We have a 2002 that has heated leather seats but the drivers side doesnt heat up. When you push the button on the indicator light will light up but does not stay on. The passenger seat switch will stay lit when you turn it on and the seat heats fine...Does anyone know if it could be the switch? or is it the heater in the seat? If it is the switch do you know if the switches are interchangable? dont normally need the heat in the passengers seat...mostly the drivers seat.

sounds like something is tripping it off, could be something in the controller or the elements, changing the switches would help you diagnose it, someone else that knows more should chime in

so then the switches should be interchangable? I figure that is the best place to start if i can just switch them to see what happens.

The switches are interchangeable, but if the element comes on even briefly the switch is not likely the problem. Theses switches are momentary contact by design and the fact the light comes on (albeit briefly) means the switch is working.

These switches trigger one of two inputs on the heated seat control module (one per seat). If you press the switch to the 'ON' position, it temporarily grounds an input on the module. This tell the module to turn the element on 'HI'. Another press will ground the input again and the module then knows to turn the element on to 'LO'. Repeatedly pressing the switch will toggle between 'HI' and 'LO'. When you press the switch downwards into the 'OFF' position, this grounds a seperate input on the module and the element is turned off.

The symptom you're describing occurs because of the design for a couple of reasons.

1. The element is bad. This is a common problem with these seats.
2. The fuse is bad (see below). There is one for each seat located in the rear fuse block.
3. The module is bad.

There is one module per seat. It is attached to each of the front seats and is probably 4"x4"x1.5" and has two connectors plugged into it. On has 10 cavities and is white, the other has 6 cavities and is gray. The module itself will either be tan (most common) or black. The modules are identical and also interchangeable between the front seats.

The heated seat modules have power applied constantly. In order for them to turn on, the ignition must be 'ON'. Even if the fuse is bad, there is a 12V signal (IGN 'ON') applied to one input of the module when you press the switch. This can cause the light to illuminate briefly, but without the constant 12V supply present (supplied via the fused line), the module will not "latch" on, nor will the element warm.

There have been people who've been able to repair a common wire break in the seat cushion element wiring, but you need to remove part of the leather. I don't always recommend this repair because you need to be proficient at wiring repairs and soldering. There is a service kit available. For your car it comes with three elements that must be replaced as a set. This also includes the ones in the seat back.

Let me search around and see if I can find the write-up for the repair.

This isn't the repair procedure, but there is more information available here:

https://www.gmforum.com/t249114/

That is a lot of information...Thank you very much....now I dont want to sound stupid or anything but where exactly is the fuse box located in this car? I have been told under the back seat but have not had a pressing issue to try to find it. This is actually my daughters car...I drive a 94 Grand am

There are two fuse boxes. One is under the hood, the other is under the rear seat. To access this one, pull up on the rear seat cushion at the front edge where it meets the floor. The most likely problem is the element, but it'* definitely worth checking the fuse first.

Thank you so much for all your help. My nephew told me to check out this site and it has proven to be a great place to come to.....we bought the car from a used dealership and it didnt have manual with it. The only other problem we have encountered so far is the factory installed cd changer doesnt work. It doesnt seem to open.

Start a new thread in the Audio and Electronics section. I can post some thoughts on this problem for you there.

Greetings,

My drivers seat stopped working with the same symptoms discussed here. Upon disassembly I found the burnt spot on the seat bottom causing the open circuit. The local GM dealer found the repair kit (either a three piece or five piece and we ordered the three piece- as shown). . I am now unsure how to proceed as the replacement elements seem very large. I understand about snipping the connectors to the old elements and not trying to extract them from the liner, but how should I place the new element and which piece do I use?

Also, the GM part # 25730797 was ordered ($115.09 after my discount) but in another thread Archon gives the GM # as 25730798. Do I even have the proper kit? Thanks for any thoughts!