HELP PLEASE

[Adyg1974]

Hi, I purchased an Audi a3 2.0tdi s line 170 s tronic yesterday, the heated seats are lame and not giving out the heat there intended to do ,I purchased this car for health reasons ,I need the heated seats to work ,1st is it expensive to take to Audi and have fixed ? 2nd roughly how much is it to have done at a normal garage,3rd there is no chance of me sourcing my own and fitting them myself as I'm poorly,4th the heated seats are working heats coming just not getting to any temperature that's any good please help I need the heated seats 2 work I'm in Manchester and will drive if any1 can help I'll buy the parts and pay to have fixed thnx in advance for any help given 

[Steve Q]

Was this a private sale or garage? If garage id be taking the issue up with them. Did you assess the heated seats on test drive/, before you purchased the car? 

You could take it to Audi and I believe an investigation/diagnostic check will cost you at least £70. 

Sorry to hear you're not well. 

[Magnet]

Hello Adyg1974??,

Did you buy the car from a dealer, or from a private seller? Did you make it clear that efficient heated seats were essential to you, and did you test their operation - before buying- to ensure they met your requirements? 

Re. the problem and it’s solution:- Probably a daft question, but can we take it you have selected the maximum heat level on the heated seats, and it’s still not adequate? If that is the case, does the degree of heating change according to the level of heating selected? Problem could be to do with a faulty control switch. 

Two courses of action (if you don’t have any warranty - which you may). Invest in an hour’s services of a trusted local auto electrician, or buy a set of heated seat ‘covers’ for next to nothing, when Lidl have them on sale later in the year. Do you really, really need them in the summer? 

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Adyg1974]

I've got a 3 month warranty but its probably not worth the paper it's written on it's an rac warranty I didnt test drive the car as I new I'd get my money back if I wasnt happy ,the cars lovely drives tight had 1 lady owner with great history I bought the car as it's an auto with heated seats because I've got a seat leon 2.0tsi fr stage 1 apr 250bhp petrol manual and it was hurting me to drive it as that's a manual  the nucleus is leaking between my discs in my back and hitting my nerves (sciatica) so I needed an auto Im  going to ring the garage now but I'm almost certain I'll get fobbed off ,yes had it on maximum setting as heat helps with my back but the heats ridiculously low compared to heated seats I've had in the past the A3's a 2010 2.0tdi s line sportback 68000 miles in a blue that's almost grey it's like an old Ford moonstone blue if any1 knows any1 cheap in the Manchester area that could source n fit new heat pads I'd be extremely grateful as I'm sure thsts all it is I'm extremely grateful for the replies also thnx 

[Magnet]

Yes OK, so really it could be said that you had a responsibility to test the car before completing the sale - and you didn’t - so warranty?? 

What you really need to know is whether there is anything wrong with the heated seat, on your particular car, or if the heat level you have is typical of the model. That’s your priority to find out. 

If you simply get someone to replace the elements, as you suggest, then you may end up exactly where you are now! 

Yes, worth checking with the seller, but I would still follow my suggested path and get the car looked at by a trusted auto electrician, before deciding what is needed to be done, and who is going to do it.

Of course, advice is given freely when asked for on this forum, and it is your choice to decide to follow any of that advice, or ignore it. 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Kind regards, 

Gareth. 

 

[cliffcoggin]

Being unhappy with a car isn't usually sufficient cause for a claim on the warranty unless you can show that it is defective. Given that you didn't test the seat heating, despite it being so important to you, I think you will have a hard time getting your money back. Nevertheless I wish you luck.

PS. How long did you test the seat heating for? The only car I ever owned with electric seat heating (a Ford Granada from the last century,) took at least five minutes for some heat to permeate through the upholstery, and another ten to fifteen minutes for maximum temperature to be reached.

[Adyg1974]

Manchester 2 birkenhead 2 the lake district, I dont want my money back I'm more than pleased with my buy just want to be directed to some1 who can buy the part n fit it,I've phoned the garage he said take it in be4 I start paying out so hopefully he will fix it if not does any1 know any1 in greater Manchester who can buy n fit the pad I'm sure that's all it is and I'll reimburse and pay em to fit it 

[Magnet]

Sorry, I can’t help anymore. Don’t think I’m getting through. 

[cliffcoggin]

What makes you so sure the heating pads are defective, rather than the controls, the switches, the fuses, or the connecting plugs? Have you checked any of them?

It would be a shame to throw good money after bad by renewing pads that may be perfectly good, but if you happy to pay for the job to be done there are plenty of people in your area willing to do it. Hint: they all have Audi in their company names.

[Adyg1974]

I cant work due to health reasons, so I'm on a budget, I've also not sold my old car yet it's on eBay ,the switches work because the seat gets warm just not up to the temperature they should if the switches didnt work it wouldnt start to heat up if there was a wire loose they wouldnt start to heat up I had a BMW X3 that had the same problem new heat pads n it was like sitting on a fire I think the elements must wear out or something does there just not as hot as when they were when they were new and I dont want to and cant afford to pay audis prices 

[Magnet]

Well it seems you don’t need any more advice from the forum, you just need to buy new elements and get them fitted by some non Audi garage - job’s done as they say. 

As Cliff says, the fact that ‘switch’ works does not mean the seat heating control selection side of it does, but putting it bluntly, it seems you know all there is to know, and forum members are unlikely to be able to add to your knowledge bank, and that’s great, and we are all surplus to requirements! 

Good luck with sorting it out. 

Kind regards,

Gareth.