!!!!!!!!! IMPORTANT ALL 850/855 OWNERS READ !!!!!!!!

Hi Guys,

I'm up for it as well. I think we might need to get some sort of survey going (?)

Andy

[markas]

Hi all,

I have been on the bum end of a heated seat problem. I had burn marks on my left side bum and eventually had a smoke between my legs!!!

Replaced the heating element,t-stat and seat cover of the base. Cost around £300 quid a few years ago. I then replaced my whole harness cable as i was fedup of bodging the wire to the t-stat.

The passenger side doesn't seem to get as hot as mine even though it has a new t-stat.

94 850

Mark.

I had both seat heaters disconnected years ago, after the seats one by one started melting and smoking, so we just have no seat heating anymore. We are not very handy, so we have to go to the garage for every repair and didn't want to spend money on this one.
Interesting, though to read about this problem occurring regularly.

Our volvo is from december 1994, 850 2.5.
(It is smashed just last week, only weeks after it had another accident in which the oil ran out of the sump and the engine needed replacing! We just heard that it can be repaired, although it will cost an arm and a leg. But for that money we can't buy a same one. And this one will have a lot of new parts apart from a brandnew engine! Lets hope it will have a long life and maybe we will have free new seat heating in the future!)

[jaytee]

The seats in my 96 850 Tdi get much hotter than I would expect them to, and I always have switch off before they cut off with the thermostat, that is IF they do! I've not had any broken wires yet, unless before I owned the car. (3 years)
There certainly seems to be a few problems that Volvo should take notice of.

Jim

Hi Mark,

I posted a while ago about a hot spot on my seat on my 98/S80 T6.

I noticed it the other day when it was cold, and I had only had the car two days, I put the seat heater on and had to to turn it off almost straight away as there was a hot spot right at the top of my right leg.

It was so hot, I had to drive like some sort of 'rude boy' at a jaunty angle until the seat cooled down.

My dealer has been really impressive in terms of their service to me, and have sorted out every other problem that has dogged the early S80s before letting me collect the car, but seem to have missed this, but curiously, when I test drove the car, I put the seat heater then and it was fine, so I guess something may have been damaged/disconnected during the 10 days they had the car in bits fixing everything else.

This has happened twice, the first time I put it down to having a lot of loose change in my back pocket, and this getting hot and burning my bum, but the second time I switched it on I burnt myself again....

[markas]

Hi ya Itbloke,

You have been just unlucky it sounds like the t-stat is on the way out. If you actually leave it long enough your bum will get burnt as did mine and a new element, and seat covered required. The t-stat is a quick and easy change to do yourself.

Mark.

I have a 1994 T5 estate the drivers seat seemed somewhat low so I decided to remove the fabric and replace the foam.
On doing so I noted that a bodge repair had been done to the wiring underneath the seat where the heater/thermostat is placed.
I stripped everything off and found that at some time the original VOLVO part had caught fire and been replaced by a FORD heated seat element. I replaced this so called bodge but now having read this did I do the right thing???

Bomber

Hey there Boys and Girls

Hi Mark`s back ....
I was not aware of how many replies my thread had received for some reason i have not been getting an e-mail everytime someone replies . The lastest on my situation is I have written to Volvo UK who have not yet replied but then again it has only been 1 working week so lets see just what they have to say since it would seem that more and more ppl are having or have had the same problem as me though not quite as serious i will post back as soon as i get a reply . I have done this as i have been out and bought a Jet Black 850-r and guess what the seats will be getting checked out as soon as i get it home in 2 weeks time .

I have also been in contact with the Dept of Transport`s Vehicle Inspectorate dept here in the UK way way back last november time ish have been have contacted volvo on my behalf and have agreed to investigate this problem . I e-mailed the DOT last week and got a reply saying the investigation is still ongoing and no info is available yet so i will also post back results or replies when i receive them . They also informed me that there is NO legislation in this country or anywhere in europe that gives governments the power to MAKE manufacturers have recalls regarding faults all they can do is put pressure on the manufacturers and advise them to do so .

Maybe if ALL 850/855 owners who have had or are having similare problems were to write to Volvo UK then yes maybe they will take more notice . If i still do not get anywhere then we should all write/e-mail Watchdog and get them on national TV bad publicity just has to make them sit up and take notice of PPL who own there cars .

Please keep on replying ALL those with same/similare problems heated seat related .

Mark

I have had the wires fall of the thermostat in the drivers seat of my 855 Turbo. It has leather seats and had exactly the problem described here. I fitted a new connector onto the end of the wire and pushed it back on. It now works except in very cold weather!

Andy

Hi , I am another to add to the list. I have a 1996 855 T5. Drivers side conked out not long after purchase. Passenger side works fine. I have never tried a repair. Don't think I will after seeing this lot!

Co-incidently in the past I owned a 240 Torslanda - both heated seats packed up in that and the drivers side on our old 340GL packed up. At present I also have a 480 Turbo Auto - drivers side seat has packed up in that. Seems to be a problem in all not just the 8 series?