Saab: Burnout seat-heating

Unless you live where it is cold all of the time, most heat seat
elements to do burn out. The most common cause of the seat heater
failure is mechanical - broken element or a connection issue. If the car
was serviced before it stopped working, I would look for a connector
that is loose or not connected at all. Once that is verified, assuming
you have checked the fuse, see if current is reaching the connector.
Then check the continuity of the element itself. A very common method of
breaking the element is to kneel on the seat - it was not designed to
take that much pressure on that small an area. Most peoples' bottoms are
much bigger than their knee cap and distributes the weight over a much
larger area.

If you have a convertible, jumping up and down on the seats does not
come recommended either. If you have kids you don't have to ask how
this can happen.

Lindetree wrote:
 

> 1. Are there more malfunction known of a seat-heating from Saabs 9-3?
Not only 9-3, also from the 95 and 96 on this is a problem.
 
Not that I've heard of. Usually the heater wire breaks at the thermostat in
the seat, then there's no more current, no heat and no fire. Also, it is
only 45 Watt or so over a large area. If a power wire to the seat would
somehow make a short the fuse would blow.
 
I suppose just as safe as the driver side. It would probably only switch on
if there's actually weight in the seat, like the fasten seat belt light.
 
It comes with the age of the car. Conrad (http://www.conrad.nl ) has generic
replacement elements for EUR 103.
You may also want to ask at http://www.saabnl.nl/
---------
MH

In past days of Saab 900's there was stories of fires. There was a quite
a writeup in a SAAB newsletter once, about a guy jumping out of the car
with his hind end smoking! Back in those days there was no switch, right?

Here's a question for you ... is a seat with a broken seat heater colder
than one without a seat heater ever been designed in? Guess I could sit
in the back seat some morning and find out.

-meld

MH wrote: