Seat (bum) heater too hot!

[Paul Franssen]

After having asked this same question on a French Porsche website, and having read their wise-ass replies (in English, you freeze your b**** off, in French it's the heat that does the same thing!), so here's my question to a *serious* bbs:
My 88 Carrera has the electrical seat-heating option, and the heat works, except it gets rather ... quite hot, so hot that I never make it to the 15 minute cutoff point (according to the manual, it's supposed to cut off after that time-lapse). I've got leather seats.
What's your experience, is it normal for it to get that hot? Would there be any way of decreasing the heat? Thanks your replies (and of course only the French are wise-*****, or???)
(Disclameur: Frogues annuller "ass" inserer "genius")
(and...the French replies are my friends'! No harm done - yet!)

[dickster]

i don't have heated seats unfortunately, but if you want to control the heat you could look at fitting something along the lines of the switches used for heated bikers clothing.

let me know if you want anymore details......

richard

a warm biker

[ChrisBennet]

My '89 944S2 has a heated driver's seat that I've been debugging. The switch on my seat has a little wheel to adjust temp. Does your's?

For those of you debugging heated seats, note that the "switch" on my seat is not an on/off thing. The switch is a potentiometer and a momentary switch combined. It appears to toggle the heat on and off using a very fancy $115 "relay".
-Chris

[Paul Franssen]

Thanks replies so far! As far as I can tell, the switch is a simple "on/off" toggle, and there is no reference in the users' manual about it being anything else. A potentiometer function would, of course, have been very nice...
Maybe it's the leather that transmits heat very well?
(I used to have leather pants and, in winter, yuck!!cold!!)

...er, correct that

[jabb]

The seats get hot via the resistance in the wires that run through the seats. More resistance in the wire = hotter seats...

Does the passenger seat get as hot ???

If not you may have a problem where the seat is shorting out...
if this is acctually happening and you feel it is getting to hot I would pull the seat and check for burn marks.

The seat in my saab get pretty toasty always have since new...
Have you had heated seats before.