[s-cars] Automatic Seat Control???

[Charlie Smith]

OK, the usual problem question starts with something like "How do 
I make it start doing ...".

So this one starts with "How do I make it stop doing ..." it's trick.


I have developed an "Automatic Seat Control" or some such thing,
at least the passenger seat thinks that's what it is supposed to do.

Yesterday, when I tried to start the S6 in the garage, the battery
was completely dead.  Flat.  Zero volts.  Radio in SAFE mode and
all the other symptoms.

After I threw a charger on the car, sitting inside I could hear a loud
intermittent whir, a motor running, sort of like the fuel pump.  It
would make the noise for about two or three seconds and then quit for
about 5 seconds.  Searching and listening led me to the passenger's 
electric seat motors.

Apparently the new "automatic control" mechanism was trying to lower
the passenger seat ... and since it was down as far as it could go
it would buzz while stalled for two or three seconds and then a circuit
breaker or something would open up for a few seconds.

After I manually ran the seat up and down a couple times, the automatic
control mechanism went back into hibernate mode.  Probably until the
next time the car is parked a hundred miles down some dirt road, miles
from the nearest telephone.

Since the passenger seat hasn't been moved for months, and probably 
hasn't even been sat in for that long - what's going on?

What can cause the non-memory electric seat motor to try to run
on a continuous basis?

Remember, this WAS the day before Halloween!

    - Charlie


  Charlie Smith  charlie {at} elektro.cmhnet.org  614-471-1418  
  http://www.elektro.com/~charlie          Columbus Ohio   USA
  http://www.elektro.com/~audi         photos & technical info

  95 S6 Quattro  -  24 PSI, RS2 6 speed, and other features  
  97 Dodge Ram   -  40 PSI, 4x4 w/Cummins turbo diesel