Seat Warmers don't work unless you are sitting in them?

[Airpoppoff]

So I did some digging here and looked at all the threads about seat warmers, But in my 05 Limited, I don't think they actually work unless you are sitting in them.

I just got a remote start for it, and Always leave the seat warmers on, Lately it's been getting down to about -2 to -5 at night so in the morning, I start it for about 15 minutes, I'd always get in and the seats don't actually get warm for at least a couple of miles. This morning, I got in (after them running for 15 minutes) and seats are cold to the touch.

Is this some sort of safety feature? I want hot seats when I get in the car! I guess I'm not spoiled enough with the car itself lol.

 

[K.C.]

Subscribed!!

I'd want to know too.

Message Uneek ... he has a Limited, he would be able to tell you.

 

[Uneek]

You're probably right Airpoppoff.

I never checked to see if the seat heaters operated unoccupied, until recently, when someone that only the seat cushion is heated and not the backrest. I forgot to check my seat after driving about 10 minutes--the seat is was warm probably from body heat and the regular heater. I figured I'll turn on the passenger side seat to check the backrest, the seat did not get warm at all.

I'll double check the next time I take the 4Runner for a spin.

 

[jetboy1975]

The drivers side is heated on the seat and backrest. I'm pretty sure the passenger side is seat only. I believe it has to do with the sensors for airbags that are used to determine if someone is sitting in passenger seat.

 

[Mike07SE]

Sounds like a broken or nearly broken wire element. Heated seats don't have "safety" features in them other than when they reach a certain temperature they'll shut down for a little while. It's not all that uncommon of a problem.

 

[paraordnance]

We had as low as -31 F here in Canada this winter and I use heated seats all the time. They do not work without someone sitting in them. Tested it million times. In fact it works same way on all cars I owned with heated seats.

 

[Mark86]

My Limited seats don't get very hot, but they do "warm" up rather quickly. It definitely doesn't take miles for my seats to warm. I would definitely have that look at. Also, I don't think there is a safety feature to prevent the seat from warming if you are not sitting in it. I don't know if it is my imagination, but my seats tend to get hotter on colder days.

 

[MikesToy]

Mine works. I warm up the 4Runner, turn on the heated seats (all the way up), go back inside make some coffee 'n catch up with tv news and when i leave the seats are warmed up.

 

[toto]

I know that I've "preheated" the passenger seat for other people when I was on the way to pick them up. So, mine works without someone in the seat.

 

[Mtn.Rush]

I tested mine last night, it was 27 degrees out so I went outside started it up and put the driver seat on high and when I came out 10 min later it was all warmed up.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

My 03 only works when someone's in it.

 

[Airpoppoff]

I tested mine last night, it was 27 degrees out so I went outside started it up and put the driver seat on high and when I came out 10 min later it was all warmed up.

Thats odd, from what it sounds like it's 50/50 with 4runners?


Call me an elitist, but just to make sure I wasnt crazy, I had the car running for 10 minutes, shot the seat with my infared temp gun, and it was no different then anything else in the car. So I sat in the front seat for a little over a minute, Then shot it again, and it was almost 20 degrees warmer.

 

[MikesToy]

Thats odd, from what it sounds like it's 50/50 with 4runners?

Both of my front seats works. I have an '03 so i believe it works for all '03's and maybe '04s and '05s. '06s and above maybe have a diff story.

 

[THEROK]

yea my 03... been checking the passenger side.. don't think it works without someone sitting on them.

 

[TOYLUVA]

Dont have em in the runner but i think all my gm's have been that way. I know my dads 07 duramax has to have someone in the passenger seat. Just found that out saturday.

 

[Axis]

Mine (06) do not work unless someone is sitting in them. I assumed it was not so much a safety feature as an energy saver in case you leave one on, obviously especially the passenger side. I would prefer to pre warm them a bit though if I could.

 

[ALLEGRO]

I will have to run my own experiment on my 07 Limited.

I will report.

 

[ryangab]

Well , I have an 05 Limited and tested this on the way to work. Nobody in the passenger seat. 15 min drive to work.....and the seat was WARM. So nobody has to be in the seat for it to work.