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Given that, as someone looking for information, there's no incentive for me to search old (aka baaaaaaad) threads hoping to find history and others' experiences that could be useful. I'm to chat with current, live members. Interestingly, current, live members could also reply to a current question posted in an older thread (sacrebleu!) generating n-n-n-new conversation, but I don't wanna get anyone else's hands slapped. Ouch ouch!
So lively currenty people, I live in the great state of Texas where it's a smidge warm. I have an '06 H3 with 187K miles on it (original owner btw, guessing I'm a dying breed, but I digress).
When I slide my happy little buttocks out of the vehicle, the pressure on the edge of my seat frequently trips the seat heater switch. The next time I get in the vehicle those happy buttocks of mine start to get toasty hot if I don't remember to flip that switch to the off position right away.
What's an easy way to disable that switch? It'd be ideal if it were a temporary/reversible measure so I could use the seat heaters again during our two weeks of winter next year, but if it's a more permanent fix that'd be ok too. I'm guessing any fuse I could pull would affect more than just the seat heater. Mebbe I'm wrong. Is there perhaps a wire harness for the heater switch that I can unplug?
Simply take a box cutter or similar sharp tool and carve out the top of the opening for the switch in the seat trim panel. Some have used a dreamel to open it up. When you slide in and out of the seat, the panel flexes and moves the switch to the on position. I have two H3’s and had the same problem with both. Take your time and be careful. Trimming a bit at a time until the problem is solved is best.
Good luck
Thanks chooch, but that thread's from 2016. It can no longer be trusted!! Lol.
The rising Texas temps finally got me off my duff to get an X-acto knife and do some trimming. Didn't have to remove a whole heck of a lot to get some good results. It's been about a week now and my seat heaters have not kicked on once. I'm just glad I was able to get the task done before the information reached its expiration date!
The other thread mentioned also adding a screw. I was able to get good results without doing that.
Here are a few photos. It's kinda hard to see much of a difference, which goes to show how little trimming is actually needed for it to work.
Yes, the mods here are a bit overzealous (IMHO) about resurrecting old threads, but it's not really rocket science. Searching old threads is not a no-no; asking questions to a person in that 5 year old thread is, for obvious reasons. The idea is to search old threads, and then, with that knowledge in hand, start a new thread with your (now) upgraded understanding of the problem/issue.
BTW, I have the screw in mine, works great without cutting.
It's kinda hard to see much of a difference, which goes to show how little trimming is actually needed for it to work.
Driver's side after trimming
Sushi Boy, good job, on posting the pics. If you look close, at the bottom of the opening, you'll see a large gap. This is why the trim piece has dropped down, and will probably need trimming again in the future. Adding the screw will help to keep the trim piece in it's proper location.
If your seat trim pieces are broke to where this simple mod will not work, you can spend $36 on a brand new seat trim piece (including clips attached) shipped to your door and replace the worn, cracked and/or tired one.
Check around the rear of the seat and see if the seat bucket trim piece is still attached. I replaced my drivers seat trim piece because it was cracked and haven't had the problem since.
seat heater switch
