When I turn the seats on in the low position, I can't feel any heat at all. Is this normal, or is my butt not sensitive enough?

 

you should feel it. some people have had bad switches, have it checked out.

 

Low sometimes is barely there, you could put a thermometer on your seat, let it equalize, then turn on the heater for a while (maybe put a pillow on it) to see if it works.

 

I have been having this internal debate with myself for 2 years. The low and high heating is not there... Yeah, yeah, yeah, there is a picture on the button and the manual says so....

My theory is that in the "high position", clicked towards the front of the car, the bottom of the seat is heated. In the "low position", clicked towards the back of the car, the lower back is heated.

Anyone else get that idea?

 

I feel it in my seat, but of course after a few minutes.

 

odd, on my 2k, high and low feel about the same.. both get very warm. I dont even pay attention to which way I flip the switch. same for pass side.

 

I especially love when my dog steps on the switch and turns it on high without me knowing until my butt is completely drenched in sweat.

And I can't feel a difference between high and low either. It seemed to me that the seat was much warmer last year. Now it just feels like "low" even when its on high.

 

I'm guessing you mean in the summer asu! I wouldn't mind having seat heaters in my car this winter as it is FREEZING!

 

on mine sometimes it gets really warm without even on........

 

LOL bro ur killing me

 

I now have 2 Max's with heated seats/wheel. The low IS low. I have to keep checking the passenger side of the 03 Max when I sit there...I do feel warmth, but can't determine it is from my rear on the seat or the seat heating my rear! High definitely is noticable.

Same on my 02 Max. Low is just a slight warming. On both cars, it is as if they cycle on and off based on some hard-wired algorithm that might be tied into the climate control or exterior temp. I'm not sure, but there are times it comes on, cools down, and is some time before it heats up again...anybody notice THAT?

srm

 

Yes. And it really pi$$es me off.

 

there's a thermostat inside the seat, the heater's attempting to maintain a preset temp. not sure what they're set to, but i think low and high are only about 10 degrees apart.

the thermostat is near the element, tho, so although on the surface (your butt) it may cool down, the seat materials (and you!) are holding in some heat, and making the thermostat think things are still toasty.

all seat heaters are this way. you wouldn't want them running *****-out all the time, anyway. i don't think the maxima's are any different than any other car's, save the schmancy carbon fiber ones in bmw's, but they just heat more evenly across the seating surface, i don't think they've changed the way the thermostat works. every heated seat i've tried (jeep, 5series, max, camry, cadillac, jetta) have this same behavior.

or maybe your butt's just no sensitive enough...

 

<== Live in So Cal so never get to use it, except to mess with friends..... they say, why is this damn seat so hot....

 

yeah what he said

 

ok, this is the closest that i could find to answer my question (i used the search button!).

my heated seats come on and then go off without getting hot enough (IMO). my dad has a lincoln continental and i drove that last week for a couple of days. that seat never turns off and it is awesome - just the way i think heated seats should be. i was driving 50 miles each way so i was in the car long enough to determine whether or not the heater would turn off. it never did. does EVERYONE experience the cyclical heating of the seats or is it just a few? i want it on all the time. thanks.

also, does anyone find it odd that the controls on the steering wheel and the button next to the door lock (window lock button) do not light up like all the other controls?

oz

 

I know in my AE it does cycle on and off.

 

a coworker of mine has a 2k1 (not AE) and he says that his seats stay on all the time. no cycling and when i explained it to him, he said his doesn't do that at all. does anyone else have seats that stay on all the time?

 

Is he referring to the switch light or actual heating? My light stays on, but I can feel the seat cycle.

 

Our car is a 2k with heated cloth seats. Not sure if they cycle or not because I usually turn off my seat before I melt! The wife likes to turn on my seat when I am not paying attention (especially in the summer ). Do most of you have leather seats? I notice on our cloth seats that there is a BIG difference between low and high and once they are warm they hold heat pretty well. Sure nice on those mornings when Mother Nature turns the thermostat down to 10 degrees!

 

Great question. I have leather seats. IMO, when the heater turns off for the cycle, it waits TOO long before turning back on so the seat does not retain the heat as well as probably your cloth seats do. In any event, if there is a thermostat, I am in strong belief that it is malfunctioning somewhat. I can understand cycling, but mine just doesn't get hot enough. Another thing, the ATC is set to 90 for me cause it NEVER gets warm enough. The first couple of days I had it, it seemed to work fine and would eventually get hot enough so that the fan speed would automatically adjust for the heat in the cabin. Now, it just stays on full blast for the entire whereever I go.

 

Isn't that fun?!?! I love doing that!