Seat Heater Issue

[Hoos95]

The front passenger seat heater works and heats the seat, but it gives off a strong burning smell. Has anyone had this issue or know how to solve it?

 

[Bedrck47]

Welcome to the Forum

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

Do you have heated seats or heated/cooled seats?

 

[Hoos95]

Do you have heated seats or heated/cooled seats?

They are heated and cooled

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

They are heated and cooled

I would start with checking the wiring/relay and control module then since you don't have the traditional heating pad type element in the seats. The module is located in the passenger seat behind the plastic panel at the front of the seat. If you want to check the TEDs as well, you can access them from the rear of the seats by releasing the J-clip at the rear bottom and unzipping both zippers.

 

[kenf]

The smell is probably the ground contact melting on the seat heat module. I had the same issue and the seat heater stopped working after a while. Remove the passenger seat mounting bolts and flip the seat forward. There is a module under the seat with a large white connector. You can remove the module and check the end of it and most likely the connector edge has melted. I ran a secondary wire from the module ground on the module PCB to the edge connector. Still working fine after several years, seats heat and cool with no smoke or smell. Another design flaw.