If i use the heater on the seats excessively can i damage the seats? i typically use them on average about every time i get in the car... i just like my bum warm, but the last few weeks it doest seem to be warming up like it did before... can it wear out? can it damage the leather? can can i check?

 

I wondered the same thing about damaging the leather with excessive use. My guess is it won't get hot enough to produce any leather damage. I think is is possible for the heating element to have reduced effectiveness from a lot of use. It will be covered under warranty.

 

how can i like measure the amount of warmth though?

 

What do you guys mean by damage? They definitely won't lose color...lol.

 

This happened to my mom's BMW 650i. The driver's seat heater malfunctioned and melted the leather and almost burned her. Of course, it was under warranty and they replaced the entire driver's seat.

 

Dunno, but these heaters have been around forever - especially in luxury vehicles which also tend to have leather seats.

 

They call it bum warmer, not bum toaster right? LOL Should be safe enough for most cars ...

 

Seems to dry the leather out quicker if you use them a lot. Just make sure you condition the leather once a month at least, and they should hold up fine.

 

you guys are high....

 

No matter how hot the seat heater gets the seats will never get as hot as they would if the car was parked in the sun with all of the windows closed.

 

word to your mother...

 

I use mine almost every day during the winter (except on the occasional super-warm day like we had on February 18, when it hit 74F here) and I've never had any such problem. I have also not had any problem with the leather drying out from use of the arse-warmer, and I've had my TL since August 2004. I prefer not to wear a coat or jacket when I drive if I can avoid it, so the arse-warmer is terrific.

I believe the arse-warmer is controlled by some sort of thermostat that causes the amount of heat to correspond to the ambient temperature. This seems right to me because I have definitely noticed that the amount of heat seems inversely related to how cold it is—that is, if it's 44F the seat doesn't get as warm as it does if it's 15F. You didn't say where you're from, but has your weather varied in this manner recently? Perhaps that could explain it.

The other thing I'll note is that I found that when I've used the arse-warmer on really cold days (the coldest being -8F in January 2006 in Quebec) I have not felt the heat as much as I have when it's warmer. My theory is that this is because you tend to wear warmer clothes that provide more insulation, so you don't notice the heat so much. On that -8F day I was wearing polarfleece-lined jeans.

BTW, one more point: You DO turn the arse-warmer to LOW once it's reached a comfortable temperature, right? The manual for the '04 TL says to do this—use HIGH to warm it up, then change to LOW—and I assume the other 3G years are the same. If you don't do this, the heat is supposed to start cycling on and off.

 

Only way I could see it doing ANY damage, is if your temperature sensors fail. Otherwise they are designed to work with they type of leather that is in the TL and it will not "damage" it.

 

hmm i don't think I've noticed change in temperature but i'll keep a lookout. i'm from CALI so its nothing like -8 or stuff coldest it gets is low 40s lol but im still cold then... i love my 80F degree weather

i also don't turn it to low, if u turn it to low will it maintain low? i usually set it to high and then it shuts off and starts up again in like 30 mins...

 

The heater is designed to heat the seats on the HI setting and then lowers the temperature if you fail to switch to the LOW setting. It will not damage the leather as long as you care for it via the manual. Treat it twice a year and dont saturate your leater seats with cleaners and conditioners like many people do. That will soften the leater more than needed.

 

Excessive fart gas could ignite the seats !

 

Wow!!!

 

Yes, if you turn it to low it will maintain a lower temperature. On my morning commute during the winter I usually turn it on high until it reaches a nice warm temperature, then turn it to low, and then after a while I turn it back to high for a while to heat it up a bit more (and then turn it to low again once it's warmed up). The reason for doing it this way is precisely as you note—so it won't turn itself off.

 

lol i like that.. bum warmers; sometimes it doesnt feel as warm on bum as it does other days so surely it is adjusting accordingly to the ambient temp.

 

For one thing I thought the same thing.....The hotter the enviornment around the leather, the worse off for the leather. Whether it be a hot car on a sunny day or seatheating, compounded with your weight on it can stretch the leather and dry it out. Pretty much accelerating aging more than average.

About melting leather....? huh? Who has seen melted leather? From what I know leather is very hard to burn. I always did wonder that though......What happens to leather in a severe car accident with a car-fire? My guess is the seats survive?

And I have never noticed any difference in heating or therostat control on my heated seats. I never paid attention, interesting, I want to look into that too. All I know is how I use it everyday is I put high till my ass burns (takes about 5 minutes) then I put it on low for another 30 minutes max. and then turn it off.