[Sxf206]

I just purchased a 2018 Murano (certified used). It has less than 30k miles. The heated seats do not stay hot. They heat up for 3 minutes , then cool down for 6 minutes. Multiple Nissan dealers are telling me this is normal, but that just does not seem right. That means the heat only runs 1/3 of the time. Can anyone confirm or deny similar function on another Murano? Thanks.

 

[Kae]

Never experienced this on my 2019 or any other Nissan I have owned.

 

[MuranoSL2003]

I just purchased a 2018 Murano (certified used). It has less than 30k miles. The heated seats do not stay hot. They heat up for 3 minutes , then cool down for 6 minutes. Multiple Nissan dealers are telling me this is normal, but that just does not seem right. That means the heat only runs 1/3 of the time. Can anyone confirm or deny similar function on another Murano? Thanks.

That is not normal from my experience...

For both my '03 and '19, on cold mornings I will start on high to get things warmer faster, then switch to low shortly after when things get too warm. And, most often than not, I need to turn them off after a period of time to avoid becoming too warm even on low...

 

[MuranoSL2003]

I just purchased a 2018 Murano (certified used). It has less than 30k miles. The heated seats do not stay hot. They heat up for 3 minutes , then cool down for 6 minutes. Multiple Nissan dealers are telling me this is normal, but that just does not seem right. That means the heat only runs 1/3 of the time. Can anyone confirm or deny similar function on another Murano? Thanks.

Which trim level do you have?

The Platinum trim has different heated/cooled seats than the standard heated seats in the other trim levels... I think they may have a filter that may need to be cleaned as well...

 

[Phil T]

I have a 2018 SV with heated cloth seats and have never noticed your issue. They work great! I wish I had a heated steering wheel though.

 

[Sxf206]

Which trim level do you have?

The Platinum trim has different heated/cooled seats than the standard heated seats in the other trim levels... I think they may have a filter that may need to be cleaned as well...

We have the SL. We tried a platinum, but the seats didn’t get hot enough!

 

[Cryogenix1]

In my 2021 SL, I noticed the seat randomly gets hot on high. It initially heats up slowly, then gets hot, then cools, then gradually goes to hot again and the cycle continues. This seems perfectly normal to me, as I don't think it would be good to have high heat constantly baking the leather/fuax leather/vinyl material and cushioning. The steering wheel heating aspect pretty much does the same thing, but it turns itself off after a certain period of time and I sometimes have to hit the on switch again.

Perhaps the heating of the seats has to do with any selected ambient temperature settings that a user may have, or if the heating system is set to AUTO or something. Maybe the heating-cooling down-heating cycle is based on selected heat temperature through the vents/defrost system. I wouldn't want my ass to always be on fire, so I'm glad it cools off and then heats up again, etc, etc.

 

[MuranoSL2003]

Maybe the reason I have never felt the heater cycle is due to my preference of turning off before that occurs...

Same with the heated steering wheel. I only use it for 5-10 minutes, then I turn it off because it becomes too warm. It feels fine once warmed up, so I don't feel the need to keep it turned on...

 

[Cryogenix1]

My 2021 SL has the heated elements that are electrically activated. I didn't realize that some MOs have the type where heated air is pumped into it. Seems like a bad design just thinking about it. Maybe that's why there are so many versions of what's happening. Again, for the heated element type, I wouldn't expect it to always remain hot. For the air-blown heated seats...I guess the cabin filter or maybe obstructions in the heating ducts/tubes along the way could be a problem. Maybe after sitting in the seat so often, the "whatever" that's in the seat that supplies the heated air is getting compressed or blocked, and not allowing proper circulation. Or, perhaps a piece of ducting or "whatever" is diconnected within the seat (or along the route) and that's why it's not supplying heat consistently. Maybe shifting around in the seat moves something in and out of alignment.

 

[YoGeorge]

To the OP--yes, all cars cycle their heated seats.

The usual mechanisms shut down when a sensor inside the seat reaches a certain temperature, so in the worst of winter, the seat will spend a much larger percentage of time "on". If you get in the car on the hottest summer day and turn on the heated seats, I bet they won't even cycle on, or if they do, it would be for only a few seconds.

In addition to the Mo, we have a '17 Forester which cycles on/off even more noticeably than the Murano, and a Dodge Grand Caravan, which I would say is very similar to the Murano except that the operation of the seats is like a rear window defroster where they eventually move themselves down to low heat and then turn off--in addition to cycling on/off to control temps.

 

[Pilgrim]

Makes sense. If the heat elements stayed on too long, they'd burn the seat.

 

[canuckguy]

My 2017.5 SL should be similar to your 2018. Don't know where you are but I'm in one of the coldest areas of Canada. If I need to turn on my heated seats I turn on high then eventually have to turn them to low. Even on the coldest days. I sometimes just turn them to low. They usually get too warm and do not "cycle" as many have said. They usually do not turn themselves off by the time I get to where I am going. My heated steering wheel gets too hot after 15 minutes and I have to turn it off. Mine actually turns on and gets hot if I turn it on accidently in the summer. Nothing worse than a hot heated seat on a summer day. Don't listen to others. I don't think yours is working as it should

 

[Cryogenix1]

Nevermind...I had an idea, but since I don't actually know how the heat-blown system works, there's no point speculating. Anyone know if the seats' heat (using forced hot air) relies on the main heating system to be on through the vents/defrost? Can the seats be provided with heat simply by turning the seat's temp control knob? And does turning that knob activate the main heating system?

 

[Cryogenix1]

I'll mention something I've noticed since the colder temps have hit and I've been using heat every morning. I often drive with the windows partly open with the heat at 80, not on AUTO, and with heat directed only at the feet at fan speed 1 or 2. Sometimes (when the windows are closed) I randomly get a surge of warm-cool air the seems to blow across the tops of my legs and I can feel it on my right hand that's on the lower part of the steering wheel. I've never felt for it, but I almost think it's coming from the dash vents - next time I'll check it out). I believe because the car is climate-controlled and having heat on brings in outside fresh air, that if the cabin temp exceeds the called for temp of 80, that "something" opens and delivers a burst of cooler/fresh air in an attempt to maintain the desired temp setting. At first I thought it was the act of the engine's thermostat opening/closing and causing a change in the heat, but I don't think that's case.

With that in mind, I wonder what sensor is tracking the seat temperature. Is that sensor within the seat? If someone's wearing wool pants that might make the seat hotter than someone wearing ligthweight cotton, would that cause the sensor to reduce the heat being pumped into the seat, thinking it's already at temperature? Likewise, if someone with more bulk/weight/surface area is sitting in the seat instead of someone smaller with less bulk, would that affect the way the seat retains heat and possibly makes the seat sensor/thermostat respond? That the original poster said it heats for 3min and then cools for 6min kind of makes me think it's a normal cycle that may be the result of a seat sensor/thermostat reacting to a certain temperature being achieved, and causing the system to back off on the heat. Then, when that same sensor/thermostat notices the temp is below what's being called for, it opens up a duct (or activates whatever pipes in the heat) and heated air is again blown into the seat...or to maintain climate control, it pipes in cool/resh air. It may be just a delayed effect of heat being called for and then everything needing to cool down to try to maintain the proper climate control for the temp being requested. I also wonder if heat being called for in the back seats (using the ducts beneath the front seats) can affect the front seat's heat sensor and make it think it's warmer than it actually. For that matter, if someone installs a stereo n amp under the seat and it emits heat, would that affect such a sensor?

There may be many factors to how others view the seats as hot/cold. We're all different and can often feel things differently than someone else, for many reasons. But, if the seat doesn't ever feel like it's getting hot, then there's a problem. I wonder if there's also some kind of programming that can be adjusted to possibly lessen the duration of when the climate control heats and cools things. Maybe the BCM (or whatever controls it) is set to turn off seat warming for six minutes once the selected temp is reached. Perhaps that can be adjusted to de-warm for only four minutes ore even one minute before blowing heat back in.

 

[Sxf206]

I appreciate everyone’s feedback. I do think it’s a problem with the seat thermostat. Maybe a programming issue? We previously had a 2013 Rogue that did not have this problem. Nor does our 2021 Jetta.

 

[mrmajestik]

I just purchased a 2018 Murano (certified used). It has less than 30k miles. The heated seats do not stay hot. They heat up for 3 minutes , then cool down for 6 minutes. Multiple Nissan dealers are telling me this is normal, but that just does not seem right. That means the heat only runs 1/3 of the time. Can anyone confirm or deny similar function on another Murano? Thanks.

I believe the heated seats work similar to your house's furnace. It will cycle on and off based on sensed temperature. This is how all of mine have worked (2 2007's, 1 - 2014 & 1 2019).

 

[Cryogenix1]

I've been paying slightly more attention to how my seat heats, and I can't figure it out; seems very random. Within a minute of activating the heated steering wheel, it achieves max hotness. With the seat, if I leave the switch on (HIGH or LOW) when turning off the car, and then I start the car with that switch still on (in this example, the seat is stone cold) it takes roughly 6-9 minutes for the seat to achieve what I consider to be max hotness. Once it flares in temp, it reduces to basically nothing and the seat is nearly cold. Then, at some point (5, 10, 15 minutes later) the seat becomes hot again. Sometimes it almost seems like after the initial heating-cooling cycle, a sensor is waiting to detect movement on the seat in order to start heating it again. Maybe the "system" doesn't want to keep heating the seat if nobody's sitting on it, so it's waiting for some significant vibration before it starts to heat up again. Other times, it seems that if I'm accelerating a little faster, it's getting more power and starts to heat up quickly. When the seat has already been heated and has cooled, if I turn off the switch and then turn it back on, the seat tends to heat up more quickly. However I did that a few times recently, but the seat didn't heat up consistently within a certain timeframe. When I leave the switch on HIGH all the time, I sometimes think the "system" isn't sure if the seat is supposed to be heating, so it again awaits for some movement before kicking in. Possibly aside from power-consuming concerns, that's why the manual says to turn off the switch before turning off the car. Maybe if left on all the time, the BCM isn't properly triggered to activate the heat cycle. Maybe it needs to be "goosed" by hitting the switch.

Bottom line is, I don't know how the seats' heated elements work in this car. I tried keeping the switch at LOW for a few days, but didn't feel that was enough to really feel it, so I went back to high. When it gets hot on HIGH, it almost feels like it's going to burn through my jeans, but then the heat backs off.

 

[YoGeorge]

I've been paying slightly more attention to how my seat heats, and I can't figure it out; seems very random.....

I absolutely agreee; the heated seats in both my '18 Mo SL and my wife's '17 Subaru Forester do some really strange cycling things where they will get really hot for a minute and then back down to near nothing. I've not put timers on them but they are definitely not consistent.

Again, my theory is that there is some kind of thermostat in the seat that will govern the activity (to not melt the seat foam) along with some kind of mysterious electrical timers that cycle the heaters.

That said, I consider the heated seats in both of these vehicle to work and have chosen to not give them much more thought. If they stop heating, that would be a problem.

 

[Cryogenix1]

I absolutely agreee; the heated seats in both my '18 Mo SL and my wife's '17 Subaru Forester do some really strange cycling things where they will get really hot for a minute and then back down to near nothing. I've not put timers on them but they are definitely not consistent.

Again, my theory is that there is some kind of thermostat in the seat that will govern the activity (to not melt the seat foam) along with some kind of mysterious electrical timers that cycle the heaters.

That said, I consider the heated seats in both of these vehicle to work and have chosen to not give them much more thought. If they stop heating, that would be a problem.

I feel the heated seat system is working fine, I just don't understand its logic. If not on a thermo/timer setup, and just a thermo-sensor deal, maybe even though the seat cools down to our feel, the actual sensor is still cooling to its desired threshhold before firing back up again. Maybe other factors such as driving with the window open, opening the car door momentarily for something, having the climate control system blowing air from the vents or at the feet, etc, possibly impact the temperature of that sensor as "other air" swirls around the vehicle, which would create more randomness in how the seat heats. I'm not complaining about the seats, I'm just providing some info for those interested.

 

[YoGeorge]

I feel the heated seat system is working fine, I just don't understand its logic.

That's exactly where I'm at. I don't question the HVAC system or fuel injection on my cars either unless something is completely messed up... All I want from my heated seats is a warm butt when it's cold outside and I get that from the Mo.