Passenger seat warmer doesn't auto turnoff

[mibaro2]

I've noticed that the front passenger seat warmer doesn't turn off automatically when the passenger leaves the car. The car can sense that the passenger is no longer there since it deactivates the passenger airbag...so why wouldn't it turn off the seat warmer as well ?
It is my first time with seat warmers, so I do not know how other cars deal with a heating seat once its occupant leaves.
Any thoughts?

Had my car for a week, and loving it! :smile:

 

[ilg]

My BMW does the same thing. It knows that nobody is sitting there, but it lets the seat warmer complete its timed cycle.

Think of it as a feature. It allows you to pre-warm the seat for your passenger. How convenient!

 

[Shumdit]

My BMW does the same thing. It knows that nobody is sitting there, but it lets the seat warmer complete its timed cycle.

Think of it as a feature. It allows you to pre-warm the seat for your passenger. How convenient!

Mine never turns off. If my wife turns it on and does not ride in the car the next day it will still be on. I assumed it would always stay where it was left until it was manually switched.

 

[ilg]

Right, sorry. I didn't mean to imply that the Model S' seats are timed. Just comparing to a (quite old - 1999) BMW to show that ignoring seat occupancy is not unprecedented.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

is it actually 'on' as in the seat is hot? or just showing that it is 'on' on the console? I thought that when I tried to preheat my seat it wouldn't get hot until I actually sat in it. Haven't tried in a long time though

 

[dirkhh]

is it actually 'on' as in the seat is hot? or just showing that it is 'on' on the console? I thought that when I tried to preheat my seat it wouldn't get hot until I actually sat in it. Haven't tried in a long time though

It actually gets warm. I had my bag on the seat and it was still on from the previous time my wife and I were driving. Ended up with a warm bag

 

[Ugliest1]

is it actually 'on' as in the seat is hot? or just showing that it is 'on' on the console? I thought that when I tried to preheat my seat it wouldn't get hot until I actually sat in it. Haven't tried in a long time though

I noticed the passenger seat heater indicator still on from a passenger who had exited some time earlier, but when I felt the seat, it was cool. So I'm thinking the setting is remembered, but the heat isn't applied until the butt's in the seat.

or, maybe, a heavy enough bag to trip the heat switch?

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

It actually gets warm. I had my bag on the seat and it was still on from the previous time my wife and I were driving. Ended up with a warm bag

how heavy was the bag?

 

[dirkhh]

how heavy was the bag?

I see what you are thinking. Maybe it was heavy enough to trigger the "seat occupied" switch.
No, it's about 8 pounds (small laptop bag).

 

[GDH]

Did you try rebooting the 17" screen?

 

[dirkhh]

Did you try rebooting the 17" screen?

I'll try it again later today to confirm...

 

[ecarfan]

In my experience the if a seat heater is turned on it does not turn off when the seat is vacated. Also, you can turn on a seat heater without being seated in the seat.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

It's Tesla's way of telling you that you have a hot ass... har har

 

[GDH]

It's Tesla's way of telling you that you have a hot ass... har har

lmao

 

[dirkhh]

In my experience the if a seat heater is turned on it does not turn off when the seat is vacated. Also, you can turn on a seat heater without being seated in the seat.

verified this morning. seat heater turned on with no one in the seat. And I rebooted the center console before the test, just in case.

 

[mibaro2]

Good to know that this is normal, and not something wrong with my car. And good point about being able to turn on the seat heater with no one in it.
The only downside is that you may use up more energy heating the seat for nothing...but I doubt that it is a lot of energy.
I suppose I could just stop heating up my passengers.

 

[gglockner]

From my perspective, this is a feature, not a bug. I wish the rear seat heat in the cold weather package also did this - I have to remember every time to enable the rear seat heat for my son.

 

[hyperpretension]

Yes, it is a feature, not a bug. All of my cars with heated seats allowed you to turn on the heat without somebody sitting in them. I had one car that would always reset if the car was turned off, and I didn't like that. Pre-heating the passenger seat always scored points for me when I'd go pick up my ex-boyfriend on cold nights.

 

[Jason S]

It also saves the setting with the seat memory, from what I recall.