Canadian drivers love heated seats. We love them so much that many manufacturers have been moving towards making heated seats standard equipment for years now. As seat heaters become more common, the need to deal with them in the course of a repair is likely to become more common, too.
While seat heaters are more common, a newer feature is the combination of heated and cooled seats. Some of these systems have separate heating and cooling mechanisms with a central control mechanism. But newer seats use a single component system for both heating and cooling. These systems are more advanced and are computer controlled. This adds to the complexity of the diagnostic and repair procedure.
It is important to know what sort of in-seat systems a vehicle is equipped with before beginning a repair, so you know what parts are used in the system and where they are located. This way, you can check the controls and mechanisms are operating property to complete a safe, quality repair.
Do not be left out in the cold. Build your foundation of a vehicle’s environmental systems with I-CAR Canada’s Heating and Cooling System Operation and Damage Analysis course.