Circuit/System Description
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 8 other vehicles, including the 2011 GMC Yukon XL, 2011 GMC Yukon, 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe, 2011 Chevrolet Suburban, and 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The driver and front passenger heated seat heating elements are controlled by a common high current relay internal to the memory seat module (MSM) and the low side by individual element control circuits. The MSM connects the heated seat heater element supply voltage circuits for both seats to a common reference point. This reference point is biased to approximately 2.5 V. Before the MSM will allow heated seat operation, it checks to see if this reference voltage is shorted to ground or battery voltage. Once the MSM verifies that it is not closing to a shorted heating element, it allows heated seat operation. After which it continues to monitor for a shorted circuit.