My drivers side power seat stopped working and it appears to have happened after taking it to my regular "Hand Washing" place. They always adjust both seats back to vacuum the front floor boards and usually move them back. This time I got in and pushed the 'memory' button that I have set for myself and it moved a little then stopped, I used the button on the seat and it moved a little and stopped. I looked under the seat to see if a connector was lose. Couldn't really tell but I need to start shooting the problem. We are leaving for a three week road trip, luckily the seat position is pretty much where it needs to be. Any suggestions on how to trouble shoot this issue would be helpful, but I may not try to really get after it until we get back. Thanks for any help.
2013 Tahoe drivers side power seat stopped working, its a full 8 way adjust with memory buttons.
- Thread starter rdhogg
- Start date
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alpha_omega
Full Access Member
Bummer! I’m guessing you checked all of the fuses, wiring harnesses and grounds just to make sure “nick the new guy” didn’t bash the vacuum nozzle under the seat before getting it wrapped around some wires near the dash? Or that someone didn’t go crazy with the windows down, soaking the drivers side switch panel?
Are all of the windows and mirrors working properly?
Are all of the windows and mirrors working properly?
George B
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The connector is on the floor under the back of the seat. there is a piece of plastic trim over it. I would just try remaking that connection first.
usually I would say the switch but how the memory function and switch interact I do not know, I would check the wiring harness for sure especially if you use the heated seat function a lot the power wire likes to burn and melt the harness that type of issue is found more often on the previous gen but can still happen, sounds like it's not getting enough power.
alpha_omega
Full Access Member
The wiring harnesses for the seat motors, the temp controls (heated cooled seats) and all of the additional seat features run partly under the floor trim and partly under the center counsel and then back up to either the fuse panel or up to the door switch. All of which are wrapped pretty damn good, so I would be hard pressed to believe that it was an issue with the wiring as opposed to a connection underneath like @George B mentioned, a bad fuse or possibly the door switch.
what I don't understand is how a "bad switch" would affect the memory function, the switch is manual control, memory function I would think would go by motor revolutions and would bypass the switch being that the switch is a contact rocker switch, the memory module must keep a constant revolution count so it knows where to put the seat at any time if a memory button is pushed, not sure how that works i'm just speculating.
George B
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Question: What functions, if any, still work as expected?
No functions on the drivers side are working. Good question. I have not tried the heated seat botton yet. I never use it. We are on a three week Christmas road trip, so I have kinda put shooting the prob on hold. But thanks for everyone's imput.
Just started the trouble shooting process but we left on a three week Christmas road trip back East and put the issue on hold, thanks for your response and I will get back with you when we return home after New Year's. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
alpha_omega
Full Access Member
You are correct, the seat function switches would not affect the memory function switch. The “bad switch” I was referring to was the memory function switch. Some are one unit pieces on the door near the window switches, others are down lower on the door panel, and others are on the outside [door side] of the seat itself.
*My fault for confusing anyone by not being specific. Not that you guys don’t already know this info, but someone else reading this down the road might not have the vehicle maintenance knowledge base that we do.*
The memory function takes the info stored in the seat position control module (seat ECU), which is the last known number of revolutions counted by each of the motor encoder of the individual seat function motors (lumbar, forward/reverse, seat height).
The info stored in both the seat ECU and the the memory switch can be zeroed out when the battery is disconnected or manually via a Tech2.
Knowing the troubleshooting questions we asked will help diagnose the problem. Enjoy your holidays as well.
