When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I fixed the problem easy way. I took thermistor wires from the connector under the seat, put new thermistor wires into the connector (polarity doesn't matter), passed new wires under the seat and placed new thermistor in the cushion through ventilation window under the seat. So no need to take out the seat or even touch the cushion cover.
Can it still measure the thermal element from where you put it?
Yes, it would be interesting to know if the heated seats require thermistor feedback regarding how much heat to do in the various heated seat settings. I don't think the ventilated seats care what the actual temp is, just that the thermistor is present.
Yes, it would be interesting to know if the heated seats require thermistor feedback regarding how much heat to do in the various heated seat settings. I don't think the ventilated seats care what the actual temp is, just that the thermistor is present.
I believe you are right, for ventilation mode to work the actual temperature doesn't matter, only the fact that the thermistor is present. In heating mode I think the current draw depends on the temperature.
Can it still measure the thermal element from where you put it?
On the side of this "window" in the base of the seat you can find with your fingers a gap between foam pieces existing there for ventilation to work. You can pass then the thermistor through this gap and bring it up from the bottom to the cushion leather cover. There the temperature readings shall be almost adequate.
What style of connectors are those? I don't recognize them, but if I can get away with out any soldering, or removing the seat, that's a huge win!
I didn't change the connector. I just pulled out two pins related to the thermistor from the stock connector (it is easy to do with pins extractor tool) and substituted them with new thermistor wires. I attached the spare pins I had to the new thermistor wires without soldering. Actually you can use the existing wires with pins, just pull them out of connector, cut them long enough, connect them to the new thermistor wires and reinsert them back to the connector. I think it can be done even without pulling the pins from the connector, but it is not that easy to operate under the seat, so I pulled the original pins out.
Front seats are heated only and both are same with 2 buttons on side for adjusting (think considered 6 way?...4 at very least).
As soon as I drove off from Dealer from unrelated repair (original water pump finally went bad after 119K) the drivers seat no longer heats...which is used often & never experienced any issues whatsoever. Have had the car since 2017 & I'm the 2nd owner.
Immediately returned to Dealer for diag simply b/c I thought was quite an unfortunate coincidence...no luck though with pursuing further and of course they want another $1,600+ for new heating element.
My question is > can the passenger seat (which of course is working) be swapped with the Driver? ...or would there an airbag issue by chance making it not as easy as I'm hoping?
Front seats are heated only and both are same with 2 buttons on side for adjusting (think considered 6 way?...4 at very least).
As soon as I drove off from Dealer from unrelated repair (original water pump finally went bad after 119K) the drivers seat no longer heats...which is used often & never experienced any issues whatsoever. Have had the car since 2017 & I'm the 2nd owner.
Immediately returned to Dealer for diag simply b/c I thought was quite an unfortunate coincidence...no luck though with pursuing further and of course they want another $1,600+ for new heating element.
My question is > can the passenger seat (which of course is working) be swapped with the Driver? ...or would there an airbag issue by chance making it not as easy as I'm hoping?
The airbag is the least of your concerns! Even if the seat fit in the mount (which it probably does not due to the buttons/controls on the wrong side), how would you put on your seat belt to drive?
It'd be much easier to just remove the driver's seat, and fix the problem (which is a likely just a broken wire as shown above).
Hello, just wanting to jump on the back of this thread and say a huge thanks to all for the invaluable advise. I purchased my first Porsche 2 weeks ago, a 2012 Cayenne and the drivers heated seat wasn't functioning. I was sure it worked on the test drive but such is life.
My Autel scanner was giving a code of "008102 Seat temperature sensor front right, short circuit to B+/open circuit" (I'm in the UK so a RHD car) based on this thread I was fairly confident it was the thermistor at fault and not the heating elements.
Following the guidence on here I bought some new Thermistors (£4 off eBay) and set about it this lunch time. I cut off the old thermistor wires as noted by NN and wired in my new one. Tested it functioned and then pushed the sensor back up into the seat cushion. Heated seat now works perfectly, code cleared.
If it helps anyone, on a UK car the wires and connector in questions are on the transmission tunnel side of the seat, if you unbolt the seat and tip it back onto the rear seats there is plenty of access to carry out the repair without having to fully remove the seat. All in all the job took me around an hour and a half, if you are experiencing this fault for the sake of less than 2 hours and a £4 part its well worth sorting.
Following the guidence on here I bought some new Thermistors (£4 off eBay) and set about it this lunch time. I cut off the old thermistor wires as noted by NN and wired in my new one. Tested it functioned and then pushed the sensor back up into the seat cushion. Heated seat now works perfectly, code cleared.
Can I ask what size of thermistor is required so I can buy some ahead of tackling the job? I had the base of the seat working only for a while (no backrest heat) with the heated seat button staying lit. But now if I turn on the seat heating the three lights come on and then go out after a few seconds. I'm hoping it is the termistor and not the back seat heating element wiring as these are not cheap!
07-25-2023, 08:13 AM
Thanks to all for the help
