Driver's Side Power Seat Not working

[Rhodizzle]

Hey folks,

Not sure what to do next. I took apart my seat bottom on my 2003 SSEI in order to work on the heated seat issue (I went from no lights when pressing the button to the one for a second then off, so there's progress . While I was in there, I checked out all of the wiring for the power seat and it all looks ok. What would be the next best thing to check? I also took both of the under-seat boxes out and checked for burnt out components. The passenger side works and everything I can find says that there is a single breaker for both seats, meaning that it's something specific to the Driver's seat.

I'm familiar with using a multimeter and soldering, I'm just not sure what to check next since visually everything appears great.

Ideas?

[96 SSEi]

HI, you can try to test for continuity on the wires you altered, compare to the pass side if you dont have a reference point. of course, check for power at the connector.
it will be slow but you will track down the issue in time..........post back

[ddalder]

It is an extremely common occurrence for an element in the heated seat surface to open. This is characterized by pressing the switch to turn on the element, the lamp illuminating and then turns off again within about a second or two. Most commonly, the problem is with the element in the seat cushion as opposed to the seat back. Your seats are shaped a little differently and will have more element segments but have a look at the following thread because the principle of troubleshooting and repair should be similar...

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... 25179.html

Visualizing the circuitry in the heated seat modules or the Memory Seat Module (the other box under the driver's seat cushion) will generally not provide any visual clues as to whether they are defective.

[Rhodizzle]

Sorry that I wasn't more clear. I am on the path to fixing the heated seats and I know where I stand with that.

I was looking for guidance about the power seat functions more so than the heat. The driver's side does not function at all, however the passenger's side works just great. This would tell me that it's not the fuse and is something more specific to the driver's side circuitry. I took out both boxes underneath (appears that one is for heating and the other is for power seat functionality) and neither one physically looks defective (no burnt spots on the circuitry or board).

[ddalder]

Have you checked the fuse for the Memory Seat Module? It is fused separately from the motors and if it isn't intact the seat will appear completely inoperative (except for the heating function). Unlike the passenger side, the seat controls connect to the MSM which in turn control the motors. The fuse you are looking for should be #3 MEM and rated at 10A.

[Rhodizzle]

Ah good idea, and since the passenger side doesn't have memory, that fuse being blown would only affect the driver's side. Will check it out tomorrow and post back.

[Rhodizzle]

So, it magically started working the other day, until I moved the seat too far forward then it stopped. This tells me that there is likely a short or bad connection somewhere that is disabling the seat controls. Are there any connections that are prone to shorting with movement too far forward?

[Rhodizzle]

So after this thread, I picked up new control modules and wiring harness for the drivers side from Harofreak. My heated seats and power seats worked for a while. Now they don’t yet again. Is there a connection between drivers side electrical issues and a moon roof leak or drainage problem? Trying to figure out the odds of a ground issue before I invest in pulling the seat out and checking. The memory works as evidenced by the mirrors moving when I select a song using the door buttons. I currently have no power Seat and no heated seat on the drivers side and have checked all the fuses I can.