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DIY: Non-Heated to Heated Seat Retrofit!! Lots of Pics!!!

491K views 216 replies 107 participants last post by  Bali 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Alright it's finally put to rest Heated Seat Retrofit. So here goes my DIY with lots of pictures documenting my process, materials/tools used and needed.

Parts Needed:

1. Heat Seat Elements Baffles - I purchased for $100 from a fellow fanatic
2. Heated Seat Accessory Panel with the Heated Seat buttons - I got lucky on this one of ebay (I got the sunglasses console climate control version with the climate control unit, the accessory panel, and ashtray for ~ $80
3. Wiring, Fuses, Butt-Connectors/Quick disconnects, Zip Ties and various OEM BMW specfic connectors/pinouts - Already had so $0 for me!
4. An Upholstry Shop capable of doing car seats, I found one 5 minutes from me and charged me $150 per seat - $300 total

So my total cost was ~ $480

Here are some pictures:
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Tools Needed:
  • Torque Wrench
  • T-15 Socket
  • T-40 Socket
  • T-45 Socket
  • 10MM hex socket
  • 17MM hex socket
  • Philips Head Screwdriver
  • FlatHead
  • Needle Nose Pliers
  • Crimping Tool

Allright lets get started:

Step 1: Disconnect your battery
Step 2: Remove/Unplug your seats from the car
Step 3: Once the seats are removed, nows the fun part! Dismantling your non-heated seat baffles. It's actually fairly easy start by taking off the backrest portion this is only held on by 2 T-40 bolts you must pull back the leather/leatherette to gain access to them. Once these 2 bolts are removed the backrest will come free with a little bt of strength.
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#27 ·
Amazing!

It is people like you that keeps this forum alive. Way too many people care about the off topics and showroom forums than anything else. You are a true fanatic.

Anyhow, Thanks for the write-up.

My car already have heated seats. I am going to remove my heating elements/baffle and install it on some M3 seats that I am going to buy.

Do you have any suggestions or tips. Do you think the heated element can be done by yourself or do you recommend me bringing it to a leather shop.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Bill
 
#28 ·
ADA said:
Amazing!

It is people like you that keeps this forum alive. Way too many people care about the off topics and showroom forums than anything else. You are a true fanatic.

Anyhow, Thanks for the write-up.

My car already have heated seats. I am going to remove my heating elements/baffle and install it on some M3 seats that I am going to buy.

Do you have any suggestions or tips. Do you think the heated element can be done by yourself or do you recommend me bringing it to a leather shop.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Bill
I know what you mean about OT and the showroom forum.

Anyways to answer your questions removing the leather cushioning and padding is fairly easy just a little time consuming.

First you want to remove the backrest portion of the seat beleive it or not it's only held on by 2 - T-45 or T-50 Hex screws and ten it will slide off so you can have 2 seperate peices to work with.

Well here are some pictures if you need more just let me know and I'll be glad to help you out.







As for putting in the heated elements yourself sure you can but honestly you will need a special machine to do it. Honestly it wasn't worth my time,and even the upholstry shop didn't sew my elements back in like OEM style but they still work great.

I was thinking about doing it but after noicing all this double stitching through the leather. I knew a regular sewing needle and thread wasn't going to cut it plus it would have definately been time consuming for that matter.

In the future I intend on doing rear heated seats so I might try out my sewing skills.

In the end it's up to you is it worth the hours upons hours of sewing trial and error to get it correct or just take it to a shop that has the experience (Unlike Mine) to get it done.

Let me know if that clarified everything. Once you have a guide it's fairly straight forward.

Jared
 
#29 · (Edited)
Thanks!!! I love retrofitting my 2000 323i with newer functions found on later model. It is more expensive but is worth it! So fun and challenging.

If you ever need help with the following let me know (or you can search for them on e46fan)

OEM Retrofit:

-halogen to xenon retrofit
-xenon auto-level retrofit
-SMG paddles on non M3 steering wheel retrofit
-rear fog lights retrofit
-facelifted tail ligts on pre-facelift retro
-rain/light sensor---coming soon
 
#31 ·
Great instructions! I plan on using these to work on a seat frame issue. :thumbsup:
Would you recommended replacing a bent seat frame (both backrest and seat mechanism) than trying to repair? Did you happen to have some new seat mechanism and backrest frames? If so, what is your cost + shipping?
 
#33 ·
mmamales said:
Great instructions! I plan on using these to work on a seat frame issue.
Would you recommended replacing a bent seat frame (both backrest and seat mechanism) than trying to repair? Did you happen to have some new seat mechanism and backrest frames? If so, what is your cost + shipping?]

No sorry I don't have extra seat frames nor did I have to deal with bending them back to shape. But if it were a minor bend I don't see why not but anything too major then I'd probably just get another set.

Jared
 
#36 ·
Just got done with this mod 2 weeks ago. I love it.
 
#42 ·
Thats how I removed mine, well from the fabric for I didn't have the whole seats themselves, for they are sewn together as one. So basically you would destroy the fabrice with the elements by removing them unless of course you knew how to sew the fabric back together the same way yet to me wouldn't seem to be worth it.

Jared
 
#46 ·
Great write up. Must have taken a lot of time to write up and upload/take all those photos. Im looking to do it but still deciding since I have sports seats without heating but electric lumbar support so dont know if its possible. Anyway great writeup and good luck with your rear seat heating.

Have a nice day!!
 
#48 ·
I've been trying to get the x1869 plug but my dealership doesn't know how to go abouts getting it. Anyone know how I can get my hands on one? :dunno:

It's the plug that plugs into the back of the switch panel.
 
#52 · (Edited)
Hi I bought the complete heated sports leather interior from an 05 330cd for £600 I checked how much the leather heated seat covers would cost from the dealers in the UK, £250 each for the seat base and £290ish each for the seat back rests plus VAT.
so I think you have two ways of doing this modification.

1/ Is to follow Ivegotissues instructions and fit an aftermarket heater element into the original seats or
2/ Try and find a good quality secondhand interior with factory heating.

The wiring kit that i mentioned includes the wiring from the yellow plug under the seats to the switch unit on the dash and also to the fusebox it also comes with full pictured instructions.
The kit in the UK costs £130 but if you would like to make your own Ivegotissues instructions on how to make one up is spot on right down to the oem connections. The kit also comes complete with the plug X1869 and the switch unit.
 
#54 ·
Thanks for the correction I should have known that you would fit oem.

I thought the price of the leather covers from BMW was really expensive so decided to try and find a complete heated interior, 18 months later one appears and its sports :excited: how lucky was that the guy originally wanted £750 but dropped it down in price because i also bought the remainder of the body kit and the oem led tails which are now fitted to my brothers e46.

Ivegotissues how did you buy the heater elements on there own and are they for an e46 as my dealer said at the time that you could not get the elements on there own for this model.
I know that you can get them seperate for the e36 and i see that the new three series seat heating retrofit is selling in the UK for £140 part number 61 11 0 400 883 but still to check if it includes the seat heating elements etc.
 
#56 ·
How considerate of you to heat up you passengers behinds i guess everyone wants to travel in your car now.

Yeah thats sounds like a really good modification, was it difficult to do?
I know that the back seats are really easy to remove from the car but hows the covers to remove and did you just link up the wiring to the fronts.

It would be good if you could post a diy for this, BTW hows the mirror diy's comming on cant wait to see the one about the reverse tilt function
 
#58 ·
Ivegotissues

tried to find some secondhand heated seat covers to do the rear mod but up to now I have not had any luck can you please advise me on how you managed to get them, where they badly worn covers and had been removed for this reason.

Thanks for your help
 
#60 ·
Love the work, keeps me wanting to do more to my car.....keep the great DIY coming.

same question about the heatedseatkits....only $150 for the elements for upper and lower for the front seats on ebay now.
Having hard time finding OEM ones.

Already have heated seats now, but swapping new ones in and they were suppose to be heated but no heating elements are there....errr ebay...
So much for plug and play , no I have to install them myself....

Thanks
 
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