2016 Driver Side Heated Seat

[jtfoster19]

Hello,
I recently purchased a 2016 Ecoboost Sport with 42k on it. Car is in great shape.

Now that it's getting colder in the northeast I have discovered the driver's side heated seat lower and upper are not working. Passenger side works as it should. Lights on the console light up and stay on as they should.

I searched the forums for many evenings looking for similar problems. Most find the heated seat controller module to be the problem. This is located under the passenger seat for vehicles with heated and cooled seats. My vehicle has heated seats only no cooling. Therefore I do not have this module under the passenger seat.

I have searched under all the seats front and back and cannot find a module of any sort.

Does anyone know where the module is located for a heated only version?

I would like to check the module before I pull the seat to replace the element and seat cushion.

I suspect there has been an issue with heated seats in this vehicle previously as I noticed not all the seat cover clips are attached to the frames. They are just dangling there, like the seats were apart and someone was to lazy to reattach the clips.

Any help would be appreciated. I will solve this issue and post the solution. I'm a DIY guy and this will not beat me!

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
those loose clips may or may not be a sign that the issue was looked at before. There have been several posts about those loose clips before. Seat Leather Stretching, Clips Letting Go
I have searched for the heating element before on one of the parts sites but was not able to find it. It may be part of the lower cushion itself. I can't help with regard to the module location. I'm guessing there is no way to check to see if the seat is getting power without removing it.

Peter

 

[jtfoster19]

Welcome to the Forum.
those loose clips may or may not be a sign that the issue was looked at before. There have been several posts about those loose clips before. Seat Leather Stretching, Clips Letting Go
I have searched for the heating element before on one of the parts sites but was not able to find it. It may be part of the lower cushion itself. I can't help with regard to the module location. I'm guessing there is no way to check to see if the seat is getting power without removing it.

Peter

Yes the element is part of the seat cushion. I have tried to check for incoming power but could not get my leads in the connector while laying on the floor. I will need to unbolt the seat and lean it back to check the harness.

Also I understand that the temp of the seat is controlled using pulse width modulation so the fluctuating voltage might be hard to pick up on a standard multimeter.

 

[Bnish Explorer]

I am having a problem with my driver side 2016 also. I had the element and cushion replaced in 2019 under warranty. The seat stopped heating again, I am getting 12v at the plug under the driver side seat. I have only heated seats and not cooled.
No longer is the heater element attached to the cushion, it can be ordered by itself.
I replaced the element and after 15 min. the seat back got warm but the seat part does not warm up.
The passenger seat works as normal. I do not know why the controller does it where it is located. Can anyone help with this issue ?

 

[1sicbronconut]

You actually need to check for open circuits in the cushion and backrest heating elements more than likely one of those is you concern.

 

[Bnish Explorer]

You actually need to check for open circuits in the cushion and backrest heating elements more than likely one of those is you concern.
View attachment 426139

Thank you very much for your help and the diagram, I appreciate it.

We checked the four wires going to the element and they have 12+ volts going to them.

I guess I am hopeful the new heating element from ford does not have broken circuits in it.

Do you know if the thermocouple / temp. sensor is built into the heating element pad or is it built into the seat somewhere.

Or is there a controller somewhere that is not working properly ? I know people that have heated and cooled seats have all kinds of problems with the controller. But my car only has heated seats.

Thanks a bunch for any help you can give me.

 

[Bnish Explorer]

Thank you very much for your help and the diagram, I appreciate it.

We checked the four wires going to the element and they have 12+ volts going to them.

I guess I am hopeful the new heating element from ford does not have broken circuits in it.

Do you know if the thermocouple / temp. sensor is built into the heating element pad or is it built into the seat somewhere.

Or is there a controller somewhere that is not working properly ? I know people that have heated and cooled seats have all kinds of problems with the controller. But my car only has heated seats.

Thanks a bunch for any help you can give me.

Sorry, one more thing. Could you please send the wiring diagram in a different format, maybe a pdf or something. I can’t enlarge it to see the wire colors, etc.

Thank you

 

[1sicbronconut]

Sorry, one more thing. Could you please send the wiring diagram in a different format, maybe a pdf or something. I can’t enlarge it to see the wire colors, etc.

Thank you

Sorry, that's it for the diagram it's actually hard for me to "lift" them from the online shop manuals I can access, Ford doesn't make it easy Yes there is a temperature sensor built in the the heating element, you actually want to check the heating element circuit for an open it should be less than two ohm's.

 

[Bnish Explorer]

Sorry, that's it for the diagram it's actually hard for me to "lift" them from the online shop manuals I can access, Ford doesn't make it easy Yes there is a temperature sensor built in the the heating element, you actually want to check the heating element circuit for an open it should be less than two ohm's.

Thanks for your help, I will continue to try and figure it out.
From your experience what are the chances the new element and/or sensor is defective ?
I paid a auto upholstery shop to replace the element for me. I assume I have no recourse with the dealership parts dept. unless I buy another element, pay to have it replaced again, and then try to prove it is defective.
I have read that the dealer cost to replace the element is between $400-$600, do you think those prices are close to being accurate ?
I am in Ohio.

Thanks for your information and advice.

 

[peterk9]

....................................................
I have read that the dealer cost to replace the element is between $400-$600, do you think those prices are close to being accurate ?
I am in Ohio.

Thanks for your information and advice.

What is the part number for the element? Would the costs you mentioned include parts and labour?

Peter

 

[1sicbronconut]

Thanks for your help, I will continue to try and figure it out.
From your experience what are the chances the new element and/or sensor is defective ?
I paid a auto upholstery shop to replace the element for me. I assume I have no recourse with the dealership parts dept. unless I buy another element, pay to have it replaced again, and then try to prove it is defective.
I have read that the dealer cost to replace the element is between $400-$600, do you think those prices are close to being accurate ?
I am in Ohio.

Thanks for your information and advice.

Cost seems inline to me, don't really know what to tell you at this point maybe pull thge seat out and make sure the shop got everything plugged back in correctly?

 

[Bnish Explorer]

Cost seems inline to me, don't really know what to tell you at this point maybe pull thge seat out and make sure the shop got everything plugged back in correctly?

Thanks for the information. I went to my local Ford dealer and told them the situation with the element. I had a friend with forscan hook up to my Explorer and it said the code was B1034, “Curcuit Short to Battery or Open”.
So after all the testing I have done, knowing I have 12v going to the element and plug, and now what the forscan showed I believed it was a bad/defective element.

Ford ordered a replacement element and made me pay for it until I bring back in the defective element.

So I picked up the replacement element today and I plugged in the new element and laid it on the floor. I then started the car and I cannot feel it heating up at all. Even the portion of the element that I believe goes up the seat back a little bit.

The element that is currently installed in my car does eventually warm up the seat back but not the cushion and not as fast as the passenger seat.

None of this makes any since to me.

I don’t know if / where the controller is that is supposed to heat this element up completely. But I figured if part of the seat heats up it was not the controller.

At a total loss of what to do next…

 

[Bnish Explorer]

What is the part number for the element? Would the costs you mentioned include parts and labour?

Peter

Sorry for the extreme delay, I need to set up email notifications. The part number was FB5Z-14D696-A.

As an update I hooked up forscan to my car and code B1034 came up, Left Front Seat Element - Circuit short to battery or Open.

I bought another element and plugged it in, it did not work either and the forscan code said B1034 again. I do not know what the issue is or what the next step is. I do not want to pay $500 just to have a warm rear end.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks Brad

 

[peterk9]

I think that you have now confirmed that the seat element may not be the problem. It seems the issue is between the element and the battery. A possible broken wire or bad connector?

Peter

 

[Bnish Explorer]

I think that you have now confirmed that the seat element may not be the problem. It seems the issue is between the element and the battery. A possible broken wire or bad connector?

Peter

Yes, you may be right. I just wonder if it could be a controller of some type. Some sights say there is a controller for the cars with heated seats and no cooling. I researched possible controllers but was told there is not one in my model.
What a headache.

Thanks

 

[1sicbronconut]

There is a module it's behind the center stack, the FICM communicates with it to control the heaters so you should be able to ohm out the wiring between the module and the seat heating pads, when you get to the module make sure none of the plugs have been hot also.

 

[razor1115]

Apologies trying to follow that diagram - I have a 2018 explorer w/ seat heat only. Is that proE model the center console/ nav panel control area? I thought the control module for seat heat was under the driver's seat, but I cannot find anything....

 

[peterk9]

Apologies trying to follow that diagram - I have a 2018 explorer w/ seat heat only. Is that proE model the center console/ nav panel control area? I thought the control module for seat heat was under the driver's seat, but I cannot find anything....

Welcome to the Forum.

Peter

 

[Rob62]

Apologies trying to follow that diagram - I have a 2018 explorer w/ seat heat only. Is that proE model the center console/ nav panel control area? I thought the control module for seat heat was under the driver's seat, but I cannot find anything....

Not sure any have found any answers as yet to the location. I sure get it LOL however models with heated seats only, the control module that that controls them is in fact the Climate Control Module or some refer to is as the HVAC Module or Dual Climate Control module if it is a dual climate. Its location in my 2011 Explorer is behind the AIPM with is behind and attached to the SYNC screen and just below the Radio / audio head.

My issue is that everything from the blind spot, cross trafic, insument cluster, all terain control and blower all go WACKY. I believe it is the Climate Control module as i am getting code B1034:13-08 and B1038:12-0A which are heater in drv seat open and sensor short to ground. heated seats only and seat is disconneted and I have not been able to find anthing wrong with the harnes to supect a shorted in the wiring. Will disconnect module and test to see if other symtoms go away. Sadly I do not own or can get my hands on a labscope

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum Rob.
I would think that a multi-meter would also be useful in tracking down your issues.

Peter