Issues so far...

[RJ'sGottaDrive]

Two days of ownership and I am loving this car. It's like nothing I've ever driven before.

Engine in the back? It works!

The first problem I need to solve is the drivers seat motors are blowing fuses.

All adjustments didn't work when I got it yesterday. Found that the fuse was blown and put a new one in.

Did a quick check and all was good. When I went to go out for a ride tonight, no go.

Where to start? Pull the seat look for bad connections? Has someone had this problem before?

 

Also, the intermittent wiper setting doesn't work(been doing some research) and the cabriot top drops, stops, drops and finally gets all the way down.

 

Right now I'd be happy fixing the seat. It's kind of in an uncomfortable position for me and wife and I want to go away for the weekend.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

[creekman]

Ok. sorry to hear you're having problems...  Tell us year and model, also what does "no go" mean...  Does the starter work, or you have nothing, Is the dash lighting up, interior lights working?  

 

Do you have a chart of the fuses and what they do?

[RJ'sGottaDrive]

Sorry...

'02 Carrera 

Everything works fine.

I have dash lights, interior lights. The car runs great.

I replaced the fuse (E3) and all the seat adjustments worked. That was this morning.

This evening I got in to go for a ride and none of the seat adjustments worked.

[Uwon]

If not already done so, suggest rechecking fuse amperage against manual rather than what was already in place.

[RJ'sGottaDrive]

30A. Correct per the manual.

Thank you.

[DBJoe996]

Unfortunately the drivers seat is problematic.  There are the seat switches for moving the seat, the memory switches on the door sill, and the seat memory module under the front part of the seat.  There is a mass of wiring under the seat.  More than likely the wiring under the seat is shorted because one of the wires got caught in the seat rails.  And...if it is blowing the seat fuse then bonus...you cannot move the seat to access the bolts to remove the seat to check underneath.  First step, reach way under the seat from behind and feel the wires and move them around.  I know this is blind but simply moving the wires may eliminate the short.  Then, if this fails, you need to lift up the seat bottom.  There are two white plastic clips under the front of the seat.  You pull down the pins and that releases the white clips that hold the seat bottom on the seat rail.  Then you carefully lift up and pull forward the seat bottom.  Careful here because there are wires attached to the seat bottom.  You want to just prop up the seat bottom to expose the wiring underneath.  Then you will have to see if you can find where a wire is shorted or stuck in the seat rail.

 

[DBJoe996]

By the way, there is no way to manually adjust the seat.  My drivers seat refuses to move.  The fuse is good and I have checked every wire under the seat, both power and ground.  My Durametric software can communicate with the seat memory module and no faults are found.  I have spent hours under the seat to try and figure it out, but I have not found the problem.  Fortunately the seat position is exactly where I want it.  I suspect that either the seat memory module is faulty or the memory buttons on the door sill are screwed up somehow.  This is perhaps a better picture of the white seat clamp...pull the center pin down and it releases the front of the seat bottom so you can lift it up.  And the memory module wiring.

[RJ'sGottaDrive]

This is excellent info DBJoe- thanks.

I'll take a look this afternoon. First I have to go buy some more 30A fuses.

I'm not an electrical guy, I'm a mechanical engineer, but I work with a EE and I'm sure he would be willing to help me if I can't get this fixed.

Also, when I first put the new fuse in and everything was working, the car was not running. Later, I started the car, attempted to adjust the seat and then no adjustment was working.

Does that help to narrow things down? I'm going to try to replicate that later today and adjust the seat to where I want, but still want to fix this. I like the adjustable lumber support and change it frequently on long trips.

[DBJoe996]

One other thing I've thought of....I don't care about the memory seat and I'd love to eliminate the memory module.  But without being able to move the seat I cannot get to the seat rail bolts, and thus I cannot access the seat memory module.  Passenger seat works fine, so what I would like to do is replace the drivers seat wiring with a harness from a passenger seat.  Have not found one and no separate part number exists.  Stuck on that one.

[DBJoe996]

The electrical portion of the ignition switch is well known for all sorts of electrical gremlins.  Not a good way to test it.  Mostly people just replace it.  Since you replaced the fuse and did not start the car and the seat functions worked...then you started the car and the seat does not function...maybe the ignition switch.

Edited June 28, 2019 by DBJoe996

[RJ'sGottaDrive]

All good places to start.

I'll have to find the thread on changing out the ignition switch and source to buy. It's worth a shot.

[DBJoe996]

A DIY thread on ignition switch replacement

 

[RJ'sGottaDrive]

Thanks DBJoe.

My ignition switch seems to operate properly, given what I've read here, but you never know.

I'm going to investigate the underseat wiring first. Maybe I'll get lucky and won't have to spend time on my back under the dash.

[RJ'sGottaDrive]

This morning I put in a new 30A fuse and without putting the key in the ignition I began to adjust the seat to my liking.

I was almost there and the fuse blew. I was adjusting the seat forward when it happened. I put another fuse in and moved the seat up another inch or so and now I'm happy with the driving position. This leads me to believe that something is shorting out under the seat(as DBJoe mentioned) and not the ignition switch. So begins the exploration.

[RJ'sGottaDrive]

I had a good look at all wires and connections and didn't see anything abraded. The only issue I did see is the plastic bracket that runs along the seat bottom was broken. It holds 3 connectors, 2 small, one big. The big one was not connected to it. I repaired the bracket but could not get the connector back into the bracket. Not enough room to drop the seat down far enough to meet the connector and get my hand in there and at that point I was flying blind. I'm hoping at this point, I've moved enough wires that I inadvertently fixed the problem.

At least the seat is in a good position for me.

On to refurbishing the headlights.