[Guide] Heating Seat Failure And Repair

Hello,

My heated seats are not working. I checked a fuse but everything is fine.
I took it apart and now I see it is not burned out.
A quick check with an ohmmeter shows 20 ohms resistance in the driver's cushion element and 24 ohms in the backrest element.
Can anyone tell me if these are normal values or if they are faulty?


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Hi, my drivers seat base element works but on the lowest setting it burns my bum after a few minutes and I have to turn it off. The back rest is not working at all. Any ideas on where to start my investigations??
2017 T6 Caravelle
Passenger works correctly.
 
@MarksT6
Did you get to the bottom of the fault
I would guess the upper seat pad has short circuit and the seat base pad has all the current from poth pads going in to the lower pad making it get hotter
 
tazz said:
@MarksT6
Did you get to the bottom of the fault
I would guess the upper seat pad has short circuit and the seat base pad has all the current from poth pads going in to the lower pad making it get hotter
Click to expand...
Yes, you are correct. I checked and the back rest heat pad is faulty but I can't find the correct replacement.
 
To add to the list of my T6 woes, I now have a failed heated driver's seat. Thanks though to @Robert, I have a fighting chance of fixing this problem.

Only curiosity I have is that my seat has not totally failed. You do get a wee bit of heat after a while but much reduced from normal.

Measuring the resistance of each pad I get 1.2Ohms for the back rest and 13.8 Ohms for the base (confirmed measured 15Ohms at the main plug since elemenrs are connected in series). Given that heated seats typically use about 50 Watts of power, I'd have expected to see a total resistance of ~3Ohms (V^2/R, 12^2/3 = 144/3 ~48W). At 15 Ohms, I'm only getting ~10W which explains why I have a cold bottom.

So, I'm guessing I need a new seat base element (7LA963555C thanks @LambethBoy). Just wondered if anyone could confirm my thoughts on resitance and let me know what the base resistance shoud be? I know I could remove my own passenger seat to measure that one but I've run out of time this week for driveway wrenching.

Plus, holy cr*p, these parts have got expensive. Seems they used to be ~£50. Now they are more like £150!

Cheers, Cuiken.
 
Last edited:
Does anyone have the part number for the heating element for the back rest for a 17 plate caravelle with half leather and half alcantara? The ones I enquire about all say they won't fit.
 
MarksT6 said:
Does anyone have the part number for the heating element for the back rest for a 17 plate caravelle with half leather and half alcantara? The ones I enquire about all say they won't fit.
Click to expand...
TPS should be able to give you the part number!?
 
Can someone find me the part number of the drivers side front seat, back rest cover for the black leather and alcantara. 1000029645.jpg
 
Hi Good thread Could anyone measure ohms of both pads when functioning corectly?? I wonder if a generic heat pad could be modded with resistors to match the VW. or if a budget fix is to solder on the ends to a new copper wire and sew it in a similar pattern? Is it just the thin copper wire that's causing the resistance, or is it a special wire??
 
rjfroud said:
Hi, great work!

I have the exact same seats in my 2016 Caravelle, the driver's heated seat went first, then the passenger a few weeks later. I checked the fuse but also aware that the single fuse controls both so was unlikely the cause.

I am unsure where to turn next, any recommendations for who I could go to for investigation? Unfortunately I don't have the tools or skills to do myself, any advice really welcome. Meanwhile, cold bum journeys are my life!
Click to expand...
Hello, did you have any luck getting a repair? I have the same issue on a 2016 Caravelle.
 
Depending on the type of connection on your seats you could keep eye out for seats from a damaged car with deployed airbag and remove the heat mats and fit them to your seats. As long as the seat is a similar shape/design then the mats should fit.
 
I believe the heating element is made with Nichrome wire. Resistance wire. Resistance may be relative to wire diameter.
Rapidonline list various sizes.
 
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