VXOC Astra-J/GTC - HOW TO FIX HEATED SEAT AND REPLACE SEAT COVER ASTRA J

HOW TO FIX HEATED SEAT PROBLEMS AND REPLACE THE SEAT COVER.

This How to will Cover How to Fix the Heated Seat from Intermittently Dropping out and Cutting off

This is a Big Job but Easy when you know How.

The main Problem is a Bad Connector to the Seat Heating Control Module

This over Time will Burn the Resister out in the Bottom Seat Heating Mat

So the First Fix will be to Replace the Connector to the Seat Heating Control Module

With a Reworked Connector that you can get as a kit from Vauxhall at a Cost of £27.50

GM Part number for the kit is 13442703.

In the kit you will get a New Connector and 6 Wires with Pins Attached

so the First Thing To Do is to Remove the Seat from the car.

.......... Stage one ....... SEAT REMOVAL .........

Disconnect the Main Connector from under the Seat

then Remove the Two T50 Bolts from the Rails at the back of the Seat

Push the Seat up and Pull it Back to get the Seat out from the Car

then Turn the Seat on its Side and Remove the Plastic Cover

For the Seat Belt Presenter use a T50 Socket and Remove the Bolt

Then Under the Seat Unclip the Yellow Connector and take the Seat out.

........... Stage two ............. REPLACE THE CONNECTOR ON THE MODULE .............

Disconnect the Center Connector on the Seat Heating Control Module

Strip the Loom Tape Back and Cut the old Connector from the Loom Make a Note of what Color Wires

Go too in each Position on the Connector add the New Pins to the New Connector in the Correct Positions

Then Join the Wires back Together making Sure you have some Slack on the Cable and Re Wrap with Loom Tape and Reconnect.

This is the First Thing to Try as This is the Course of the Fault

You can Replace this Without Taking the Seat out of the Car

if this Does not Work then the Next Step is to Replace the Bottom Seat Heating Mat.

............... stage three ........... REPLACE THE SEAT HEATER MAT ..............

......step one.......

Start at the Back of the Seat and Pull the side Covers apart Left and Right

Then Pull the Bottom Cover apart and undo the small Connector at the Bottom of the seat.

.....step two....

Next Start at the Seat Belt Side of the Seat and Remove the Two Screws

From the Plastic Cover and Remove it from the Seat.

......step three......

On the Other Side of the Seat Starting at the Rear of the Trim Remove the Cover from the Lever arm

you just need to lift it out with a Blade but Do Not Remove this Lever Arm

Next the Center Lever Arm after Removing the Cover take the Screw out

and Remove the Lever Arm Then you will see a Screw Hole in the Trim Remove that Screw

Next Remove the Cover from the Front Lever Arm and Remove Two Screws and take the Lever arm off

Then Remove one Screw from the Rear Trim and one Screw from the Front Trim

Gently Pull the Trim back a bit and Unplug the Connector for the Lumber Support Button.

The trim will not come off Completely but this will give you enough Access to get to the bits you need to.

......STEP FOUR.....

At the Back of the Seat Pull the Three Tabs on the Seat Cover Down and off the Small Metal Bar

Then turn the Seat over the Remove the Four Hog Rings on the Leather Straps Cut the Hog Rings with some Wire Cutters

and Pull them off with Some Pliers be Careful not to Damage the Leather Straps .

......STEP FIVE....

Start to Remove the Trim Around the Bottom of the Cover that Attaches too the Seat Frame

Then Turn the Seat over and Pull the Cover out and then Pull the Foam out Also.

..............STEP SIX.............

Next Remove the Two Screws From the Seat Heating Control Module

Then Remove Four 8mm Bolts that Hold the Seat Extension in place

Then you can Remove the Seat Cushion From the Frame.

......STEP EIGHT......

Remove the Seat Cover from the Cushion.

Turn the Cushion over and you will see 3 Bars with Hog Rings on them Remove these Rings

IMPORTANT ALL THE HOG RINGS ON THE CUSHION NEED TO BE CUT OFF NOT PULLED OFF

THE METAL FRAME THEY ARE ATTACHED TO IS SET IN THE FOAM AND OVER PULLING THE RINGS WILL RUIN THE SEAT.

Next turn the Cushion over Start at the Back Lift the Cover up and you will see more Hog Rings on a Bar

again Cut the Rings off and the move to Each Side of the Cover and Cut more Hog Rings from the Sides

then you will see the Center Bar again Remove the Hog Rings

after that again Remove the Remainder of the Hog Rings from Each Side.

........STEP NINE......

Remove the Remainder of the Cover from the Seat Extension

Start at the Side and Work your Way Around

You have now Removed the Seat Cover and you are Ready to Replace the Seat Heater Mat.

....STEP TEN.....

Seat Heating Mat Replacement

The Seat Heating Mat Costs £88.50 and the Part Number you will Need is

GM 13257326.

Start to Gently Peel the old Heater Mat from the Foam

Take your Time and Try Not To Ruin the Foam

After you have Removed the old Heater Mat

start to Add the New Heater Mat by Removing the Backing Tape

and Sticking the New Pad in Place.

.....STEP ELEVEN......

REFIT THE SEAT COVER.

Start with the Seat Extension First and Reattach the Cover

Then move on to the Front Hog Bar you can use Hog Rings if you wish but you will need a Special Tool

As i Do not have one i have use Zip Ties But keep the cut ends facing down not up

Again WARNING Take Care with the Metal Bars in the Foam Do Not Pull on Them to Hard

Start at the Front Bar Then the Sides Then the Middle Bar and then The Sides and Then the Rear Bar

You can then Pull the Cover over the Foam and Start to Refit the Seat Cushion to the Seat.

And that is it all Done This may Seem like alot of Work but this is the Fix

To get the Seat Heating to stop Cutting Out if your Car is under Warranty then Take it Back and Keep on at Them

To get it Fixed as this is a Know Fault.

This Cost Around £120 to Fix if you Tackle it Yourself

And This is Well Worth the Effort as Vauxhall Dealers Charge £120 just to Change the Connector

And Anywhere up to £400 to Change the Seat Heating Mat

Simply Swapping the Seat over to Solve this Problem may not be the answer

As this is a Very Common Fault and the other Seat may Have the Same Problem

This is a Common Fault Across the Range and Effects the Astra j, Insignia and Moka

Hope this will help someone out there.

AS WITH ALL ELECTRICAL HOW TOO,S.
you do this at your own risk if you follow the how to correctly
there should be no problems thank you.

Very good mate glad you fixed it now.

That should help alot of people.

I'm also glad mine was done under warranty.

thanks rusty

Bloody hell!!!! That is a bloody big job!!! Haha, well done on doing the tut and getting it sorted...no way in hell I'm doing this with mine haha...would sooner buy a new seat than do all that :P. Not that I'm lazy, I just don't trust myself and without a garage and also needing my car to get to work, I couldn't be without it if anything went wrong

Great how too. Is the pad and connector on the back of the seat different?

yep but the problem is the bottom pad

Just join the forum as was looking for a solution to the problem of the heated seat cutting off, mine has just started doing it, and it's the same as other's on the forum, it's the drivers side. Glad I found this forum as might try changing the connector, do not know if I would attempt the pad change. Was pretty impressed with the how to that was posted best I have seen.

try the connector first as this is the route cause of the problem
and that will need to be done either way to stop it recurring in the future
then if that does not solve the problem then the heater pad is the next step
if you have any warranty take the car back and let them know this is a know problem
and you want it fixed if you have no warranty your on your own with this fix
but the good news is it does work and will not happen again when it is done

Can confirm warranty best option if you have it, I have just had mine done 3 weeks ago and its working perfectly now. Would have cost £350 otherwise from the dealer.... Suprised

(12:th-Nov-2015, 19:04:21)tucpal Wrote: [ -> ]try the connector first as this is the route cause of the problem
and that will need to be done either way to stop it recurring in the future
then if that does not solve the problem then the heater pad is the next step
if you have any warranty take the car back and let them know this is a know problem
and you want it fixed if you have no warranty your on your own with this fix
but the good news is it does work and will not happen again when it is done

Might sound a stupid question but if I try changing the connector does the battery need to be disconnected, or can it be done without disconnecting it.

I've been plagued with my drivers seat heating problems for three years roughly, having been back to the dealers a few times. They replaced parts galore for me and worked for a while but now it cuts out within a minute. After that, no matter how far I drive, I am turning it back on every two minutes. You can hear a 'click' under the drivers seat and then you watch the heated seat button on the dash to go off within two seconds. I am sick to the back teeth of it.
Anyway, my point is this (and not wanting to sound picky here by the way)....there was no mention of the heated seat contrl module being faulty in your how to guide. Can we 100% rule that out as being the faulty part?
Fantastic write up and pics by the way!
Cheers, Graham

When mine was done under warranty vauxhall replaced both pads,and the module. Only problem I find no is there seem to be no safety cut off and the seat will just get hotter and hotter.

such an odd issue! luckily mine isn't TOO bad...on full heat it cuts off after about 4 mins but then I can press it again and it will then last another 4 mins...if I select a lower heat level though it will stay on forever.

The how to will fix it do the wiring then the lower pad job done pian in the but to do but it will work after it has been done

Well my car has had the fix and guess what happening again:-(

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(23:rd-Nov-2015, 20:35:15)Lewis6317 Wrote: [ -> ]Well my car has had the fix and guess what happening again:-(

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Take it back then mate.

I have and still waiting if they will sort it or not without paying

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i really only have the heated seat now on setting no3 till the seat gets hot
then i turn it down to no2 or off as leaving it on setting no3 all the time will only lead to problems
on the astra j before i did the fix i am sure the problem starts with excessive use of setting no3 on constant or for long periods of time
then the heater pad just over heats as rusty says there seems to be no heater pad temp control at all on setting no3
i had no problems after the fix at all but i did alter how i use the heater controls as well
and i still do with the insignia setting no3 to get the seat hot then turn it down to setting no2
or setting no1 this should prolong the life of the heater pads.

@tucpal if you don't mind me asking how much did it all cost?

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Ignore this, I didn't see the prices in the tut

THINK IT WAS £30 FOR THE KIT AND ABOUT £70 FOR THE HEATER PAD
AUTO VAUX SELL THE BOTTOM PADS

Cheers buddy. If the dealer won't touch it I'll do it myself. The car is exactly what I want so I can't walk away from it

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it looks harder than it is it just takes i bit off time but just take your time and follow the how to and you will be fine
looking forward to seeing what you have got

Thanks aha, I'm sure I'll manage it. But we'll see. I'm currently looking for a flat bottomed steering wheel, and I can't find one anywhere

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they do turn up but when they do jump on them

a great find, and how to, and it will help a lot of people
can i ask something about the connector? you write that it is the main cause of the malfunction
and i would like you to tell me if possible (and if you know) is it the connector it self? or the wires? what i mean if i keep
the existing connector and change the wires and pins with new one will it work? or do i have to change all of it?
thank you for the reply

postscript
i am not a car electrician i only want to help friend who has the same problem

gm part number GM 13442703

(31:st-Jan-2016, 12:33:31)tucpal Wrote: [ -> ]gm part number GM 13442703

yes i did see the part number at the beginning of the thread but the question is
if we do not buy the replacement from opel can we use the same plastic connector of the car
and just replace pins and cables with new ones?
will this work? or not?
is the new plastic connector some how different from the old one?

it looked different as it was green and white thats all i know

ok thank you very much

Tucpal your seats are the agr?

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???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPXnL6ZhGmY i'm trying to understand if there is a difference to the agr seats

Agr is the trim level of the seat IIRC

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god I need to do this on my car again.... As vauxhall want £100 more this time :( so not impressed

I got my plug and wires for 30.00 posted form here
http://www.genuinepartsearch.co.uk/ The dealers was 42.00

I got mine for £30 posted from http://www.genuinepartsearch.co.uk/ it was £42.00 from dealers

I had mine done under warranty 3 months back. The problem has started again but only worse. When I press the button for the seats it will turn off after a minute.

Sick and tired of this now and VX should address this issue as a lot of users are having problems

Did they replace the seat mat and do the fix for the module also

(25:th-Feb-2016, 00:34:37)tucpal Wrote: [ -> ]Did they replace the seat mat and do the fix for the module also

Hi mate,

no they just did the mats as far as I know. I will let them now that there is a problem with the module.

Have you had the issue come back since you fixed yours?

I have had the matts replaced last year and the issue has come back for me. I had to pay aswell, yet they will not do anything unless i pay more and fit it yet again.

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(25:th-Feb-2016, 10:42:34)Lewis6317 Wrote: [ -> ]I have had the matts replaced last year and the issue has come back for me. I had to pay aswell, yet they will not do anything unless i pay more and fit it yet again.

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Seems like an issue with most users. Vauxhall need to sort it out as this is clearly a problem for all. I bought the car purely for the leather seats as they were heated but I cannot use them as intended

there seems to be a lot of confusion with the dealers on this fix
they should start at the curse of the fault first the plug then the fix the mat
my fix did last a good year and was still working fine when i sold the car on
if they just replace the mat the problem may or will happen again
but that said it is very poor design fault after all so they should just man up and get them all redone

(25:th-Feb-2016, 16:01:54)tucpal Wrote: [ -> ]there seems to be a lot of confusion with the dealers on this fix
they should start at the curse of the fault first the plug then the fix the mat
my fix did last a good year and was still working fine when i sold the car on
if they just replace the mat the problem may or will happen again
but that said it is very poor design fault after all so they should just man up and get them all redone

That's manufacturers for you. They don't want to get anything done unless their hand is forced!

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I followed the above guide and have to say it to be absolutely spot on after much mulling over whether or not to do it or not. Took around 4 hours to replace the bottom seat pad but I did take things easy so as not to damage anything. After all that, it turned out to be the bloomin' connector (after spending £109 on the seat pad) as I was convinced this had been replaced by VX twice before while under warranty. The connector cost me £45 from Arnold Clark VX at Northwich and after 20 minutes driving the heated seat has stayed on (not done this for moons). A 90 miles round trip tomorrow should confirm everything is OK but I'm confident. Great write up by Tucpal and saved me a wallet full of cash by not going to the stealership.

How do you replace the connector mate?! I'll try that to see if it fixes mine

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Never mind I'm thick and didn't read the tutorial! Ha. So did you just cut the connector off and replace with a new one?

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Sheppy, I've pm'd you but if you follow the above 'how to' then its easy enough once you get your head under the seat and strip back some loom tape. The hardest part is to loosen the (T55 I think) 2 Torx bolts holding the seat to the floor. I snapped 2 socket adapters in the process.

Cheers mate! I replied to you, Oh and also I found that I get the following DTC error code when the heated seats cut out:

B1925 05 or B2170 05

The temperature sensor voltage is greater than 5 V for more than 1 second.

Does anyone know if this points to anything specific being the fault?

thanks

The plot thickens!!! According to the DTC codes definitions that @rusty2009 posted on here, the error I get is for the passenger heated seat (of which I don't have):

Passenger Heated Seat Cushion Temperature Sensor Signal B2170 02 B2170 05 B2170 05 B2345 13