04 Driver Seat Heater Stopped Working.

[Yzshooter]

My drivers seat heater started going off after a few minutes on. Now it won’t stay on long enough to warm the seat at all. I know warm weather is around the corner but honestly I like heat on my sore back almost year round. I may have worn it out.
TIA,
YZ

 

[MassHoe04]

From what I have seen, problems usually tend to be three things on driver's seat heater issues:
1) Blown fuse.
2) The paper thin heating element in the pads tear.
3) Bad switch.

The the most frequent to happen is torn elements in the pads. Looking at how many times someone has planted hopped on and off the driver's seat cushions... It would not surprise me, if that happened.

Replacing the heater pads is not hard to do, from watching others tackle the job on YouTube. But, I believe you need to remove the seat from the truck to get seat covers off and access the heater pads sitting between the seat cover and the cushion.

 

[Yzshooter]

Form what I have seen, problems usually tend to be three things on driver's seat heater issues: 1) Blown fuse. 2) The paper thin heating element in the pads tear. 3) Bad switch. The the most frequent to happen is torn elements in the pads. Looking at how many times someone has planted hopped on and off the driver's seat cushions... It would not surprise me, if that happened. Replacing the heater pads is not hard to do, from watching others tackle the job on YouTube. But, I believe you need to remove the seat from the truck to get seat covers off and access the heater pads sitting between the seat cover and the cushion.

Form what I have seen, problems usually tend to be three things on driver's seat heater issues: 1) Blown fuse. 2) The paper thin heating element in the pads tear. 3) Bad switch. The the most frequent to happen is torn elements in the pads. Looking at how many times someone has planted hopped on and off the driver's seat cushions... It would not surprise me, if that happened. Replacing the heater pads is not hard to do, from watching others tackle the job on YouTube. But, I believe you need to remove the seat from the truck to get seat covers off and access the heater pads sitting between the seat cover and the cushion.

Form what I have seen, problems usually tend to be three things on driver's seat heater issues: 1) Blown fuse. 2) The paper thin heating element in the pads tear. 3) Bad switch. The the most frequent to happen is torn elements in the pads. Looking at how many times someone has planted hopped on and off the driver's seat cushions... It would not surprise me, if that happened. Replacing the heater pads is not hard to do, from watching others tackle the job on YouTube. But, I believe you need to remove the seat from the truck to get seat covers off and access the heater pads sitting between the seat cover and the cushion.

 

[Yzshooter]

I should have been more specific. The switch lights up and then before the seat gets warm I look over and the light on the switch is off. I figure it’s not a fuse. As for the switch, do you have to remove the door panel to remove it? I’ve seen some images of melted connections on them and thought that might be a good first spot to look.
Thx,
YZ

 

[Fless]

 

[MassHoe04]

I think the light would light up when current makes a full round trip from the switch, through the element and back through the switch to ground.

I am guessing the thin element in the heater pad may be making contact when you first turn it on. Maybe sitting on it or shifting weight breaks the contact it was making.

My gut still suggests you are probably more likely to have a bad element in the pad, that makes contact sometimes and loses contact. It wouldn't be a short, just intermittent current flow through the element. That might explain no blown fuse.

 

[shelton]

First off search function does wonders on this subject…second off it’s not a fuse clearly if the lights come on with the switch, if the light come on then it’s not the switch which you would find with the search. So third off search would also tell you to try back heat only function. If it stays on with just the back then the bottom element is the culprit like normal with these seats. Swing by any shop surely one of their techs has an infrared camera and can literally tell you within seconds where the issue is. Once again that would be in the search function

 

[MassHoe04]

First off search function does wonders on this subject…second off it’s not a fuse clearly if the lights come on with the switch, if the light come on then it’s not the switch which you would find with the search. So third off search would also tell you to try back heat only function. If it stays on with just the back then the bottom element is the culprit like normal with these seats. Swing by any shop surely one of their techs has an infrared camera and can literally tell you within seconds where the issue is. Once again that would be in the search function

Technical advice regarding possible diagnosis... 100 points.
Good attitude, positive tone and keeping things friendly among forum friends... 0 points.

If it was a bad day, hey, we all get them once in a while.
Even then, nobody on TYF deserves that kind of response.

 

[Aquamania001]

Good on you MassHoe04. Thanks!