Heated seats shorting?

[MarvinM02]

I turned on my seats tonight for the first time this winter, on the lowest setting it got really hot really quick under my right cheek. Turned it off quick, then noticed a burnt smell. Has anyone had this issue and is there anything I could look for or fix myself? Not looking forward to dealership visit.
Thanks in advance.

 

[JiinXC]

Take a look under your seat and see if there are any wires that are exposed missing the insulation. I would also look around the seat rails, maybe a wire got caught up in there. While you're under there make sure nothing was lost under the seat. If you have a multimeter you can see what sort of voltage is going to the seat warmer and check it against the passenger seat.

The other thing I would check is the fuse box. I would make sure the correct fuse is in place for the heated seats. If the fuse is too large that could be an indication of a problem with the heated seats because the fuse was breaking at the proper amperage.

When I get home from work today I'll take a look at my seats and see if there is anything else you can do to troubleshoot.

 

[concept]

Did you try just the passenger seat? I would not recommend pulling the seats apart unless your warranty is expired.

 

[MarvinM02]

Passenger seat is fine. I'll try and get a look under the seat tomorrow and check the fuses. It did work fine last winter, and yes i am out of warranty. Isn't that usually when things go?
thanks

 

[MarvinM02]

So the dealer wants 300$ for a new heating element and 200$ to install. I can get an aftermarket installed for 250$ but they cant use existing wiring or switch. Too cold to rip apart seat myself (ironic i know) so i guess ill do without this winter til i can get at it next spring. Just gotta disconnect it or remove fuse so wife doesnt set car on fire.