My driver's side heated seat has given up the ghost.

Any ideas on where to start with fixing it? When you switch it on, the light comes on for a few moments and then goes off again.

It started not working directly after LR had had the car in to replace the plastic switch panel on the side of the seat - they broke it while it was in with them for some work and tried to stick it together, but it was properly broken and kept coming off so I got them to replace it. This might not be related, but it could be so I thought I'd mention it!

I've had a couple of people look at it (one LR, one indie), and both have said it "might" be the heating element. Does this sound feasible? If it is then I don't mind coughing up and buying a new one - I don't like having a cold backside in the mornings. But if it's going to be something else then there's no point in paying so much,

So anyway. Has anyone else encountered this problem, and if so how did you fix it? And are there any cheaper things I could test before I spend lots of money on a new element?

Thanks in advance.

Your seat is showing the common symptoms of a failed heating element BUT... If you unplug one of the heating circuit plugs inside the seat, the seat will do exactly the same!

So, if the seat has been stripped to the extent of replacing the switch pack... It could very easily be a plug not in correctly sir...

More investigation needed

If it were me, i would throw it straight back at the garage that replaced the trim they broke and insist they resolve this too!

Oh and by the way... If it is an element... Urmmmm sit down first!!!!

Its a new base or back section complete! So your talking 4 figures!

Thanks Craig! I thought it was a bit of a coincidence that the seat stopped working at exactly the time they replaced the switch pack, so I gave them the car back and asked them to sort it. They said they'd checked and everything was plugged in correctly and that the heating element must have failed. And then they gave me a quotation for fixing it.

That was why I gave it to someone else for a look. He says he "couldn't see" anything wrong and also suggested a heating element failure. He suggested that we find a donor seat from somewhere and test it with that, rather than going to all the expense of replacing the seat base only to discover the problem is being caused by something else, but I have no idea where to start looking - and to be honest, if the donor seat works then we may as well use that.

Is there anything I can check for myself without hauling the entire seat base out of the car?

I was just thinking to myself that if I fix the heated seat then I'll lose this urge to trade the car up for a newer one. I think it's only a very small chance, but all the same.

You can change the base's over from side to side i.e. passengers to the drivers seat! That way if its the base at fault, the fault should move to the other seat

Helps with the wear on the outer side too

I never thought of that! Thanks Craig, I'll give that a go. If the worst comes to the worst, I can swap the two permanently - it doesn't bother me if my passenger has a cold bum.

The same has happened to mine, I got a quote from LR of £900.00 for new leather as apparently, the heating element is bonded to the leather................It'll be summer soon.........  Semper in merda sumus, solum altum variat !!

Current: 2011 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE
Last one: 2003 3.0 TD6 Vogue

As i said above Ian, have the bases swapped from side to side

I would Craig but SWMBO would suffer with cold posterior syndrome, and that's just not worth it.......  Semper in merda sumus, solum altum variat !!

Current: 2011 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE
Last one: 2003 3.0 TD6 Vogue

Sit her in the back Ian... Peace & quiet! Whilst she feels important!

Mrs Bucket syndrome

I'll put it to her, so if you don't hear from me..................

 Semper in merda sumus, solum altum variat !!

Current: 2011 4.4 TDV8 Vogue SE
Last one: 2003 3.0 TD6 Vogue

Has anyone tried / succeeded in using an aftermarket heated seat pad inserted under the knackered leather with the stitched in original heat element ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Pairs-Carbon-F...564aeb3685

My driver's side is failed and I'm looking to repair it without having to replace the whole seat assembly.

Thanks.
David