Heated seats not switching off with ignition

Hi all,

Tried a search but to no avail so here goes..

This is an odd one, last week I drove the short trip of around 1 mile in my 03 TD4 HSE and being a properly cold morning I took full advantage of the right hand heated seat!

So I arrived where I was going, switched off the ignition (not the seat) got out and went about my business. Upon my return some 6 hours later I found the car wouldn't unlock from the fob until I pressed it really close up to the car, when I got in and turned the key the lights were really dim and it was clear the battery was all but dead.

I had a look around and could see that the RH heated seat switch illuminator was dimly lit regardless of the key being in the ignition the heated seats could be left on. This is new as previously they have always switched off with the ignition. I know for a fact they did!! how can all of a sudden that change?

The switch is a latching type but the LED only used to illuminate when the key was in and turned. Now the light remains illuminated regardless of the key being in the ignition.

Its not a major inconvenience but I now know if I leave the Heated seats on I'm calling a mate for a jump start! Annoying, any ideas??

No real help probably, but if I've had them on my heated seats stay on (if the button is still pressed in) after I've taken the key out of the ignition, until the central locking is activated. Out of paranoia though, I always turn the switch off just in case.

sounds as though they have been wired up wrong and not through the ignition, can you switch them on without ignition?

OK bit of an update, as posted above it seems like its variable if the seats work with the ignition on or not! I'd assume there is some kind of logic but I have yet to find it.

It doesn't seem to be related to the central locking or any sort of timing

2 things I'd try to start with.

Swap the relay with the passenger seat one, the contacts might be sticking on.

If not that I'd swap the seat switch with the passenger seat one too, same thing but I'm more inclined to think the relay.

My lights stay on on the switch when I take key out but extinguish as soon as I open door. It's like they use wherewithal power until interior light comes on. Nevertheless they go out before I even get to locking the door

craigmidlands said:

My lights stay on on the switch when I take key out but extinguish as soon as I open door. It's like they use wherewithal power until interior light comes on. Nevertheless they go out before I even get to locking the door

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I agree too. I wonder if equilibrium77's door switch is working properly?, I always turn mine off before I stop the engine, force of habit now, just in case,

I would have bet that it's a stuck relay :baby:

Checked mine yesterday. When i pull up and turn ignition off, they stay on. If i dont get out of the car after about 1 minute or so, a relay quite audibly clicks and they switch off. If yours aint switching, thats where i'd be looking for the problem.

Sticky relay,that makes sense.

I have got into the routine of switching off seats, ac etc every time I switch off the car so not really a problem any more but an interesting fault none the less.

Thanks for the info.