Hey, don't get me wrong. I believe in simple when it comes to vehicles but I have driven them all and hands down, my 01 Monte Carlo has been the BEST in the snow (beats my Jeep, Dodge trucks, and so on). It also happens to have heated seats which, in my opinion, is worth the twice-in-it's-lifetime fix. Front wheel drive traction control would be another huuuge plus over any 4x4 Jeep I've driven. Jeeps are tanks without rooves on wheels and they drive like it. Give me electronics up the butt for the comfort, control, and speed of my Monte over any Jeep... and I will pay to have them fixed: Well worth it.

My Comanche was a build from someone who slammed it to the ground. It was a class A lowrider BUT he repaired the body and frame from the notorious rusting that happens. So, a few suspension pieces and a wheel hub here and there and it's good to go... And it's a hard top convertible.

Back on topic, I cannot figure out how to remove the lower seat cushion cover on my Monte. has anyone done this successfully?

EDIT: I removed the drivers seat (I used a T45 and it was loose but worked) on the 2 back bolts. The front just hooks into the floor boards.
I put the seat on a bench and reclined it all the way and tilted it back so I could see the bottom.
The removal of the seat cover is simple but a bit tight. Looking at the bottom, the front is a simple long plastic clip that clips onto a thin bar running across the front. Looking at the front of the seat, the left side is another long clip that hangs onto a small bracket. I just unhooked them both and started to pull back the cover.
I noticed it was secured where the thread pattern on the leather is. I thought I had to cut the thread pattern to get to my suspected trouble spot but no, it's a Velcro! Pulled it back and exposed the trouble spot shown in the infrared pic above.
I simply pulled the two burnt wires out of the foam a bit and twisted them together, covered them in flux, soldered them heavily, cut off the excess, and tucked them back in.
I reversed the process of the seat cover removal and re-installed the seat.
I had the whole thing done in 15 minutes including removal and re-installation of the seat.

The burn was from a weak point in the elements likely caused by the bottom of my wallet in my back pocket.

I should also note that both the back and the bottom elements were not working because of this telling me the feed runs through the bottom then to the top (stated in earlier posts, confimed by me right now ).

 

Hey, don't get me wrong. I believe in simple when it comes to vehicles but I have driven them all and hands down, my 01 Monte Carlo has been the BEST in the snow (beats my Jeep, Dodge trucks, and so on). It also happens to have heated seats which, in my opinion, is worth the twice-in-it's-lifetime fix. Front wheel drive traction control would be another huuuge plus over any 4x4 Jeep I've driven. Jeeps are tanks without rooves on wheels and they drive like it. Give me electronics up the butt for the comfort, control, and speed of my Monte over any Jeep... and I will pay to have them fixed: Well worth it.

My Comanche was a build from someone who slammed it to the ground. It was a class A lowrider BUT he repaired the body and frame from the notorious rusting that happens. So, a few suspension pieces and a wheel hub here and there and it's good to go... And it's a hard top convertible.

Back on topic, I cannot figure out how to remove the lower seat cushion cover on my Monte. has anyone done this successfully?

EDIT: I removed the drivers seat (I used a T45 and it was loose but worked) on the 2 back bolts. The front just hooks into the floor boards.
I put the seat on a bench and reclined it all the way and tilted it back so I could see the bottom.
The removal of the seat cover is simple but a bit tight. Looking at the bottom, the front is a simple long plastic clip that clips onto a thin bar running across the front. Looking at the front of the seat, the left side is another long clip that hangs onto a small bracket. I just unhooked them both and started to pull back the cover.
I noticed it was secured where the thread pattern on the leather is. I thought I had to cut the thread pattern to get to my suspected trouble spot but no, it's a Velcro! Pulled it back and exposed the trouble spot shown in the infrared pic above.
I simply pulled the two burnt wires out of the foam a bit and twisted them together, covered them in flux, soldered them heavily, cut off the excess, and tucked them back in.
I reversed the process of the seat cover removal and re-installed the seat.
I had the whole thing done in 15 minutes including removal and re-installation of the seat.

The burn was from a weak point in the elements likely caused by the bottom of my wallet in my back pocket.

I should also note that both the back and the bottom elements were not working because of this telling me the feed runs through the bottom then to the top (stated in earlier posts, confimed by me right now ).

Attached is the photo took today of the heated seat. You can see my repair where the old bright spot was but you can also see another bright spot. I know where to look the next time it happens.

 

That thermal imaging is so cool!! (or hot according to the pic...LOL) COngrats on getting it fixed. I love my heated seats too and the technology that makes the 2002 so awesome and comfortable but WOW I love the simplicity of the 84 when it comes to fixing things!!! LOL

 

Back in June of 2013 I bought a set of used 2007 Monte Carlo leather seats to swap out with my 2004 Monte Carlo cloth seats. I got the seats in that summer but I never hooked up the heated seats and would like to do so now. I did not originally have heated seats so I don't have the switches on the center console.


I thought this thread would be good to start with... seeing as 06-07 owners are trying to figure out the heating elements in the seats and how to repair them.


I need info from anyone that knows anything about the switches, relays wiring off the seat.... etc.

 

I can tell you the relay is only on when the ENGINE is running. I have a wiring diagram attached.

EDIT: Sorry, that's for the power seats. I'll see what I can dig up.

Edit 2: The heated seats are the connector with the brown wire in it. from there, it goes to a distribution block or relay. From what I can hear, the distribution block is on the drivers side (fuse box, maybe?). The switches would go to the control side of that same relay. I know wiring diagrams exist for this but I do not have any. If you are going to wire this yourself, do not forget the fuses!

 

I got a question. I'm fixing my mother's heated seat issue which happens to be the same wiring issue. It burnt through the foam pretty good. My question is why does the brown and black wire end and then a small silver uncovered wire comes out near the end of those wires and goes into the foam. How does the foam not burn due to the wire being bare?

I'm no expert at wiring but I've done my share of soldering up wires when building up RC's from scratch. I just don't understand why those two wires ended with a smaller bare wire coming out of the side. Seems strange. Why didn't they just continue the main wire into the heating element?

 

I am hesitant to say what the makeup of the "wire" is but it has current limiting properties. I want to say tungsten but then tungsten is the element used in halogen lights (which gets VERY hot). It's not wire, it's a heating element.

ALL heating elements (stove, baseboard, under tile heaters, etc) are not just a current carrying metal like gold, copper, and aluminum. The do not have the electrons in the valence shells to carry current without some resistance. This resistance is what gives us the heat. They do; however, have enough umph to carry some of the current. It's a happy balance that gives us this wonderful heated seat without popping fuses every time or burning up our seats.

The problems we have are when we wear down the heating element (usually with out back or legs or bending the seat forward to let someone in the back). This causes the element to break down some reducing the amount of current carrying capability thus increasing the resistance (heat). Well, in a series circuit, the amperage is the same throughout so that heat breaks down the wire even more and more and more and faster and hotter until poof! Think of an incandescent light bulb that burns out. It usually looks like it flashes right before it goes out. That's the filament breaking down just the same way.

 

Yes, that is correct, they will get warm, then cool a little. Then warm back up.
I had my drivers seat heater replaced once on my 2001 Monte and it has gone out again. I had it done with a warranty that I no longer have so I will check out this option.
I have a follow up question, if you do this repair what is to keep it from happening again, also can you do it without removing the seat from the car? Thank you.

 

If you do it right then it won't happen again.

Yes you can do it without removing the seat. I did.

 

When I repaired my drivers seat that had stopped heating about three years ago I added a few more inches of wire than what was originally attached to the seat. If I am not mistaken I used 18 gauge lamp cord wire. I think the reason that the seat heater failed to work to begin with was because the wire that was attached to the heating element was too short and my repeatedly getting in and out of the car has caused the wire to stretch and break. So, I added a few more inches of wire than had originally been used. Adding a few more inches of wire may keep the wire from stretching and breaking again. I connected the two wires together by using "wire nuts" like what is used in wiring a home. I screwed the wire nuts into the wires and then used electrical tape to further secure the wire nuts to the wires. I would guess that one could use silicone sealant instead of electrical tape or use silicone sealant, let it dry, and then use electrical tape too. I have not had any problems with the seat heater since the repair was made.

It is not necessary to remove the seats from the car but of course the seat cover will have to be partially removed to be able to find the broken connecting wire.