Bottom seat/cushion blower motor

[SSOpieTaylor]

Anybody had to replace bottom seat heater blower motors? My truck has heated & cooled seats, and my heat isn’t working on the bottom cushions. My dealer is telling me that both sides blower motors are bad with only 59,000 miles on my truck. They want $860 to replace the motors with $500 of that being or labor. Wondering how hard they are to replace, and if it is something I could do myself. Prices seem pretty steep for a 4 year old truck with 59,000 miles!

[SS502]

11 minutes ago, SSOpieTaylor said:

Anybody had to replace bottom seat heater blower motors? My truck has heated & cooled seats, and my heat isn’t working on the bottom cushions. My dealer is telling me that both sides blower motors are bad with only 59,000 miles on my truck. They want $860 to replace the motors with $500 of that being or labor. Wondering how hard they are to replace, and if it is something I could do myself. Prices seem pretty steep for a 4 year old truck with 59,000 miles!

Hummm, I thought the fan only worked while in the ventilation mode, the heat just has elements inside that heat up. If you set it to cooled can you hear the fan?

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=seat+heat+repair+on+silverado&view=detail&mid=6A1270E1B1806F05ED066A1270E1B1806F05ED06&FORM=VIRE&PC=APPL

[SSOpieTaylor]

Yes, you can hear it turn on when on cooled, and the cooled is working fine.

[Ryno12]

Pretty common problem. I had both bottom elements on my 2014 w/ 28,000 miles replaced last year. Neither functioned and they didn’t ohm out to spec. They also had to replace a blower module, as that controls the heated portion on the bottom seat cushion, because there was no power to the element.

My dealer said they were able to save money by not removing the seats. It sounds like it’s a bit of a PITA to access the modules in place but it can obviously be done.

If I didn’t have my extended warranty, I would’ve tackled it myself.

 

Also, in the video linked above, the heated seat elements shown are the heated seats without the cooling function. If yours also has the cooling seats, yours will be different than shown in the video.

Instead of a “stick on” type element, yours will be thicker cushion type pad that allows airflow through the pad. The heating element is also part of this pad. This connects to the blower unit in question. They utilize the piezoelectric effect for the cooling function, which is why you feel hot air being discharged out the back & under the seat in cooling mode, and electric element is for heating.

[SS502]

7 hours ago, Ryno12 said:

Pretty common problem. I had both bottom elements on my 2014 w/ 28,000 miles replaced last year. Neither functioned and they didn’t ohm out to spec. They also had to replace a blower module, as that controls the heated portion on the bottom seat cushion, because there was no power to the element.

My dealer said they were able to save money by not removing the seats. It sounds like it’s a bit of a PITA to access the modules in place but it can obviously be done.

If I didn’t have my extended warranty, I would’ve tackled it myself.

 

Also, in the video linked above, the heated seat elements shown are the heated seats without the cooling function. If yours also has the cooling seats, yours will be different than shown in the video.

Instead of a “stick on” type element, yours will be thicker cushion type pad that allows airflow through the pad. The heating element is also part of this pad. This connects to the blower unit in question. They utilize the piezoelectric effect for the cooling function, which is why you feel hot air being discharged out the back & under the seat in cooling mode, and electric element is for heating.

Yeah, what Ryno12 said! Much better info than I gave but I hope it all works out...sounds like the dealer cost is excessive but I guess I will cross that bridge someday. So if the blower works while in ventilation mode is it just the heating element/pad that connects to it? Sounds like a lot of the cost may be fans R&R too.

[Sierra Dan]

I doubt it is the blower motors.

The heating elements were the culprit in mine. It has happened twice.

Both the bottom and back elements on driver and passenger side developed an open circuit.

[kevin21]

Ok. I think this info should help anyone with the 2007-2013 SLT or LTZ models with heated/cooled seats. If you just have heated seats, this does not apply to you because you have the heated mat and not the blower style like the cooled/heated seats. If your heated seats/blower do not work follow this process in order.

1. Check the fuse. If good.. next

2. Check the plugs under the passenger seat from the front side unplug and make sure nothing is burnt. If good.. next

3. Push the back/bottom button to heat the seat. If Neither back or bottom heats then turn off and try the back only. If the back heats then the bottom blower is out. Raise the seat up and use a 10mm socket on a 1/4 ratchet and remove the blower. It unplugs in the back underneath. This is very easy and takes about 10 minutes. No need to remove the seat. It can be done if the seat is raised all the way.

4. If the back does not heat up with only the back button pushed or the button that operates both, then the back blower is out. Use a flat plastic panel tool or gentle flat head screw driver and press in the tabs on each side of the plastic cover on the seat back just below the top of the pocket on each side and pull gently as you push in the remaining tabs to remove the plastic seat back. Once removed you will need to drill the 2 rivets and unplug the seat back blower. 

5. Replace the the unit and everything should be back to normal. The units run about $150.00 online (top or bottom). They are both very easy to replace. In most cases it’s only one blower that is out. If the back blower is out, the bottom will not work until the back one is replaced. If the bottom is out, the back will still work in most cases. 

Good luck and I hope this resolves everyone’s seat heater issues ?

 

[Chevy Team 6]

On 12/27/2018 at 9:22 AM, Ryno12 said:

Pretty common problem. I had both bottom elements on my 2014 w/ 28,000 miles replaced last year. Neither functioned and they didn’t ohm out to spec. They also had to replace a blower module, as that controls the heated portion on the bottom seat cushion, because there was no power to the element.

My dealer said they were able to save money by not removing the seats. It sounds like it’s a bit of a PITA to access the modules in place but it can obviously be done.

If I didn’t have my extended warranty, I would’ve tackled it myself.

 

Also, in the video linked above, the heated seat elements shown are the heated seats without the cooling function. If yours also has the cooling seats, yours will be different than shown in the video.

Instead of a “stick on” type element, yours will be thicker cushion type pad that allows airflow through the pad. The heating element is also part of this pad. This connects to the blower unit in question. They utilize the piezoelectric effect for the cooling function, which is why you feel hot air being discharged out the back & under the seat in cooling mode, and electric element is for heating.

So youre saying that replacing the blower will fix both the bottom cushion heating problem AND the cooled seats? Thats my issue, I have almost no air whatsoever flowing through the seats when I turn on the cooled seats. Also dont have lower cushion heat. I have a 2015 silverado ltz

[Ryno12]

So youre saying that replacing the blower will fix both the bottom cushion heating problem AND the cooled seats? Thats my issue, I have almost no air whatsoever flowing through the seats when I turn on the cooled seats. Also dont have lower cushion heat. I have a 2015 silverado ltz

Well, not necessarily. You’ll have to troubleshoot the issue on both. If you’re blower isn’t working, you’ll likely have to replace that but that may not necessarily also fix you lower heater. That could be a bad cushion element. You’ll have to ohm out the element. If that checks out fine, see if there’s power being supplied by the blower module.