Okay. I turn them on and get the 'telltale' light saying they're on - but the seats don't heat up. What are the likely possibilities.. I'd like to make this an easy-to-find discussion when people do a search...

Thanks in advance...

Okay. I turn them on and get the 'telltale' light saying they're on - but the seats don't heat up. What are the likely possibilities.. I'd like to make this an easy-to-find discussion when people do a search...

Thanks in advance...


Well, it's only 4 nuts to remove the seats... Maybe you can see if it's just as simple as they are unplugged? :confused:

Could they be unplugged? Would the light still go on if it's not plugged into the actual seat? I'm figuring Yes but I thought I'd ask.. It just seems like low-mileage for both seats to not be working.. So you may be right..

Could they be unplugged? Would the light still go on if it's not plugged into the actual seat? I'm figuring Yes but I thought I'd ask.. It just seems like low-mileage for both seats to not be working.. So you may be right..

Well... My reasoning was this... It was a southern car. Probably didn't EVER use them. So maybe they were unplugged so as not to accidentally use them?

Them old people do wierd things... :D

Good point... I'll definitely check this out as soon as I can. Hopefully this weekend.. There's no way to check this without removing the seats though. Right? That would be so nice. :D

Good point... I'll definitely check this out as soon as I can. Hopefully this weekend.. There's no way to check this without removing the seats though. Right? That would be so nice. :D

Well, you could try moving the seat all the way forward and all the way up. You may be able to go in from the back seat and look up...

Well I'll certainly try that first then.. It would be so nice if it was this easy to fix.. Just plug it in. :)

Sal,
The seat heaters both work off the same (2) fuses. #17 (10amp) and #40 (15amp) in the I/P fuse box. If the 10amp is good but the 15amp is NOT, the LED indicator WILL light but the seats will NOT heat up. The 15amp fuse supplies the power for the seat heater module located under each seat (they're basically the thermostats for the seat heaters). I would start by checking BOTH fuses, then check under the seats for bad connections. I will assume the ground is good because both seats share the same ground and since the LED comes on, that should indicate that the ground is good.

Thanks for the info.. Where's the fusebox? I'm gonna go check this in a few minutes...

Thanks for the info.. Where's the fusebox? I'm gonna go check this in a few minutes...

Open driver's door... Look at side of dash. There it is! :)

Thank you! :D Here I go...

Okay, I'm not THAT lucky today.. The fuses are fine.. I took a quick look beneath the seat and didn't see anything hanging, unplugged.. I'm guessing it'll be a more complicated fix...

You should first detemine if you really want to spend your time and money on fixing something like a heated seat..

Sal I guarantee you its the seat pads. Theres a element mesh that heats up when the switch is on and its prolly worn out.

I was quoted $700 CDN to fix it (unstitch, replace element, restitch new seat with new leather)

$700 Canadian.. Does that mean about $350 here? Or $1400? I forget...

The only reason I feel it's unlikely that they're worn out is that the car only has 60k and it's lived down South all its life. Florida... Heated seats worn out? Ya know?

$700 Canadian.. Does that mean about $350 here? Or $1400? I forget...

The only reason I feel it's unlikely that they're worn out is that the car only has 60k and it's lived down South all its life. Florida... Heated seats worn out? Ya know?

More like 500.

Sal, all it takes is someone to sit on the seat with keys or a lot of change in their back pocket to put pressure on the thin element ot break it!

You are sitting in the seat when you turn them on, right? Mine don't seem to come on unless someone is sitting on them, and even them they take a good 5 minutes to warm up....

5 minutes to come on? It look my ETC like 20 seconds to start getting warm... Otherwise.. I guess both seats could have been sat in heavily and broken.. Would that be $500.00 for BOTH seats? Or each? And this includes new leather?

Sal,
It's not the pads. At least the chances are astronomical. There's (4) pads and you're gonna tell me that ALL 4 are bad? Probably not. You have 4 pads, 2 modules, and 1 switch, now think REAL hard. I'm sure a little troubleshooting can uncover the problem. I'll email you the schematic.

It actually felt like MY seat came on a TINY, TINY little bit last night on the way home. Tonight, I'll have my girlfriend turn her seat on and leave it on - and see what happens.. My ETC seats got very noticably hot..

It actually felt like MY seat came on a TINY, TINY little bit last night on the way home. Tonight, I'll have my girlfriend turn her seat on and leave it on - and see what happens.. My ETC seats got very noticably hot..

Even when mine get hot, they don't get that hot... It won't go through a jacket in the winter, but you'll feel it through jeans...

Wimpy heaters... :(

It actually felt like MY seat came on a TINY, TINY little bit last night on the way home. Tonight, I'll have my girlfriend turn her seat on and leave it on - and see what happens.. My ETC seats got very noticably hot..
Whatever gives you a hot ass! :histeric:

Just an FYI.. I've been using my heated seats every day and they're beginning to work. Well, I only sit in the driver's seat so I know that one is beginning to work. Is that odd or what?

Just an FYI.. I've been using my heated seats every day and they're beginning to work. Well, I only sit in the driver's seat so I know that one is beginning to work. Is that odd or what?

They had probly never been used before. :)

And why the hell are you using them now??? It's still warm out?!?!? :D

And why the hell are you using them now??? It's still warm out?!?!? :DIf the Webmaster of the CadillacForums wants his ass warmed who are we to question it?? :D

Hahaha. I was just HOPING to have them come on one day - and they did.. Maybe they really were never used before..

That had to get "warmed up" for maximum performance....... :histeric:

Passenger seat verified - working. :D It was a bit cold last night so I asked my girlfriend to test it out - and it works.. I'm glad. :)

Did you ever figure out the cause of the problem?
I'm having the same problem in my 2000 DTS. Some times the two front seats get slighty warm, sometimes not at all, but they're never not as hot as they used to.

Thanks.