Heated Seats Troubleshooting

[agentsmith988]

I've been searching on AZ and rummaging through the workshop manual to try and plan the best course of action to troubleshoot my driver side heated seat. It's been dropping down to around 0-5 degrees in the morning and it's really starting to suck having barely any heat (flushing heater core this week) and my seat not working. The problem seems to fluctuate a bit, or it does get warm, just not very hot... Passenger side is awesome still of course...

What's everyones experience when it comes to hunting down seat heater problems? I've been seeing stuff dealing with the actual element, seat wiring harness, the adjustable switches... the list goes on...

Are there any normal trouble spots to look for? Good signs or indicators? Best places to test with a meter? Anything you've got, I'd love to hear it! My butt misses being warm...

[hernandez3011]

99% sure it's the heating element inside the seat. I've gone through 3 sets of s4 leather seats and they all had the same issue. The seat would barely warm up on the highest setting.

The element inside the seat breaks after time....it can be re-soldered or the expensive alternative is buying another heating element.

[Gujuhammer]

I have the opposite problem. Only the left side the seat pad gets warm and it gets really warm. I can't go over a "2" otherwise I'll burn my ass off.

^^^^Are these my only two options? Is there a DIY?

[agentsmith988]

99% sure it's the heating element inside the seat. I've gone through 3 sets of s4 leather seats and they all had the same issue. The seat would barely warm up on the highest setting.

The element inside the seat breaks after time....it can be re-soldered or the expensive alternative is buying another heating element.

Bummer... I can only imagine the work to get the seat out, apart, then back together...

[americanthunder]

I think its the switches, My passenger side works mint, and the switch is crisp. My driver side work sometimes and the switch feels sloppy. I think the contacts inside get worn out. I'm gonna change my switch when I can find a used one, new ones go for over $100. I'm on my second set of seats and both worked exactly the same, so im leaning towards switch.

[Marioh]

Subscribing to this thread. I have the same issue. Driver side... I find that setting 1 is often hotter than setting 6. Sometimes just the outer bolsters get hot. Sometimes the seat doesn't warm at all. Totally sparatic.

[buddysnack]

Subscribing to this thread. I have the same issue. Driver side... I find that setting 1 is often hotter than setting 6. Sometimes just the outer bolsters get hot. Sometimes the seat doesn't warm at all. Totally sparatic.

My left butt cheek has a tan, my right is frosty, and 1-6 is all the same business, that is when the seat finally decides to heat up (usually once the car is warm). I wonder if you can switch the passenger and driver seat heaters/switches? I don't think my wife would mind :)

[zakario]

Anyone tried cleaning the switch contacts? I just noticed mine stopped working and I'm hoping i don't have to remove the seat. How hard is it to remove the switch?

[Pete_S4]

I actually replaced my lower seat element a few years ago. Basically there are a number of wires that run accross the seat (a parallel resister network for you that are more electircally minded) that tend to break one by one. The seat does not stop heating entirely as the wires break, but what happens is that more current gets pushed through the remaining wires. This usually burns out the remaining wires quicker and causes certain parts of the seat to get really hot. As the wires break the resistance between the positive and negative inputs will go up. You can test the seat by measuring the resisitance. I don't remember the exact ohm numbers, but a seat that is working well tends to have just a few ohms of resistance.

[zakario]

so am i correct in assuming that since it worked a few days ago and now it isn't working at all that maybe its the switch and not the element? it was working in 50 deg weather and now its like 10 degrees if that matters

[americanthunder]

Anyone tried cleaning the switch contacts? I just noticed mine stopped working and I'm hoping i don't have to remove the seat. How hard is it to remove the switch?

I cleaned mine and it helped but the drivers side just feels sloppy. The passenger clicks when you switch the number the drivers is just blah. I should have switched them but I didn't think of it at the time.

[b5hobsons4]

Any pictures of the heating element with the seat removed?

[fourings_s4]

I have the same problem but mine actually burnt a hole in the side bolster. Is there anywhere besides the dealer to get a new element, Audi wants $250 for just the botttom element.

[zakario]

we should get a class action law suit going like on the A4 1.8t sludge motors lol

but then again its just a b5 s4

[Yankeefan7592]

Subscribing to this thread. I have the same issue. Driver side... I find that setting 1 is often hotter than setting 6. Sometimes just the outer bolsters get hot. Sometimes the seat doesn't warm at all. Totally sparatic.

x2 same prob not heated driver seat

[cu52]

I have an issue too. Passenger is perfect (only had a person in it probably 20K miles of 116K. Drivers side only gets hot on the left bolster and burns the crap out of me if i leave it on too long. Was going to call AoA and advise of the safety issue see what they might do for me. Probably laugh or say don't turn it on, but worth asking.

[Korben007]

im in the same boat as well.

Its a Group Problem, not quite as fun as a Group Buy but lets work through it.

We got the:
Switch
Seat Element
and probably some sort of relay system
and of course the fuse which is easy to confirm working.

Here is a write up for the older audi heated seats. this might start us in the right direction perhaps.
http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/seatheat.htm

[nonojoe66]

I just got my s4 and have the same problem on both seats, not much heat at all

has anyone measured the resistance in their seats? I think it would be helpfull for someone to measure the resistance in a working seat
so we can compare and narrow down the problem, if the non-working seat has more resistance then its the heating element for sure

[Kruat]

Subscribed, my drivers is the same. I plan on taking my interior out later this winter, to clean and run some wiring. I'll see what I can come up with as far as the seat goes.

[holywater]

[QUOTE=SAUDI01.5;6068173]I have the opposite problem. Only the left side the seat pad gets warm and it gets really warm. I can't go over a "2" otherwise I'll burn my ass off.

HA, I have the same problem. The left part of the seat gets really hot whether it's at 1 or 6. No heat is transferred to the right side of the seat cushion....

[holywater]

I have an issue too. Passenger is perfect (only had a person in it probably 20K miles of 116K. Drivers side only gets hot on the left bolster and burns the crap out of me if i leave it on too long. Was going to call AoA and advise of the safety issue see what they might do for me. Probably laugh or say don't turn it on, but worth asking.

Same problem just gets super hot on the left side. Sounds like a common problem any one else experiencing the same issue?

[pearlwhite]

Same problem here. Passenger seat heats fine but on the driver side only the left pad gets hot and the lower back and bottom portion are getting warm.

[<CHILIBISKITS4>]

both my seats warmers work awesome :)... but subscribed anyway because its always good to know just in case

[agentsmith988]

I have an issue too. Passenger is perfect (only had a person in it probably 20K miles of 116K. Drivers side only gets hot on the left bolster and burns the crap out of me if i leave it on too long. Was going to call AoA and advise of the safety issue see what they might do for me. Probably laugh or say don't turn it on, but worth asking.

Do you have the contact info? Maybe if we get enough people calling in they'll hear us out...

[JackalS4]

Wow cool yeah I have this problem too (driver's side).

Never really thought about it too much, but it'd be nice to get some collective info & DIY's etc!

[alm001]

I'm in for some info. 6deg mornings without it are not great.

[John_JRP3]

my pass works perfect, drivers back does not and bottom is hot as hell on all settings....

[rx7cblink]

I have the same problem but mine actually burnt a hole in the side bolster. Is there anywhere besides the dealer to get a new element, Audi wants $250 for just the botttom element.

well you can add me to the list i jbought my a4 1 month ago and a few days ago it was really cold i just had the setting to (1) i drove to my dry cleaners and was in for approx 4 to 7 minutes came out and to my surprise a hole in the drivers left bolster it looks like the element is just under the leather this is bs my first audi already had whole in cam follower worn hpfp broken belly pan on snow (should i say scooped the snow of my driveway) amd now this heated seats issues wtf audi my acura and bmw never had such issues whats going on here this is BS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ottawa S4]

Add me to the list.

Passengers Ok but drivers is NFG. Thankfully not buring holes in my ass though!

[yan1983]

Found this thread 5 years later

I have the same problem. For my part it's the left side bolster that over heat and the rest seems to not work at all.

Do you guys found the solution for this failure ?

Thanks

[Korben007]

Found this thread 5 years later

I have the same problem. For my part it's the left side bolster that over heat and the rest seems to not work at all.

Do you guys found the solution for this failure ?

Thanks

I have the same issue

Rory - Audi Customization Specialist

[LogansBlackB5s4]

Add another to the list. Intermittent heat, gets blazing hot or barely hot, no matter setting. Passenger side great of course. Sub'd


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[MacDaddy]

Mountain out of a molehill, gentlemen.

The wires break in the seat from pressure being concentrated on small areas of the seat (owners manual even tells you not to do that) replacement isn't very practical as the carbon wires are sandwiched between the foam and a thin layer of fabric all glued together.

I took my seat apart and bypassed the heater wire on the lower left hand bolster drivers seat, the seat isn't hard to take apart, taking it out is harder. You're honestly better off buying a passenger seat off a wrecked s4 and using its components to rebuild your drivers seat, the only extra tool you will need is hog ring pliers.