...or do I just have a highly insensitive arse posterior?

In the recent cold weather I've started to suspect that my Yeti's driver's side seat cushion isn't actually heating. The back of the seat warms up nicely, and it's when my back starts to get uncomfortably hot that I am prompted to turn the heating down/off. But the seat cushion never seems to get anything more than "cozily warm" - which could simply be my own body heat warming it up.

I suppose I could try the front passenger seat to check whether that behaves differently. I would feel a bit of a tool sitting all on my own in front passenger seat doing nothing, though!

Is this something which other Yeti owners blessed with heated seats have noticed - or it my rear end just not very heat sensitive?! If it is a genuine problem, is there something simple I might be able to try eg re-connecting a wiring connector which might have come loose, before I schlepp off to the dealer? (I should clarify that the aim would be to get the car fixed, not my bottom )

Edited 21 January, 201214 yr by ejstubbs

My seat bases warm up just fine though on longer journeys I do find myself turning them off due to burning my back rather than my rear end.

Hi, both back and seat warm up equally as quick - haven't really thought about which gets hotter; the seat or the back

If I was pushed for an answer I would say the back is more noticeable when too hot - I would also add it is a worthwhile 'money well spent' instant heat option when you've; just come off the hills, all tensed up against the cold, maybe a little damp, the car is going to take a while to warm up and you have an acheing back!

Yes, mines the same.

I noticed it about 4 weeks ago in the first really cold weather.

My dealers miles away so will have to wait for its first service in a month or so.

Should have it fixed just in time for the warmer weather.........

Been about two or three seat base heating element failures reported on the forum thus far, so not inconceivable it's gone the same way.

Hope you get it sorted,

TP

Plus one-my drivers side seat suffered the same fault and was replaced by Progress Skoda at Letchworth on a drive in and wait basis last Wednesday.

Kitten commented the other day that the drivers seat doesn't get as warm as the passenger seat, the back is fine bit its not as effective at keeping ones 'bum' warm as the passenger seat does

Can't say I've really noticed

My bum gets as warm as my back, i generally turn it off after 5 miniutes as i get too hot. lol

Oooh - strange thing this.

My drivers seat base started doing the same thing a couple of weeks ago and I found myself asking exactly the same thing - was it me and my nerve endings or the seat...

TIBET is now booked in for its 30k service at Allams in a couple of weeks so I'll find out then and report back.

Me too!

I've only started using the heated seat option again since New Year and I too have been getting more & more convinced that the base isn't heating.

Conversely, the backrest gets increasingly hotter & hotter to the point that even on lowest setting, I have to turn it off.

Does anyone know if there's a thermostat in the circuit somewhere, because last winter I was sure that once the seat got to a certain temperature it turned itself off (or down), then would come back on as the temperature fell. If there is a stat, and it's in the seat base, then the failure of the seat base element would account for the backrest to be constantly heating.

Looks like yet another visit to my dealer soon.

Although I absolutely love my Yeti, I have not had a car for years with so many niggling faults on it. My intention was to keep the car for 6 years or even longer, but I'm now becoming unsure whether it is going to be reliable enough for me to be able to afford it once the warranty expires. :'(

Despite all the bad press that Fords get, my last one didn't develop a single fault in 8 years of ownership, despite being subjected to low key motorsport use (AutoSolos) for 5 years in addition to it being my daily commute drive. Apart from servicing, and replacing tyres, I had to do nothing else to the car (apart from cleaning it!) in 72,000 miles. Some you win....... !

My seat problem is the only snag I've had in 30k miles apart from the original Bi-Xenon controller failure on start up that everyone had. Well happy

I have just had my seat base replaced by Allams on Friday. It works now.

Warranty job. No problems what so ever in getting it replaced.

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Mine did not work from the word "go" - and whether it simply didn't function, or whether it had never been installed I do not know. It was replaced under warranty way back in 2010 and I believe it was one of the first to be reported.

It does seem as though a pattern is beginning to develop here. (Tonight, though, I was SO GLAD of having it all working. Played a Ceilidh in Newbury in a sauna of a hall, and though I was only plucking the G string on the bass I was wreathed in sweat at the end - and drove home with the hot seat ignited. Dried my bum and my back a treat, and was as dry as a bone after the 3 hour journey. Home by half two!!)

Get them fixed asap.

If the seat is heating you should be able to feel the leather/fabric warming with your hand.

TP

I wish it wouldn't get so hot. Even on the lowest setting I can't have it on for more than a few minutes as uncomfortably warm.

Might just be me though as the wife forgets to turn hers off and I have to do it to stop her cooking slowly!

Might just be me though as the wife forgets to turn hers off and I have to do it to stop her cooking slowly!

During the 48hr demo I had my wife never turned off her heated seats, in fact she complained when it turned itself down from 3 to 2.

She always complained of drafts from the climate control in every car we've had. But she stated that the Heated seats made her so much more comfortable.

I'm expecting the passenger side to burn out well before the Drivers one, as I only had it on to toas t my buns then switched it off!

All four faces of mine work fine and have always done so - touch wood.

To those noting the Yeti's seats are too warm even in the lowest setting: spare a thought for my bum in the MX-5. It has heated leather seats but only ONE setting: ON or OFF! And the ON temperature is really meant for roof down winter driving. So it gets VERY toasty very quickly roof up!

Quick question: does the engine need to be running for the heated seats to come on?

I know the manual says that it should be running in order to avoid the risk of flattening the battery but I'd rather not leave the engine running while waiting to check whether the seat cushion really does heat up.

I tried driving home last night without the seat heating on and it did seem colder, but I can't be 100% sure. I want to see how warm it gets without me sitting on it. I'm thinking that maybe it does warm up but not as much as it should - so I want to compare it to the front passenger seat as well.

Plus one-my drivers side seat suffered the same fault and was replaced by Progress Skoda at Letchworth on a drive in and wait basis last Wednesday.

Hmm. Well, with the help of SWMBO I have confirmed that the driver's seat cushion does indeed not heat up. I popped in to the local Skoda dealer to talk about it this lunchtime and they said that they will want the car for up to TWO DAYS!!! wtf?

I was told 48 hours notice required to get the part delivered and 1.5 hours for the fitting. It took a little longer but less than 2 hours actual work.

I suspect your dealer wants the car in and then to order the part for the next day-easier for them.....

Suspect that's a result of SUK not supplying warranty parts on sale or return?

Been there with my electric seat controller - robbed off a showroom Superb!

I now have my Yeti back from Chathams, and a toasty backside as well.

The service manager showed me a big stack of paperwork which he said was the output from the diagnostic process that SUK required them to go through before replacing the seat base. He said that he knows damn well that 99 times out of 100 replacing the seat base will fix the problem, but SUK force them to go through a time-consuming elimination process first just in case it's something else.

All of which makes me think that it may not be a particularly uncommon fault. If it's worth taking a lot of time and trouble to make 100% sure that the seat base needs replacing, that suggests to me that they find enough cases where the seat base isn't at fault to make the effort worthwhile - hence the fault must also arise often enough to make it worthwhile.

TIBET's 30k service completed yesterday in typical timely fashion by Allams.

Duff seat heater identified as the actual heater element so new one ordered. James may be sunning himself on far off dunes but the friendliness of all the staff at Allams live on!

I've only started using the heated seat option again since New Year and I too have been getting more & more convinced that the base isn't heating.

Conversely, the backrest gets increasingly hotter & hotter to the point that even on lowest setting, I have to turn it off.

Does anyone know if there's a thermostat in the circuit somewhere, because last winter I was sure that once the seat got to a certain temperature it turned itself off (or down), then would come back on as the temperature fell. If there is a stat, and it's in the seat base, then the failure of the seat base element would account for the backrest to be constantly heating.

Since my seat base was replaced, I've found that the lowest setting of the heated seat is nicely comfortable for long periods. When the base was u/s I had to turn the heating off even on the lowest setting as it roasted my back. So I'd agree, there is a thermostat of some kind in the base which manages the temperature of the seat according to the setting of the control on the dash. That's not to say that the temperature control will always cease to work if the heating element fails, but it's clearly possible for a broken seat base to affect both functions.

Since my seat base was replaced, I've found that the lowest setting of the heated seat is nicely comfortable for long periods. When the base was u/s I had to turn the heating off even on the lowest setting as it roasted my back. So I'd agree, there is a thermostat of some kind in the base which manages the temperature of the seat according to the setting of the control on the dash. That's not to say that the temperature control will always cease to work if the heating element fails, but it's clearly possible for a broken seat base to affect both functions.

Well, I'll soon find out if it's my imagination or if the base heater has failed when on Monday my Yeti goes in for the seat to be "looked at". Dealer says they'll need it for 2 days, as Skoda require several diagnostic tests to be done before they are allowed to order parts under warranty. Judging by the number of faulty drivers seats reported on here you'd think there would be a quicker way of getting to the bottom of whats wrong - the reports on here must be just the tip of the iceberg. (Excuse the pun!)