Bun Warmer

[Dan Alldrick]

Hello,

The driver's side seat heater on our 2000 I30 only produces low heat output - whether the heater switch is set to "low" or "high". (The passenger side seat heater works properly at both "low" & "high" settings).

We bought this great car 10 months ago when it came off lease. At that time, our dealer replaced the non-functioning heater element circuit in the seat base of the driver's seat. We do not know how long this heater element was broken, but we suspect that the original owner was using the heater switch to turn on the still-functioning heater element in the seat back for some time.

This repaired seat heater only produces low heat from the seat base and seat back....except that after 20 minutes or so of operation, we get a short (45-60 second) spike of extra heat (like the "high" heat setting) before the heater settles back to low heat range for another 15 to 20 minutes, followed by another brief heat spike, and so on.

Our dealer's service team cannot find anything wrong with the seat heater circuitry with their diagnostic computer - they say the seat heater is working properly at both "high" and "low" settings.

My theory is that the thermostat controlling the driver's seat heater has lost it's calibration because the seat heater was operated for some time with only the heater element in the seat back (a single heater element) carrying current. I understand that, when the seat base heater is also working, there are three additional heater elements making up the circuit - for a total of four heater elements.

Our service team is happy to take another look at the problem, but they say they can't really fix something that they cannot detect with their computer.

Meanwhile, another Canadian winter is creeping up on us - and the leather seats that look so "cool" in the summertime are downright frigid these days.

Our warmest thanks if you can help us get to the bottom of this minor problem.

Iceman

[AZhitman]

Dan - It's probably no consolation, but mine acts very similarly.

I believe the seat warmer setup on the Infinitis to be imperfect at best. I know that there seems to be a "pressure switch" of some sort, as the seat heaters do not appear to function if there is not a person in the seat.

This may be the problem (if that "switch" or mechanism is bad).

[elwesso]

The thing is, with Infiniti seat heaters, they are more of a "warming" than they are a roasting. In my parents grand prix, it will singe your leg hairs off at high, and make you sweat at low....

Not the way I like it. On the Q it gets nice and toasty, and then it stays semi-warm, which is how you want it IMHO.....

The "pressure sensors" arent existant. The heating element and the leather have a space in between each other, and you cant FEEL the heat unless you apply pressure. I know this because I had a gaping hole in my old Q and I could feel the actual element, it was hot but the seat was frigid!

[Dan Alldrick]

Thanks for your prompt replies, fellows.

One mechanic mentioned that there was a pressure switch in the seat-heater circuit...but this kind of switch is not shown in the (unlabelled) circuit diagram from the shop manual, and the owner's manual stresses that we better turn off the seat heaters when turning off the ignition.

I'll ask the shop to do a comparison test between the circuit operation of the two seats, then let the matter rest - they've done a 110% job on all other items.

There is a silver lining in all this - during the summer months, the wife wants to drive all the time.....during the winter months, she's happier sitting in the toastier passenger seat.

Thanks again.

Dan