It has been very cool here in Louisiana and I have been using the seat heaters. My question is concerning the fact that I only feel heat in my lower back. I don't notice that the actual flat part of the seat where you butt rests get warm. Is this how the heaters work or do you guys feel warmth under your bum.

Thanks,
Grant

 

Actually, yes. It's suppose to be the flat (butt) area and the lower back! My drivers butt area actually broke a couple of weeks ago, and I'm taking my car in today.
A good test is just turn both seats to high, wait and feel the areas.

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1999 Dark Emerald Pearl TL w/ nav
Factory underbody kit and rear spoiler.
Comptech springs, sways, headers and exhaust.
RS Akimoto Funnel Ram III Intake.
18x7.5 +48 5Zigen Heidfeld wheels with 225/40ZR18 Nitto NT-555 tires.
Inspire Tail-lights with Polarg M-23 P8711R signal bulbs.
DEI Viper 550ESP Alarm
http://home.socal.rr.com/tada/socal28TL.htm

 

yeah, on mine both parts heats up. My questions is, do they turn off automatically when you turn off your car and does it turn on when you start the car again?

Just thought of this, just wondering if someone has tried this alredy. or I'll try later when I go home.

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'00 White Diamond Perl w/Nav
Wings West Spoiler
Comptech Exaust
Rear Comptech Sway bar

 

Yes, they are hard switched, meaning the buttons will stay to whatever setting you turn off your car and resume when back on.

 

On the same topic, if you're passenger leaves the seat on high and gets out of the car without turning the heat off, is that bad for the seat? Is there any risk of it getting too hot since there is nowhere for the heat to be transferred like a back or a butt?

 

Acura3200 - I seriously doubt it. The heat will just emit into the air above the seat and start to move upwards since heat usually rises.

Similar to a heating pad if you leave it on and dont apply it to your body.

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'00 White Diamond Perl w/Nav
Wings West Spoiler
Comptech Exaust
Rear Comptech Sway bar

 

Per the service manual, in the "Hi" setting the heater cycles on and off (presumably to prevent the sort of thing you're describing and to prevent people from getting burned [??]). In "Lo", the heater is on constantly, but, obviously, with less heat. When it's cold I usually leave it on "Hi" for 2 or 3 minutes to get it warmed up quickly and then turn it down to "Lo".

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2000 WDP 3.2TL non-NAV

 

I like to cook eggs in the passenger seat when driving by myself. Too bad the passenger seatback doesn't warm in '00 and '01 models...

Otherwise, i really like having heated seats. It's also nice on non-cold days for roadtrips, to warm your muscles to keep them fresh. I have used it on 80-degree days on long trips and like it.

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'01 White Diamond Pearl 3.2TL
-Wing, tint, burlwood shift, Whistler 6-band
'88 White RX-7 Convertible
-Permanent tinitus courtesy of Rockford-Fosgate

 

 

I have a '99 and I have felt like my butt warmer is broken on the drivers seat. Anyway to find out for sure?

 

It might be broken! I just got back from the Acura dealer to get my oil changed and the seat warmers looked at. Found out I now need two new seat heaters! They are going to call me when they get in. Sucks! At least it's still under warranty!

 

Today when I got up it was -27 C - thats cold. I sure appreciated my seat heaters! If the bottom of the seat is not hot in under 2 minutes on high and you have been sitting on the seat, it is probably broken. Even in the extreme cold, my seat gets too hot for comfort on high after about 10 minutes.

If the heater is on, and no one is sitting on the seat, I don't notice much heat coming through. It seems to need weight on the seat to make a difference.

Maybe they put extra strong heaters in Canadian TLs

 

I was wondering about that also. It's been real cold here, Mon. night coming home it was 12 degrees! I turned on the heater, and it doesn't feel warm on the butt, but fine on the back. I'll guess I'll have 2 ck w/ dealer to have it fixed. Thanks guys....

 

Cool, thanks. comes in handy in conjunction with the remote starter.

 

Yeah, I do the same, except you have to remember to switch the heat to HIGH when you leave, or else it will take forever the warm the seat up in LOW!

 

Thanks for the advice. I definetly think mine has a problem. The back warmer fits your descriptions, hotter than heck in 2-3 mins. I'll have to take it in. Too bad cause its really cold!

 

I read there is a sensor that will only turn on the heater when there is someone (or something) in the seat. A bummer if you start the car to warm it up on a sub-zero day...

But for those testing their heaters: make sure you are sitting in the seat for a while.

And on the 2000s, the side airbag on the passenger side took the spot of the back heater, so only the butt gets warmed.

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2000 TL, Nav

Nighthawk Black Pearl w/ Ebony

 

I found that to be dumb engineering....why couldn't they make the "curtain" style airbags like MB and Volvo (BMW too I think)? Then they could have warm seatbacks. That's one good thing about my '99, but not having airbags made me mad when the 2000s came out 3 months after I got mine.

 

IS that true??? Why only the passenger side?
Maybe yours is busted?

 

Then what about the drivers seat... it has the bag and the heat... they were just saving your money...

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Just my 2 cents...

 

The real reason for the 2000+ not having heat in the back of the passenger seat is because of the sensors for the side airbag, not the airbag itself. If the sensors detect something in the way of the airbag, the SIDE AIRBAG light on the dash will come on. These sensors are not in the driver's seat, therefore the driver's seat still has heat in the back.

Also, you don't feel heat on unoccupied seats because there is no body weight pushing the material onto the heating element underneath, so you're only getting what little heat radiates upward.

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2000 WDP 3.2TL non-NAV

 

The seat senses weight, and will not heat up if no one is in the seat. That's why you can 't "warm up" the seats before you get in. Also, leaving them on will not harm the seat, for the same reason. They don't heat unless someone is sitting in them.