Drivers side seat heater stopped working on Skoda Octavia RS

[woofy]

My wife just told me that the drivers side seat has stopped working, the passenger side works fine. Lately we have both been driving her car, so the seat has been going up and down a bit as we jump in and out. My thoughts are that something has pulled loose, but can't see diddly squat under there, pumped it up high but there are so many cables its not funny. I've pushed all the plugs I can see, but suspect most are airbags, but think two must be the heaters...ie one for the back and one for the squab......from what I know the cable for the drivers seat comes from a module under near the leaver on the passenger side that all looks fine.

I haven't bothered checking the fuse as if it was blown, both shouldn't work. The odds of my assumption are high as we have been changing the height of the seat...and if our memory is right, last time we moved it was the last time it worked...

The dealer will rob me blind, but wondering if someone like Volkspower have an auto electrician on hand or someone they know who can check the wiring. If its the seat element themselves then I don't think I could be bothered fixing as I would imagine the seat would be pulled apart and reupholstered.

It could be the individual switch on the HVAC panel itself I guess, but seems suss with the seat moving. It's probably unrelated, but something has always clunked under the passenger seat when someone is in it, like it hasn't clicked into a position. I repeatedly forgot about it each service otherwise it could have been looked at ages ago under warranty. The car is 4.5yrs old and I didn't extend the warranty...so its out of my own pocket.

Thoughts?

[BluChris]

Can't help you with the wiring but my Octavia tended to make a noise in the passenger's seat when occupied. Tightening and lubing the seat rail seemed to help for a while.

If it is the element, I would talk to someone like Blackman's about the trimming. I've had work done by them a couple of times (not recently though) and their work was both good and reasonably priced. They can probably remove and refit the cover without needing to retrim the seat. Ask your wife if she wants to go without the heating :)

[99_FGT]

I haven't bothered checking the fuse as if it was blown, both shouldn't work. The odds of my assumption are high as we have been changing the height of the seat...and if our memory is right, last time we moved it was the last time it worked...


Firstly - it sounds like you are on the right path. But it is possible that there are 2 fuses too, if a wire got jammed and shorted this could blow one. But you would need to find it first anyway.
Secondly, and this one should be more helpful, is that in my GTi the leather seat covers are fitted not stitched in place = see here (http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/f15/mkv-gti-leather-lumbar-support-not-working-53158.html#post672611).
This means that it may actually be possible, if you are a bit handy, to have a look yourself without needing to steal the unpicker out of the mrs' sewing kit (or yours, if that's what floats your boat ;-) )
And of course this is all on the assumption that the golf and skoda have the same setup.
Al..

[woofy]

I have wondered about whether they are the seat cover type, you can see the bare foam underneath the same as the golf. I'll have a closer look but at the end of the day I think it might be best for me to have someone who can test currents chase it down for me. Any recommendations for the southeast? At one stage Richmond skoda would have at least diagnosed it at no cost for me but I feel these days they will be wanting an arm and a leg. Volkspower seems the best option but I don't know if they are set up for electrical sleuthing. He certainly owns one himself.