Heated seat failed on 2013 Yeti

[mlight]

Hi, I just joined the forum to see if there is anything on this subject for Yetis but can only find references in other Skoda model forums.

Our driver seat heater stopped working last winter (although the back heater still works).

Based on things I read on the internet I guessed it was a faulty heating element and I asked our local dealer about it; I was quoted £80 for diagnostic, £45 for new heater (if that was what diagnostics confirmed), and £90 for fitting.

I've been busy, but got a cheap multimeter in the Maplin closing down sale (shame about that), and I've just got round to checking it myself.

There was definitiely power to heater cables when switched on.

I decided not to remove the seat at this stage as I want to avoid disturbing airbag wiring.  After some agonising and careful checking I unplugged the two cables under the seat that I'd decided were the heaters.  The continuity test on the back was fine as expected.  The seat cable has four wires, two of which I guess are used for temperature control.  I identified the power supply and the continuity test failed as expected.

I've removed the heater element, though this is fiddly with the seat in the car and the cover unclipped on only three sides.  It needs to be peeled away from the foam seat pad carefully too as it is stuck down over much of the area. 

However, I've managed it, and now have the faulty pad ready to take to the dealer so I'm sure I get the right replacement part (or maybe I should repair it - has anyone tried that?)

I've added pictures of the heater pad and close up of the broken wire - It seems to have been caused by mechanical damage as the wire beside the broken one also has a kink - like something hit the seat hard where the side squab joins the main seat pad, but I can't think what it was.

I'll post again once I've got it fixed successfully.

[mlight]

OK, so I decided to repair it - shortened a couple of loops to create enough free wire to twist together a new connection - cleaned the wires carefully back to bare copper, tinned with soldering iron, twisted together and soldered again.  Checked resistance was similar to passenger side where there is no fault. Refitted, then tested for several minutes with seat covers off to check function and no overheating at repair site.  All seems good and seat covers back on  

 

[Frenchtone]

bravo!!  ; - D)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Zednine]

Excellent. Good job.