[eezergeezer]

Hello Guys,

I have replaced the heated seat fuse 15amp on my 147 and the fuse blew again. Im wondering if any other components could be causing the short or over current.
Any ideas?

Please help as its rather cold and I would like some warmth on a cold leather seat..

Thanks in advance!

 

[gotcha]

Do you have 3-door 147 and tend to slide the seats often? The cables under the seat might be worn/short circuited somewhere....
My dad had this problem on Merc C class, the heated seats had a worn cable under the seat and and have slowly drained battery in 2-3 days if the car was parked and not used, but battery seemed OK if driven daily. And when you wanted to use the seat heating, fuse had blown…

 

[eezergeezer]

It is a 3 door! What you say does make sense too..

Is there a way I can isolate one seat and then the other to see which side could have the problem? Im hoping i can unplug them somehow?
thanks!

 

[FoxtrotOscar]

The switches themselves aren't really up to the job and often burn out; remove them and examine the state of the pins on the back. If the connector is overheated and discoloured, you'll need a new switch and possibly a repair to the wiring.

IMPORTANT: there is a design fault evident on some cars in this area; the wiring comes out of the switch/connector at the wrong angle, forcing the wire to rub on part of the seat frame, which is very sharp. The resulting short circuit can be disastrous; the wire heats up and melts the insulation, melting into the other wires in the loom under the seat, namely the AIRBAG LOOM. This will burn all the wiring between the airbag ECU and both front seats, as well as possibly damaging the ECU. I have only seen this twice, but that's enough.

 

[eezergeezer]

I will take a look later today and report back... I think I will remove the switches individually to see if theres any diff... Is there a better way for me to test this? I am currently using new fuses each time i test ( gone through 3 already)
Thanks..

 

[gotcha]

I suggest taking the seat out of the car, its just 4 bolts and unplugging 2 connectors. It’s actually easier than trying to check all the cables, connectors, and repair some wiring kneeling by the car and looking into the dark...

 

[eezergeezer]

Thanks.. Did decide to take them out although wasnt quite sure if a difficult job....
got some friends coming over tomorrow so will ask them to lend a hand..

 

[Simon_S]

Disconnect the battery before you disconnect the seats or you'll have the airbag light on!

 

[johnnygti]

oooh this looks helpful to me... isit possible my airbag light could be on due to these wires melting as my seats dont work either?

 

[cgizzi]

lol upon reading this thread, i noticed my 147 has heated seats also!
Very nice.

 

[pubsinger]

The switches themselves aren't really up to the job and often burn out; remove them and examine the state of the pins on the back. If the connector is overheated and discoloured, you'll need a new switch and possibly a repair to the wiring.

Seconded. Passengers have a habit of turning the switch on (why would they do that?) and forgetting to turn it off at the end of the journey. Owing to the stupid positioning of the switch one can drive around for days/weeks..... till another passenger chirps 'this seat's hot, how do you turn it off'?

And yes, the switches do overheat and require replacing from time-to-time, about £30UKP IIRC.

Why couldn't they have mounted the switches on the dash where they can be seen?

All the best

Pub

 

[eezergeezer]

Seconded. Passengers have a habit of turning the switch on (why would they do that?) and forgetting to turn it off at the end of the journey. Owing to the stupid positioning of the switch one can drive around for days/weeks..... till another passenger chirps 'this seat's hot, how do you turn it off'?

And yes, the switches do overheat and require replacing from time-to-time, about £30UKP IIRC.

Why couldn't they have mounted the switches on the dash where they can be seen?

All the best

Pub

Mate where do you get these switches from ???
Never did get the issue sorted to be honest..

 

[pubsinger]

From your friendly, local Alfa Romeo/Fiat dealer.

All the best

Pub