Heated seats not working properly in 2018 Big Horn

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Lamarsh

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I just got a 2018 Ram 1500 Big Horn, hemi, with Katzkin leather seats. The heated seats really do not work well at all. They take about 10-15 minutes to barely even feel. I contacted one dealership about it and the service guy said that's just how they are, and that if they get hot at some point they are working, and that they have no software changes on them yet and can do nothing about it. Being that it is my opinion (and I think I'm right) that the whole point of heated seats is the heat the seats before the truck warms up, I just cannot see how these seats are functioning properly since they don't heat up for 10+ minutes of driving. They also barely work at all if I do auto start--when I do auto start the heated seats and steering wheel turn on, but when I get in the car even with it running on auto start for 10+ minutes my seat is barely hot at all (it is warm, but so luke warm I can't even tell if it's from the heat coming from the vents or the seat heating element), but the heated steering wheel works fine, that heats up right away.

Very disappointed. My 10 year old 2008 Ram 1500 heated seats work just fine, after 10 years.

Any input on this is greatly appreciated.
 

cbsmith

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My 2014 isn’t like that at all. The seats heat up quickly even in the really cold weather we have had the last few weeks.

I wonder if the Katzkin leather covers are insulating the seat and slowing the heat transfer to the outside?
 
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Lamarsh

Lamarsh

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My 2014 isn’t like that at all. The seats heat up quickly even in the really cold weather we have had the last few weeks.

I wonder if the Katzkin leather covers are insulating the seat and slowing the heat transfer to the outside?

Thanks for the response. Not surprising. My buddy has a 2012 and it heats up just fine. The way these seats heat up is absolute garbage. My 2008 works perfectly--how can they go BACKWARDS on a design? If it's caused by the Katskins that would be absolute crap since I bought the car like this, paid for heated seats, and was never told the Katzkins would essentially nix the ability to get use out of the heated seat. And Katzkin is a Mopar item I'm pretty sure.

I'm not sure, but I sense that Ram will basically be telling me to go fly a kite. The service guy already seemed to be posturing over it, claiming "it's supposed to take 10-12 minutes to heat up (WTF is that all about?). Depending on how Chrysler handles this, they may have lost a long time, loyal customer (I've owned two Rams, and 4 Grand Cherokees). And yes, it would be over a heated seat, because something this silly shouldn't go over looked, plus I live in Michigan and it's cold as heck here.
 

IMRAM

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I have a 2017 limited Longhorn, the seats almost get annoyingly hot after their on for a while. They definitely heat up quickly. I will say somethings wrong with your system.



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huntergreen

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My seats take less than 4 minutes to heat up. Your service guy is FOS.
 

JMacIV

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I have Katzkins in my 14 CC Lone Star - heated seats work perfectly through them. Couple minutes and I’m nice and toasty.

Definitely not the Katzkins unless they majorly changed their material since mine were made.


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Dodgetk81

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There “may” be a setting in the BCM for seat type. It was in my 15. I don’t remember exactly what they were, but I think it was leather, perforated leather or cloth. I saw it in there when Deere guy was coding the cooled seats in my old truck.
 

Lomey

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I have a 2015 Outdoorsman with heated seats and steering wheel that I purchased used in April and added Katzkin leather before picking up the vehicle. Since I got the truck in the Spring I didn't use the heated seats until December. I'm having the same issue. Takes quite a while before they heat up. When I use the remote start it doesn't help. I have to drive before it gets heated up. This is my first vehicle with heated seats, but my wife's 2007 Mazda 3 hatchback with cloth seats has them and they work great. I just figured it was probably the Katskin leather being thicker, but after trying the remote start and letting it heat up for 10-15 minutes without success it has to be the heating element itself. Disappointing, but really not a big deal. Lived without heated seats for 30 years of driving before this and survived. Haha!
 

Hemi395

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I wonder if the Katzkin leather covers are insulating the seat and slowing the heat transfer to the outside?

This is exactly whats happening. I put Clazzio leather seat covers on my 13 with heated seats and I noticed a huge reduction in how hot they get. They used to burn my ass and now they're just warm. They also switch from high to low a lot sooner than they used to before the seat covers. Honestly they get warm enough for me so I'm ok with it plus the leather seat covers get all kinds of complements. I wonder if they dialed the heat back a bit in the new trucks because I'm serious when I say mine get HOT. Might be why you're barely feeling them get warm and mine are adequate.
 

Razzman

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The seats in my ‘17 Laramie get super hot real quick, so much in fact that I turn them down before they do it themselves.
 
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Lamarsh

Lamarsh

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There “may” be a setting in the BCM for seat type. It was in my 15. I don’t remember exactly what they were, but I think it was leather, perforated leather or cloth. I saw it in there when Deere guy was coding the cooled seats in my old truck.

What is BCM? I'd like to look into this. Thanks.

My truck was at the service department at Suburban Ram in Troy, MI, and although the service assistant acknowledge that he totally noticed that my seats don't get hot at all, and he could barely notice them working, their technicians stated that because there were no codes thrown and that the module was heating up that there is no problem. I think this is total BS, and was basically their response because they don't know how to fix it.

There is absolutely a problem with my seats. I've owned enough cars and trucks with heated seats to know that this utterly wrong.

I auto started my truck this morning and ran it for 10 mins with the heated seats on, and then started my commute to work and 10 minutes in (so a full 20 minutes or so with the heated seats on) my butt was still cold!

I've driven a Ram now for 10 years, and owned 4 Grand Cherokees before that. Chrysler may very well lose a loyal customer to this, since it seems they may be telling me to go fly a kite.
 
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Lamarsh

Lamarsh

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I have a 2015 Outdoorsman with heated seats and steering wheel that I purchased used in April and added Katzkin leather before picking up the vehicle. Since I got the truck in the Spring I didn't use the heated seats until December. I'm having the same issue. Takes quite a while before they heat up. When I use the remote start it doesn't help. I have to drive before it gets heated up. This is my first vehicle with heated seats, but my wife's 2007 Mazda 3 hatchback with cloth seats has them and they work great. I just figured it was probably the Katskin leather being thicker, but after trying the remote start and letting it heat up for 10-15 minutes without success it has to be the heating element itself. Disappointing, but really not a big deal. Lived without heated seats for 30 years of driving before this and survived. Haha!

Sounds like we have the same issue, just that I really care about heated seats. For one, I live in Michigan and it's cold as heck here, and I like for my heated seats to heat up the leather before the car heats up so I'm not cold, and also this 2018 Ram replaces my 2008 Ram, which always had perfectly functioning heated seats that get nice and hot within a matter of just a few minutes (you can feel it warming in less than 60 seconds). Sucks that I basically just down graded.
 
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Lamarsh

Lamarsh

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I spoke to Ram's customer service for quite a while this morning. The lady on the phone was very nice and helpful, but couldn't quite figure it out, but opened a case and is making best efforts to figure this out. I will post updates as to what happens.
 

Podcast

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My wife has this same issue with her leather seats, however they are in her Ford. They don't heat up at all until the car is well on it's way down the road. After waiting for 20 minutes while the car warmed up and heated seats were on when we get in they are cold. After sitting in them they heat up eventually but it's almost like the heating element isn't making contact to transfer the heat to the seat until there is weight on it.

Interesting that this is an issue with other leather seats as well.
 

Dodgetk81

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What is BCM? I'd like to look into this. Thanks.

My truck was at the service department at Suburban Ram in Troy, MI, and although the service assistant acknowledge that he totally noticed that my seats don't get hot at all, and he could barely notice them working, their technicians stated that because there were no codes thrown and that the module was heating up that there is no problem. I think this is total BS, and was basically their response because they don't know how to fix it.

There is absolutely a problem with my seats. I've owned enough cars and trucks with heated seats to know that this utterly wrong.

I auto started my truck this morning and ran it for 10 mins with the heated seats on, and then started my commute to work and 10 minutes in (so a full 20 minutes or so with the heated seats on) my butt was still cold!

I've driven a Ram now for 10 years, and owned 4 Grand Cherokees before that. Chrysler may very well lose a loyal customer to this, since it seems they may be telling me to go fly a kite.

Bcm is the body control module. (computer). A Chrysler tech would be better to answer, but I believe they can plug in Witech, go into the seat module and change the seat material.
 

mtnrider

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Pretty sure the issue is the Katskinz. They are much thicker then factory leather or cloth. I just added them to my truck (was cloth before) and I can tell a big difference in the amount of heat I feel in the seats. Much less then before.




.
 

chrisbh17

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I personally have a feeling it had something to do with how the seats are"coded" in the bcm. If it's true there is a setting, a big Horn would be set to cloth... You can get heated cloth on the BH, but not heated leather.

I bet if you could change the bcm setting to leather, the seat heating would act differently. I'll be watching this thread because I wanted to add heated seats to my BH. Probably cloth first, then re-covered with a katzkin kit

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mtnrider

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I personally have a feeling it had something to do with how the seats are"coded" in the bcm. If it's true there is a setting, a big Horn would be set to cloth... You can get heated cloth on the BH, but not heated leather.

I bet if you could change the bcm setting to leather, the seat heating would act differently. I'll be watching this thread because I wanted to add heated seats to my BH. Probably cloth first, then re-covered with a katzkin kit

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I highly doubt there is a setting that makes the seats hotter with leather. The only Leather code setting is going to be for the cooled seats so you have the buttons on the uconnect.

The Katskinz are easily twice as thick as the factory leather and have more padding on them. I have played with them both out of the truck. It is simply more insulation between the heaters and your butt that is causing the issue.


.
 

chrisbh17

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I highly doubt there is a setting that makes the seats hotter with leather. The only Leather code setting is going to be for the cooled seats so you have the buttons on the uconnect.

The Katskinz are easily twice as thick as the factory leather and have more padding on them. I have played with them both out of the truck. It is simply more insulation between the heaters and your butt that is causing the issue.


.

Good to know, thanks!

That makes me wonder....are you better off buying cloth seats and a Katzkin kit, or finding a good used set of factory leather seats?
 

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