Failed Seat Cushion Heater

My silver i EV just registered 36,000 miles and . . . the seat cushion heater has failed. Of course the basic warranty coverage ends at 36,000 miles.

A quick check with the ohmmeter according to the service manual and the seat cushion heater registers as an open instead of 7 ohms. I checked my other purple i with a working heated seat and got 7 ohms.



Here's the schematic for the heated seat showing the thermostat and heater element wire.



I am going to take the seat out and investigate further.

JoeS said:

If I recall, disconnecting the airbag connector will result in a non-self-resettable error code and you have to take it to the dealer to get it reset. Does anyone know if simply disconnecting the 12v battery before messing with the seat and then plugging everything back in before reconnecting the 12v battery will result in no problems?

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siai47 said:

Removing the 12 volt battery negative lead will prevent the code from being set. I set the code once by forgetting to reconnect the plugs under the seat after removing it for some reason. The system even remembers what the problem was that set the code. The car was new at the time and I just sat there with a stupid look on my face and a "I don't know what happened" comment. I don't think the code will set as long as the key is not moved out of the lock position even with the battery connected as the airbag system isn't powered up until the car is in the "ready" mode (think GM and their current ignition lock recall mess).

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Thanks for the warning. Fortunately I did not try to turn the car on when I had the seat out.

Here's the bottom of the seat.



And here are the electrical connections.

RobertC said:

My silver i EV just registered 36,000 miles and . . . the seat cushion heater has failed. Of course the basic warranty coverage ends at 36,000 miles.

Click to expand...

I considered my options:
Option 1
Take it to the dealer to fix.
Not in this lifetime.
Option 2
Fix it myself.
It is either a broken heater element wire or bad thermostat. I found that the seat fabric is attached to the padding with an adhesive. I could spend significant time fixing it and it could just break again. Also, the factory seat heater has one setting, heats only the bottom of the seat and not the back, is too hot, and the thermostat keeps switching it off and on.
Option 3
Install an aftermarket seat heater.
That would work, but I would want to install it in both the seat cushion and back. It means dismantling the entire seat. Maybe in the future, but too much work for now.
Option 4
Aftermarket heated seat cushions.
These are inexpensive, install quickly, have both a high and low setting, heat both the bottom and back, stay on all the time, and are made out of real cushy velour. They use 40 watts each on the high setting, and I can take them off in the summer.



I put them on both the driver's and passenger seat. You don't have to worry about them draining the battery when the car is off, because the car's 12V power outlet switches off. So far this winter I have been leaving them on the low setting all the time and they are really comfortable.

Total cost for two heated seat cushions and a 4-way socket extender was $54.01. I had purchased the heated seat cushions from Amazon LLC for only $22.51 each, but they must have sold out. They are still available from other Amazon sellers for a little more.

Wagan IN9438 12V Heated Seat Cushion with Lumbar Support (Black Velour)
http://www.amazon.com/Wagan-IN9438-Heated-Cushion-Support/dp/B0041RPGQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418151244&sr=8-1&keywords=wagan+in9438&pebp=1418151276933

Wagan 4-Way 12V Automotive Socket Extender
http://www.amazon.com/Wagan-4-Way-Automotive-Socket-Extender/dp/B0009JB7GI/ref=pd_bxgy_auto_img_y

Thanks for posting those Heated Seat cushions and links. That'll come in handy for future use!

On a related note, my Heated Seat in my 2012 gave out. I used it a few times then noticed it stopped working. I found this post to try and diagnose it but I decided just to take the car in for warranty service. My car still has the basic warranty and less than 7,000 miles so it was replaced immediately! Everything is back to normal and working as it should, just in time for the chilly weather were having.

Perfect timing.
I came on here to find out what heated blanket people had bought.
But I think I like this idea better, for the passenger seat, but I may have to still get the blanket too ... spoiled teenage girl I have might turn to an ice cube.

Very useful information, glad to find it here! I just discovered (on this chilly rainy night) that my driver's side cushion heater doesn't go on; car is relatively new (July purchase). I'll check and make sure it's actually connected, but otherwise, it's under warranty and it'll go to the local dealer.