Demon possessed heated seats!

[NotJLB]

#PI01850: Driver or Passenger Heated Seats Turn On By Themselves - kw GMT800 GMT805 GMT820 GMT830 seat unwanted heat right left front switch operation - (Mar 8, 2004)
Subject: Drivers or Passengers Heated Seats Turn on By Themselves . This concern maybe caused by the customer inadvertently contacting the heated seat switch . . .

That's funny . . . That's what my wife accused me of, and that's what a lot of people with the same problem have posted, that they thought they were bumping the switch by accident.

Then, my wife watched as we drove down the road, my hand/arm no where near the door panel, and she saw the switch lights cycle . . . one light, two lights, three lights, off, one light, two lights, three lights, off . . . over and over.

So, blame it on the customer.

In all the discussions about this I've found online, and there's a lot of them, I have not found one that said the dealer helped them/fixed it.

The only fix I have found is the video to disconnect the connectors under the driver's seat.

But, I welcome any real fix, if anyone has one.

 

[rgosart]

Well like I said in a prior post, changing the ddm worked for my friend. That was just what I found on GM SI. I know the problem exists because I have seen it in his truck

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[NotJLB]

I saw my guy today to replace my serpentine belt and re-align a pulley.

He didn't have any pearls of wisdom for the heated seat issue.

 

[LEDFoot]

To consolidate a bit, it looks like there are 3 common causes for seat heat issues:

1) Per the service bulletin replacing the seat heater switch with a low-profile version (for when caused by elbow bumping the buttons?) Seems fairly unlikely a culprit to me.

2) Malfunctioning seat heater element. In this case, the seat heaters may still turn on even with the switch module removed.

3) DDM. The seat heating buttons are connected to this module and this module communicated to the BCM via the bus.


It seems my problem is #2, I'm planning on replacing the seat bottom leather and probably the foam as well so I will do the heating element as well and hopefully that will solve my problems.

 

[ivin74]

To consolidate a bit, it looks like there are 3 common causes for seat heat issues:

1) Per the service bulletin replacing the seat heater switch with a low-profile version (for when caused by elbow bumping the buttons?) Seems fairly unlikely a culprit to me.

2) Malfunctioning seat heater element. In this case, the seat heaters may still turn on even with the switch module removed.

3) DDM. The seat heating buttons are connected to this module and this module communicated to the BCM via the bus.


It seems my problem is #2, I'm planning on replacing the seat bottom leather and probably the foam as well so I will do the heating element as well and hopefully that will solve my problems.

Keep us posted

 

[about20ninj45]

I had this problem a couple years back. I replaced the driver side door switch/ controls and replaced the heating element. The only seat that kept coming on by itself was the drivers seat, so that helped me narrow it down. Passenger seat didn’t have any issue whatsoever. But between the two, that’s what fixed my problem.

 

[ivin74]

I had this problem a couple years back. I replaced the driver side door switch/ controls and replaced the heating element. The only seat that kept coming on by itself was the drivers seat, so that helped me narrow it down. Passenger seat didn’t have any issue whatsoever. But between the two, that’s what fixed my problem.

I'm going to try the heat element first and see what happens.

 

[ivin74]

So I disconnected the heating elements and the lights stopped blinking, I guess that might be the problem.

 

[mwilson62000]

My 03 Tahoe did this 2 summers ago. Drivers seat heater kept coming on by itself. I unplugged it from under the seat for the summer. When winter came I plugged it back in and it’s been working fine ever since them. Hasn’t come on by itself again. Very strange.

 

[alaska_guy]

Doesn't the GM tech2 tool allow you to check the heated seats modules and command them? Pretty sure it did...

 

[select127]

The problem is with the heated seat switch on the door. Replace it and problem should go away. Had same problem in 3 trucks I've owned.

 

[LEDFoot]

Received my new heating element but waiting for the new seat foam and leather cover to arrive because my heiney wore a hole in the old one...

 

[ivin74]

changing the ddm worked for my friend. That was just what I found on GM SI.

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What is the DDM?

 

[LEDFoot]

What is the DDM?

Driver Door Module - It's in the same box that holds the power window and lock switches.

 

[LEDFoot]

Who wants to play spot-the-short!?

Finally got around to doing this lat night, didn't realize the design of the heater element was quite this dumb, whoever thought it a good idea to lay the wires in a crossing, grid pattern? On something people sit on likely every day.
No wonder these things short out left and right.

Replaced with an element from the seat shop and it does not have crossing wires.

Replaced the seat foam and the cover as well, and voila, no more ghosts turning my seat heater on and off.


Also took care of the peeling buttons, got the vinyl stickers off of ebay and so far I'm pretty pleased with the results vs. buying a whole new switch assembly

Compare to the passenger side I haven't done yet

 

[ivin74]

How hard is it to replace the heat element?

 

[ivin74]

So I disconnected the heating elements and the lights stopped blinking, I guess that might be the problem.

Several days after I disconnected the heat element the heat switch started acting up again, so I order a new switch. Waiting for it to arrive and see it the demon goes away.

 

[LEDFoot]

How hard is it to replace the heat element?

It's not particularly hard, the hardest part was getting all the connectors undone underneath the seat.

I did it with the seat in the vehicle, the bottom cushion is only held with the two nuts on the front underside and two keyhole slots in the back (once nuts are off, lift the front and slide forward and lift up the back.

Might be easier to take the whole seat out though, I'm not sure.

The heating element is glued to the seat foam, the new one comes with adhesive steps already on. Go to the seat shops utube channel, they have some very instructive videos on getting the seat cover pob and off.

 

[LEDFoot]

Several days after I disconnected the heat element the heat switch started acting up again, so I order a new switch. Waiting for it to arrive and see it the demon goes away.

Did you disconnect both heating elements? If you only did the bottom it's possible that the backrest one is the one that Issa showed out

 

[ivin74]

Several days after I disconnected the heat element the heat switch started acting up again, so I order a new switch. Waiting for it to arrive and see it the demon goes away.

So I replaced the heat switch with an oem part and the heated seats still cycle on and off. I also hooked up the tech2 to the door module and I get no codes. Wtf