldn't say that anything looked like a saw tooth blade. I should have taken some pics and I will if I ever have to take it out again. It really is an easy job and once you get your spanners and screwdrivers out it is all quite self explanatory. I started by thinking I had nothing to lose and if I mess up the seat cover etc I'd just have to bite the bullet and shell out to the breakers for another one but it was a piece of cake and looks like it's never been touched!

 

Of course I only had to remove the cover from the seat part not the back rest. The back rest looked like it may be a bit more involved and probably would need un-picking and re-stitching.