Luxury editions of the 2004 Ford Explorer came with options for heated leather seats. Although the heated seats are a nice luxury to have, especially in the wintertime, if they break down you may feel that you have shelled out money for a product that does not work. Knowing how to troubleshoot the heated seats in the Explorer yourself can help to ensure you've gotten your money's worth.
Check the fuses in the Ford Explorer. The fuse box is underneath the driver's side console. Detach the cover for the fuse box, which will reveal a diagram printed on the opposite side showing where the heated seat fuse is placed. Slide out the fuse and inspect it to see if the fuse is broken. If so, replace it with a new fuse. This is the easiest and simplest fix for the heated seat circuit.
Turn the Explorer on and turn on the switch for the heated seats. The heated seat image near the switch should light up. If it does not, then that may mean something in your switch is bad. Remove the console where the switch is placed, and use a voltmeter to check different parts of the circuit around the heated seat button. If you find a bad connection, use a soldering iron or replace the connection with a new part.
Use a voltmeter to inspect the connection between the electrical system for the Explorer and the heated seat element. Turn the heated seat switch on. Test the connection by applying the voltmeter to the circuit before and after the heated seat connection. Unplug the heated seat connection module and test the three pins on the inside for continuity with the voltmeter. Clean any loose debris, dust or dirt that may be getting in the way of an electrical connection between the car's electrical system and the heated seat connection. If the connection on the electrical system's part is registering but the connection on the part of the heated seat module is not, you have a bad connection that must be replaced with a new connection switch.
Remove the seat cover. Inspect the underside of the seat cover and the rest of the insulation material for burnt spots along the tracks of the heated seat element. Burnt spots indicate where the circuit has broken. You can solder the circuit back together or replace the entire circuit. The latter would make more sense, because you have already gone through the trouble of exposing the heated seat element. However, if you do choose to solder the circuit back together, wrap it in electrical tape and use heat shrink wrap material to protect your soldered circuit.
