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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
06 Fusion SEL V6

When I press the button for the driver's side heated seat, both red LEDs light up for about a half second then go out and will not try and restart until the key is cycled off and on. The passenger side works normally. Anyone have this happen to them? I'll go thru the service manual troubleshooting procedure within the next few days, just curious if anyone else encountered this yet.

Thanks,

Shawn
 

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The reaction suggests to me that some sort of protection circuit is being tripped when you try to engage the seat. Are you able to press the button twice to get the low setting (One red light)

Just to eliminate a switch issue.

NefCanuck
 

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No, after it fails off the first time, it will not do anything else until the key is cycled off then on again. After that, it repeats the same behavior. I think the module fails off on some kind of fault. Like I said, I'll troubleshoot in a few days.

Thanks,

Shawn
 

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[quote author=shawn_75 link=topic=135692.msg2921933#msg2921933 date=1234126310]
06 Fusion SEL V6

When I press the button for the driver's side heated seat, both red LEDs light up for about a half second then go out and will not try and restart until the key is cycled off and on. The passenger side works normally. Anyone have this happen to them? I'll go thru the service manual troubleshooting procedure within the next few days, just curious if anyone else encountered this yet.

Thanks,

Shawn
[/quote]

Hi Shawn. :wavey: I checked the fuse box diagram for the 2006 Fusion, but could not come up with anything that might help (well, it does rule a few things out, if that is any help).

It seems boththe driver and passenger heated seats share the same fuses and relays: #28 in the passenger compartment fuse box, and #11 in the Power Distribution Box in the engine compartment.

So since both seats (driver and passenger) share the same fuses/relays, it would seem to rule out the possibility of a bad fuse or main relay (since the passenger seat works properly). It would also be Standard Operating Procedure that a short in the actual drivers seat heating element "should" blow the fuse, so that would make the likelihood of a problem in the drivers seat heating element less likely (but not impossible).

Seems to leave the possibility of a bad drivers seat heat switch (the switch on the dash). Of course, this is just an Internet guess.

Is your car still under the 3 year/36,000 mile Bumper to Bumper Warranty, or did you purchase an ESP (Extended Service Plan)? If the answer is yes, I would recommend you bring it in for service. Yes, I know you probably are out of Warranty or else you would have already done that, but trust me we have had forum members overlook the Warranty in the past.

Keep us updated as to the solution.

Good luck. :cheers:
 

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Discussion Starter · #6 ·
No warranty here. Bought it rebuilt but also got the service manuals for just these types of problems.

I'm sure the fuses are fine, reading the service manual leads me to believe that there is some fault in the driver's seat. Pushing the button turns it on for a half second or so then it fails off.

I should be able to troubleshoot this weekend.

Thanks,

Shawn
 

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Discussion Starter · #7 ·
Update, so I followed the service manual troubleshooting procedure (mostly, it spends lots of time checking the harness and less time checking the actual components) and determined that the lower cushion heater mat is bad. I've ordered one and once I install it, I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Shawn
 

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My part arrived today and I was able to take the seat apart to replace the heater mat. The nice thing about working on a seat is that you can do it in the living room!

You can see where the heating wire actually burned into the seat cushion and the leather. I'm surprised that I didn't smell that. There was no visual indication of this on the outer surface of the leather.

I ordered the part from Fords Part Center for about $65.00. Their online parts catalog does not list part numbers but when you order they take your VIN and you can provide a description of the part you need. My part number (Ford part #) was 14D696 for the driver's cushion heater.

The replacement took about an hour and the hardest part were the hog rings, only because access to them is a little difficult with two pair of pliers.

Shawn
 

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Discussion Starter · #11 ·
Hey coppermine,

It would be a very difficult job to do without removing the seat. You should depower the SRS system per the service manual but I've simply unplugged and reconnected airbags before without incident, YMMV. Although the real reason for depowering the system comes when you reconnect and turn the key on. :)

Before you order any parts, I'd suggest that you check the resistance of the two mats do determine which one is at fault. You do not need to unplug the seat from the main harness nor unplug the airbag to do this. Simply unbolt the seat so that you can access the two connectors to test.

The lumbar knob pops off with a good pry from a screwdriver, the power seat switch does the same. You'll need a needlenose to remove a clip behind the plastic trim that holds the tilt lever for the seat back. This all assumes that your seat is the same as mine. Start tugging at the seat cover and you'll find what holds it in place. Most all the attachments are pretty easy to un/redo. While the seat is out, if you have lmbar and haven't had it fixed per the TSB, get up inside the seat back and wiretie the cable to the lumbar mechanism so it doesn't pop out and stop working. Again, this assumes that your seat is the same as mine.

There's no need to have anything reset by the dealer.

Good luck.

Shawn
 

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[quote author=shawn_75 link=topic=135692.msg2959513#msg2959513 date=1235531441]
My part arrived today and I was able to take the seat apart to replace the heater mat. The nice thing about working on a seat is that you can do it in the living room!

You can see where the heating wire actually burned into the seat cushion and the leather. I'm surprised that I didn't smell that. There was no visual indication of this on the outer surface of the leather.

I ordered the part from Fords Part Center for about $65.00. Their online parts catalog does not list part numbers but when you order they take your VIN and you can provide a description of the part you need. My part number (Ford part #) was 14D696 for the driver's cushion heater.

The replacement took about an hour and the hardest part were the hog rings, only because access to them is a little difficult with two pair of pliers.

Shawn
[/quote]

Shawn - What service manual book did you purchase for the '06 Fusion? I'm having this exact same issue with an '06 Fusion SEL I just purchased a few weeks ago. Again, mine is out of warranty and I've been using the seat heater since I purchased the vehicle as it's been pretty cold here. I had the same issue where it got extremely hot before it actually stopped working.

Anyway, I called a service department and they're guestimating $300 - $500 to have them fix it. I am going to try and do this on my own but want to find a good service book before I delve into it.

Thanks!

Eric
 

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I work at a Ford d-ship and thought I'd pick up this 06 SEL.

I have the same problem. It seemed to work fine yesterday, but when it did come on today it got super hot within 1.5 miles and now the driver's side won't stay on. Guess I'll try to fix it myself.
 

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Hi Shawn

I have the same problem. The driver's seat heater stays on about one to two seconds then goes off. Just prior to this the driver's seat seemed very hot when on, in fact it was starting to burn my butt. I suspect it is the thermostat for the seat but do not know anything about where to look
 

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This happened to me on my 2010 sel. I put my seat on and within a few seconds the lights turned off. Unfortunately the seat did not turn off though. My seat got so hot and uncomfortable that I actually pulled the car over, turned it off, and then restarted it. After the restart, it worked fine.
 

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Well, my driver's seat heater stopped working yesterday. :sadness: It worked in the morning, then later only got the lights on for a second only.

I'm headed out to pull the seat now and see exactly what's going on. I pulled the RCM fuse and disconnected the battery a few hours ago.
 

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tydog07 said:
I see that you have had the heated seat issue as well, did you use a Haynes manual (or equivalent) to follow instructions? How hard was the process and how long did it take you?

I'm curious to know where I could find a good set of instructions or a how-to and would purchase a Haynes manual if it would actually walk me through it. Whats the RCM fuse and why did you disconnect the battery?

I appreciate any help you can give me.
Well, the whole process was a few days, as first I wanted to verify that the seat pad was the problem. Then I ordered the part and had my seat in my house while I waited for the heating element to be delivered to my local Ford dealer (saved some $$ on shipping that way). The part (# 6E5Z14D696AA) was about $95. I drove my truck in the meantime. But it should be a total of a couple of hours, and that's not rushing it at all. It wasn't really too difficult, the most difficult parts are carrying your front seat, and those wire hog ties (more on those later).

Now I removed my seat to verify that there was a burnt wire in the heating pad before ordering one, so if this is you're only vehicle, you're seat will have to be put back in while you wait for the part. But it's pretty much guaranteed that the seat pad is your issue.

Watch the video at the bottom of this post, it's not a Fusion, but the repair is very similar. You can repair yours by soldering the wire if you want, but I just put in a new pad. I figured another spot will just burn out too, and didn't want to do this repair again.

1. Remove the seat, as seen at :30 seconds into the video. Raise the seat to make access to the rear screws easier.

2. This is when I disconnected the battery and pulled the RCM (Restraints Control Module) fuse. It's inside the cabin, above where your left foot would be. I can't remember which # it was at the moment, and it may be a different fuse number in your Fusion anyway. We're dealing with seat airbags, and it's better to play it safe. Then I waited before proceeding, to let any remaining power in the airbag system discharge. Airbag systems can have up to 20 minutes of backup power supply.

3. There are two plugs to undo before removing the seat, same as in the video. I just tilted the seat back a bit to access the plugs. Remove the seat and place it in your work area. Recline the seat all the way back to make it easier to access the rear portion of the seat.

4. You'll now need to peel back the leather to access the heating pad. It's not exactly like in the video, but you'll need to remove the side plastic pieces of the seat, same as in the video. You don't need to unplug any electronics. The front, I believe is simply held in by a clip, and it simply flips loose. You don't need to remove any other screws, you'll basically see what is necessary to fold back the leather. You don't need to remove much at all, the guy in the video removes a lot of unnecessary stuff.

5. The metal hog ties holding the leather to the seat are the same, there are 3 across, if I remember correctly. And there are two rows of them, and they are probably the most difficult part of the job. :madder: You'll need two pair of needle nose pliers to undo the metal hog ties. Undo them from the leather seat cover and leave them attached to the seat bottom. You'll be reattaching them later.

6. You'll then need to unplug the seat pad, which runs through the seat and disconnects under the seat. The seat heating element is held onto the seat cushion by a couple of rows of adhesive. The new pad has the adhesive rows already in place, and you'll simply peel the paper off to reattach it in the proper position on the seat cushion. Make sure to run the cable through the hole before sticking it down, and plug it back in.

7. Now the pain in the a$$ job of reattaching the leather to the seat with those hog rings. :madder: It is a little time consuming, but you'll get it done. Stretch the leather back over the front and sides, and reattach the side plastic pieces.

8. Replace seat back into your sweet Ford Fusion, put RCM fuse back in, reattach battery. Now enjoy your heated seat once again.:)

And don't forget a few frosty beverage breaks.



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