Front Heated Seats – 2014-2019 Cadillac Chevrolet & GMC

Bulletin No.: PIT5434C
Published date: 12/4/2018
Preliminary Information
PIT5434C Diagnostic Tips – Front Heated Seats (RPO KB6)
Models
Brand: Model: Model Years:
VIN:
Engine: Transmissions:
from to
Cadillac Escalade 2015 – 2019 All All All All
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2014 All All All All
Chevrolet Silverado 2015 All All All All
Chevrolet Suburban 2015 – 2016 All All All All
Chevrolet Tahoe 2015 – 2016 All All All All
GMC Sierra 1500 2014 All All All All
GMC Sierra 2015 All All All All
GMC Yukon 2015 – 2016 All All All All
With Heated and Cool seats (RPO KB6)
Supersession Statement
This PI was superseded to update the Model Years. Please discard PIT5434B.
The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in
this PI.
Condition / Concern
Note: This document is only to provide additional tips when diagnosing a front heated seat
concern and is not meant to be a diagnostic flow chart or replace SI. Always, perform and
refer to SI for the latest diagnostic information and procedures.
Some customers, with trucks equipped with heated and cooled seats (RPO KB6), may
comment on any of the following front heated seat concerns:
Condition 1: A front heated seat (driver, passenger, back and/or cushion) is inoperative
Condition 2: The front heated seats do not operate when the truck is remote started and/or
when first started in the morning during a cold start
Condition 3: The front heated seats do not heat up like their previous vehicle
Recommendations / Instructions
1 Condition 1: A front heated seat (back and/or cushion) is inoperative
1.1 In general, the front heated seats can be viewed as four independent seat heaters that
include a Heating Element and Blower. Diagnosis each affected seat heater individually.
Example, if the owner’s complaint is the driver’s heated seat (back and cushion) are
inoperative, diagnosis the driver’s seat back separate from the driver’s seat cushion.
1.2 Each blower has 4 circuits: Power, Ground, Control (from BCM) and Heating Element
Supply Power.
1.3 Three of the four blower circuits (blower Power, Ground and Control (from BCM) circuits)
can easily be checked by starting the engine and turn on the cooled seat. When the cooled
seats are turned on the blower in each seat back and cushion will turn on. Listen carefully
when the cooled seats are turned on for the blowers to turn on. This is the quickest and
easiest way to verify if each of the blowers have good power (circuits 5140 or 6140), ground
(circuits 1150 or 1250) and control (from BCM) circuits (circuits 5906 or 5908). These
circuits are the same circuits needed to operate the heated seat. If any of the blowers do
not turn on, these circuits will need to be tested at the blower.
1.4 The fourth blower circuit, heating element supply power, (circuits 2432, 2077, 2481, or
2479) can be tested to determine if the blower is supplying power to the heating element.
Disconnect the affected heating element and connect a voltmeter across the heating
element supply power and ground circuit. These are male terminals and the connector will
either need to be back probed or use test probe J35616-65B. Start the engine and turn on
the heated seat, the blower will supply B+ on the element supply power circuit for 1-2
seconds. Because the heating element is disconnected the blower senses a fault, which is
why the power is only present for 1-2 seconds.
Tip- Depending on the voltmeter’s update rate, it may not be able to detect/display the 1-2
seconds B+ turn on from the blower. The meter may need to be set to a min/max setting for
it to detect/display the B+ supply from the blower. In most cases, a test light maybe used in
place of a voltmeter and it should briefly illuminate after pressing the heated seat switch,
test light dependent.
1.5 With the heated seat element disconnected, use an ohmmeter to measure the
resistance of the heating element. The heating element resistance should be approximately
5 – 7.5 ohms. Do NOT condemn the heating element just because the resistance is not within
the approximate resistance spec. Some common sense should be used if the resistance is
close to the spec, performing step 1.6 will help determine if the heating element should be
condemned. The resistance spec listed is approximate because of a couple different
reasons: 1. The heating element resistance can change with temperature. 2. The heating
element is not a single resistive wire design like used on previous GM vehicles. It is more
like a rear window defroster grid. Just like a rear window defroster grid, if only one grid line
is damage, only that part of the grid will not heat, but the rest of the grid will operate. The
only difference is the seat blower monitors the amperage and can detect high and/or low
current issues and turn off the heated seat element if out of range.
Tip- When measuring the resistance of the heating element, the connector terminals are
very small terminal and can be damage. When checking the resistance, the connector
should either be back probed or use test probe J35616-64B.
1.6 If all of the above steps check ok or the heating element resistance is close to the
approximate spec, reconnect all disconnected connectors. Connect a voltmeter across the
affected heated seat element connectors supply power and ground circuits (back probing the
connector). To make sure you have a correct connection back probing, switch the meter to
ohms and check the resistance of the heating element. The resistance should be close to
the same resistance as seen in step 1.5. Switch the meter back to voltage and start the
engine. While monitoring the voltmeter, turn the heated seats on high. The blower, duty
cycles the heating element supply power on and off from 0 volts to Battery voltage. If the
voltmeter is measuring slightly lower than battery voltage, this indicates the heated seat is
ON and operating (no fault present please review steps 2 and 3 for additional help). If you
only measure a quick 1-2 seconds B+ turn on from the blower (like in step 1.4) then the
blower has detected a fault with the heating element or circuits/terminals. In most cases,
the main concern is with the heating element itself.
Tip- A new heating element can easily be plugged in, without installing it into the seat, and
then be felt to make sure it is heating up. Do this before completely installing the heating
element into the seat.
Additional test: If the voltmeter can measure duty cycle, an additional test can be
performed to indicate the blower is cycling the heating element on correctly. With the
voltmeter still connected in the same manner as step 1.6 switch the meter to measure duty
cycle. This test will only work if the meter was measuring voltage when the heated seats
were turned on. With the heated seats on High, the duty cycle should measure 90% duty
cycle (90% on and 10% off), which is why when measuring voltage the voltmeter measured
slightly lower than battery voltage (90% on time). If the heated seat is switched to Med it
would measure 40% duty cycle (40% on and 60% off) and low is 10% duty cycle (10% on and
90% off). If you are getting these values the heated seats is working correctly at this time.
NOTE: When checking the duty cycle be sure to understand if the meter being used is
measuring on time or off time. Also, make sure the meter leads are connected in the correct
polarity.
2 Condition 2: The front heated seats do not operate when the truck is remote started and/or
when first started in the morning during a cold start.
2.1 If the concern is only during a remote start event please review these tips:
– The heated seats will only turn on if the ambient temperature is below 50 deg F (10 degs
C).
– The heated seat feature needs to also be turned on in the Radio’s “Settings” menu before
they will operate during a remote start. See the latest version of PIT5240 for additional
information.
– During a remote start, the heated seat indicators will remain off, even when the seats are
active, this is normal.
– When the ignition is turned on from a remote start, the heated seats will turn off. The
customer must reactivate the heated seats if they desire the seat heater to be active, this is
normal.
– When a heated seat is unoccupied, like during a remote start, the heat transfer between
the heating element and the seat surface is significantly less compared to when the seat is
occupied. This is normal and if an unoccupied seat is felt during a remote start it may not
feel as if the heated seats are operating. When the seat is occupied, the seat surface is
compressed closer to the heating element providing greater transfer. A quick test is to have
the customer/dealer sit in the seat and perform a cold remote start, like first thing in the
morning. Allow the vehicle to run for several minutes and feel if the seat is operating.
– If a remote start is performed within 2 hrs. of shutting the engine off, the heated seats
may not turn on, depending on how long the engine was running on the previous ignition
cycle. This is due to the outside temperature sensor being inaccurate because of the heat
generated by the engine radiator. If testing for an inoperative heated seat during an RVS
event, allow the vehicle to sit outside in ambient temperatures below 50 deg F (10 degs C)
with the ignition off for more than 2 hours.
2.2 In general, if there is a valid complaint that the “Heated Seats do not operate during the
first cold start or first cold remote start” it could be caused by the heated seat element
resistance being too low and out of specification when cold. The heated seat element can be
warmed up, changing its resistance, by either the person sitting in the seat or because of
the interior warming up, this change can bring the resistance into spec and the heated seat
could become operational. The best way to test for this is to perform the following testing.
The testing should be performed during the first cold start in the morning at the same
outside temperature the customer states the issue happens. Allow the vehicle to sit outside
overnight, and the day before have the heated seat element connectors accessible so testing
can be done first thing without delay. Do NOT sit in the seat you are testing. Before turning
the ignition on or starting the truck perform the resistance test at each affected heating
element as outlined in step 1.5, and document on RO. Next, perform the test outlined in
step 1.6. When measuring the voltage and duty cycles if they indicate the heated seat is on,
either the condition has not been duplicated or review the information in step 3. If only the
quick 1-2 second B+ turn on power is measured, then the blower detected a fault with the
heating element or circuits. In some cases, you may measure a very low voltage and duty
cycle approximately 5% (5% on and 95% off). This could be cause by the blower detecting a
slight fault, but still trying to turn on the heating element. Regardless, the blower motor is
detecting a fault with the heating element or circuits and it needs to be repaired. In either
case, the most common issue is with the heating element itself and it will need to be
replaced.
Tip- A new heating element can easily be plugged in, without installing it into the seat, and
then be felt to make sure it is heating up. Do this before completely installing the heating
element into the seat.
3 Condition 3: The front heated seats do not heat up like our previous vehicle.
3.1 Some owners may comment the heated seats do not get as hot as their previous vehicle
or they may claim they are inoperative. If the above testing has been performed and it has
been proven the heated seats are operating, please review the following tip:
3.2 This heated seat system utilizes a self-regulating heating element system, which is
different from the non-regulated heating element systems with seat temperature sensors
previously used on GM vehicles. In the self-regulating type of system, temperature feedback
to a control module (blower) is not required for temperature regulation. The heating element
material itself regulates the surface temperature based on the effective voltage/duty cycle
applied to the heating element. This new way of regulating the heating elements could be
why some owner’s notice a difference between their previous vehicle.
Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is
resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed.