All about heated seats

[tref]

Gentlefolk,

I now have a pair of heated leather seats for my S2 (Thanks Neil[])... the function of which I know absolutely nothing!

I have fitted the passenger one, and have tried it with the engine running, and switched the rear-demist on as that kind of seemed logical to me (well, I understand the heated washer jets and mirrors are activated that way!), and get this wonderful warmth creeping through my arthritic joints!

How-ever... The switch on teh side appears to be a sprung loaded, centre off - is this push once at the top for on, once at the bottom for off, or is it "press and hold to adjust temperature"?

Is there some other control that ensures they are not heating all the time?

Also, I haven't fitted the driver's side one yet as Neil believed it wasn't working... Does any-one know a fault finding method for these?
Should there be a certain resistance through certain pins of the connector for example? Are there any simple tests to say if it is a switch or element problem?
Any-one any experience of getting these parts replaced?

As I say, at the moment I know nothing - any information gratefully receieved!

Thanks,

Tref.

 

[TTM]

Top is to switch on, bottom to switch off. The adjustable knob in between is to adjust temperature.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Glad to hear you are enjoying some heat in the seat Tref, good to hear the passenger side still works but you never know you may get lucky with the drivers side. It never worked for me but then I wasn't that bothered about heated seats. After getting seat heating in both the base and back on our MX-5 I now know though it is indeed a wonderful thing, especially in a convertible. My old Saab and indeed most of em that had busted heated seats it was always a wire onto the element that snaps off with age, that would be my first line of thought.

 

[944 man]

Have you sorted that bonnet out Neil?

 

[tref]

Thanks guys,

Thom, No dial on either of these seats! just a rocker switch, and the usual up,down front and rear controls.

 

[Neil Haughey]

ORIGINAL: 944 man

Have you sorted that bonnet out Neil?

Hi Simon I have sent you a PM

 

[DavidL]

Tref,
Out of interest did you know your car had the electics for the heating mechanism or is it the case that the loom is there in all the cars it just depended whether the heated seats box was ticked and hence the wiring actually used?

 

[tref]

As far as I can tell, the loom just supplies power to the seats, irrespective of what features the seats have (I await to be corrected). As far as I am aware, neither mine nor Neil's car originally had heated seats, and the passenger seat works in both of them!

I am currently trying to track down a wiring diagram, primarily out of interest, as it would appear that the seats are connected by an eight-way connector of which only four connections are used.

 

[tref]

Ok, I have now had a chance to turn the seat upside down and have a look... first was a loose wire... "ah-ha!" I thought... but that turned out to be connected to the seat-belt socket. Second was one of the wires that I assume goes to the seat heating elements slightly unplugged - Could it be a mis-connected connector? well, it looks like it would still make a connection... anyway, I disconnected what I believe to be the heating element wires, and put a multi-meter across them - one reads open circuit (the one that was originally not fully home - has some-one being doring this before I ask myself?), the other reads 2 ohms... Does that sound about right?

Trying to remember school-boy physics... V=IR... so 12/2 = 6amp? W = VI... 12 x 6 = 72W? that sounds about right to me...

So... if one element is broken, would that stop it all from working? (I guess it would if the elements are wired in series... I need a wiring diagram!), or Neil, can you remember if one half of the drivers seat heated?

Also, the connectors for these elements appear to have what looks like a Mercedes symbol on them... does that give an indication of a possible alternative source of parts?

Any further thoughts or information gratefully received!

Regards,

Tref.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Hi Tref I don't recall ever feeling any heat in the drivers seat. Looks like you may need to compare with the wiring in the other seat but it does sound like my hunch was correct and you may have a fairly easy fix.

 

[944 man]

Removing the seat belt tell-tale wire was quite common way-back-when...

 

[tref]

I haven't been able to put a meter on it, but it looks like the two elements are wired in series, so that would explain why Neil got nothing from them.
Spoke to Porsche Centre Bournemouth, who reckon that no S2s were originally fitted with heated seats...so any idea what these were originally fitted to Neil? Apparently there are different elements dependant on the seat type, but nothing external to identify them. It is suggested that I take a look at the element and see if there is a part number if the car they came from cannot be identified.
Ball park price I was told will be £40 or £60 dependant on whether I need the base or the back.

Sounds reasonable to me!

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Spoke to Porsche Centre Bournemouth, who reckon that no S2s were originally fitted with heated seats...

1988 price list has heated seats as a £196.85 per side option. I can't see why they'd delete this option on later cars? [8|]

 

[tref]

Must admit I was surprised at the comment...

Having looked at some online parts book thingy though, and discovered seats have their own catalogue with around 700 pages, I can understand if it is a brush-off to get me to find out the part number!

 

[Neil Haughey]

They came originally from an early turbo, ISTR 86 or 87.

 

[tref]

Thanks Neil... I may have struck a deal with my old, old seats to get this fixed anyway[]