A friend owns a 2000 Outback with heated seats. The seat heaters have shorted out. His dealer could not diagnose the cause-- fuses and relays have (apparently) been ruled out as the cause.

Has anyone alse experienced this problem? If so, please let me know (or if) you solved this technical problem.
:alien:

How do you know the seat heaters have "shorted"? What indications do you have?

Did your friend sit down with scissors in his pocket? How about wet himself?:alien:

Normally the switches for the seat heaters are illuminated when the headlights are switched on. Now, the lamps which illuminate the seat heating switches (front or back seat) no longer function. My guess is that the wires to this system have become damaged or were disconnected. The seat warmers no longer work -- nor do the controls light up when the lights are on. :confused:

Have you checked the seat heater fuses? If the actual heater in the seat was shorted, then you would've most likely blown the fuse. If you replace the fuse and re-energize a shorted heater, you'll blow another fuse.

You said the wires were damaged or maybe disconnected? Have you done any rough stuff w/your car lately, or have you had it in for service recently? Why do you suspect wire damage (this is usually one of the last things suspected when troubleshooting electrical junk)? I've never seen these seat heaters... Are the switches in the center console? Is there some way the harness on the back of the switch could have been disconnected?

i've got a random electrical gremlin in my car, that kills illumination on switches; not the power illumination (orange light) but the green one for the symbol that comes on with the dash lights.
my foglight switch did it for a while, then went away, now it's been in my passenger side seat heater switch for about 6 months; it came back on for a day, then went out again :rolleyes:

but my heaters still work...........are you sure the heaters have stopped working? the seat never feels warm unless someone is sitting in it and making pressure contact witht he heater, i think, cuz the seat never feels warm until someone's sitting in the car, then they complain about the hot seat :p

I'm not sure if 00' has a cup holder just in front of the heater switches.
I know I constantly spill small amounts of coffee into my mirror adjustment and heater switches, no problems as of yet. This may have somehting to do with your buddies problem, or it may have nothing to do with it. :confused:

Maybe someone in the Outback or Legacy forums could help out. Give them a try.