Heated seats issue

[Artemis]

I noticed that the seat heating of my driver seat is not properly functioning (unlike the passenger).

The "seating part" is okay. The side bolsters on the "back part" are also functioning properly. However, the internal part of the "back part" (which is supposed to warm your back) does not function. Checked the passenger seat: all parts warms up properly. So that's not normal.

I know of another 1M with exactly the same issue (same part on the driver seat not working).

True that seat heating on the passenger seat is rarely used (unlike the one of the driver seat).

I checked the fusebox diagram (http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showp...20&postcount=1):
Heated seats fuses: #3 [20 Amp] | #10 [5 Amp] | #45 [empty] | #46 [empty] | #68 [20 Amp]

Still got to check whether one of the three fuses is blown (#3|#10|#68).

Anyone of you with heated seats encountered the same phenomenon ?

[Dackelone]

Sounds like the carbon heating pad is broken/worn. Your dealer will need to pull the seat apart and replace that carbon heating pad. Or have an upholstery shop do the job.

I had an older 323i which had that exact same problem. The back upright seat part did not get hot, while the bottom seat did work fine. It drove me mad.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Your dealer will need to pull the seat apart and replace that carbon heating pad. Or have an upholstery shop do the job.

Well, if it's easier for them, I wouldn't mind if they offer - as a warranty courtesy feature - to replace them by Performance Seats (which are heated too, by the way).

[evolution80]

at least it did not burn (!) your jacket while driving on the autobahn (recently happened to some guy i know in his first gen X3)

[Dackelone]

^^That was also a big problem with 7er and 5er's, the heated seats would get so hot as to cause burns. BMW had to recall a bunch of cars maybe seven years ago for that. They replaced the heating element(s).

[ruf]

Originally Posted by Artemis

I know of another 1M with exactly the same issue (same part on the driver seat not working).

You're right !
In fact: exactly the same issue here...
It's only the lower back region of the seat heating that's dead.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Sounds like the carbon heating pad is broken/worn. Your dealer will need to pull the seat apart and replace that carbon heating pad. Or have an upholstery shop do the job.
I had an older 323i which had that exact same problem. The back upright seat part did not get hot, while the bottom seat did work fine. It drove me mad.

Judging by the seat heating diagram, it seems that the dealership will have 'fun' with this (still under warranty): from what I see, the seat must be dismantled to replace the malfunctioning heating element.


(source: http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...13&hg=52&fg=65)

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Judging by the seat heating diagram, it seems that the dealership will have 'fun' with this (still under warranty): from what I see, the seat must be dismantled to replace the malfunctioning heating element.

Most dealers will just (sub)contract out a job like this to an upholstery shop they work with locally. Most techs would not want to get involved with seat repairs.

[Artemis]

Added also this issue to the 1M issues log sticky:
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showp...27&postcount=1

[Hobbe]

I'm told that this is an issue that is caused by the driver in many cases.
Don't put your knee on the seat. The weight of your body on this small area could crack the element.
Easy to do when loading stuff, or cleaning the interior of the car

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Hobbe

I'm told that this is an issue that is caused by the driver in many cases.
Don't put your knee on the seat. The weight of your body on this small area could crack the element.
Easy to do when loading stuff, or cleaning the interior of the car

Interesting to know.

However, the peculiar thing is that the part which fails to function on all three BMW cars mentioned above in this thread, is located where your back is resting, not the part where you sit on. The part where you sit on (and where you eventually might put your knee when cleaning the interior or when reaching for something on the rear seats without opening the door) is functioning properly.

So this would mean that you need to kick or push the back part with your knee ? Hm, just for the record: happily married, but not doing crazy stuff behind the steering wheel of my 1M...

Will contact the dealer in the near future.

[DarthColin]

My drivers seat in my 1M just kicked the bucket. Coincidently, it is -30 out this week. Yesterday I started the car to warm it up, clicked on the seat heat, to see if by some miracle, it was working again. I came back five minutes later and the seat and thigh rest were warm, but the back not so much. Within seconds of me sitting down, the green system lights went out. I guess I'll let the dealer know my findings.

[ruf]

Update:
Just before this winter my dealer fixed the issue under warranty...
In fact they arranged it together with the 2 more known 1M issues (cracked mirrors, front fenders) see: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=760815
The seat is in perfect condition again:
- my back is hotter than ever
- no marks of dismantling the seat
So happy me !!

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by ruf

Update:
Just before this winter my dealer fixed the issue under warranty...
In fact they arranged it together with the 2 more known 1M issues (cracked mirrors, front fenders) see: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=760815
The seat is in perfect condition again:
- my back is hotter than ever
- no marks of dismantling the seat
So happy me !!

Update: exactly the same issue was fixed under warranty by my dealer.

I was told that there was an issue with the electronics box mounted under the seat managing the seat heating + the upper part of the seat (where your back rests) was carefully dismantled to replace the malfunctioning heating element.

No marks of dismantling + at last my back gets the heating massage treatment. Never experienced that part of the seat heating up before the fix, so this issue must have existed before I took delivery in 2011.

Now I finally understand why people might frown their eyebrows when they knew that I regularly drive with the seat heating on max power (mode 3/3). As a matter of fact, that's also how I discovered it: my wife pointed out that mode 3/3 was uncomfortable for her and I failed to understand why: it seems that she was being 'steamed' in the passenger seat while I wasn't in my driver's seat due to the malfunctioning.

[Piets94]

Add me to the list of driver's seat heating issues with the back aspect. Exactly the same as Artemis. The rest of the seat warms normally, but none of the back area.
And with 2 months left of warranty....phew.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Piets94

Add me to the list of driver's seat heating issues with the back aspect. Exactly the same as Artemis. The rest of the seat warms normally, but none of the back area.
And with 2 months left of warranty....phew.

Mine was changed under warranty. Beware of kneeling inside your driver's or passenger's seat (for example to clean/take something in the backseats area or the seat area next to it): your knees may 'pinch' inside the seats, damaging a heated seats coil/wiring (heat element). I didn't do that, so it must have been a pre-delivery issue (during transport from the factory to the dealer).

[css008]

The seat heaters in my OEM seats worked perfectly. When I upgraded to Performance Seats the drivers side heating does not work. The green system lights turn off within seconds. (The passenger side works great). Am I to assume the drivers side seat came with a damaged heating element or might it be some other issue?

[Stratus650]

Im lucky that i use my seat heater (specifically ordered by me on the 1M) about 2 to 3 times a year. Its that chilled morning, beginning of Jan, 8 degrees outside, and i wanna enjoy some fresh breeze with the windows open while feeling cozy.

Actually that was my explanation to the sales guy who thought i was joking about adding seat heating in a city that reaches 45 degrees in summer

[moram3]

Originally Posted by css008

The seat heaters in my OEM seats worked perfectly. When I upgraded to Performance Seats the drivers side heating does not work. The green system lights turn off within seconds. (The passenger side works great). Am I to assume the drivers side seat came with a damaged heating element or might it be some other issue?

I had a similar issue with the light going out after a couple of seconds on my standard driver's seat. It was simply an issue with the fuse - maybe worth checking that first.

[maf330xi]

Originally Posted by moram3

I had a similar issue with the light going out after a couple of seconds on my standard driver's seat. It was simply an issue with the fuse - maybe worth checking that first.

The power to adjust the seats, was that also affected?

[moram3]

Originally Posted by maf330xi

The power to adjust the seats, was that also affected?

I don't have powered seats, so not applicable in my case. However, the symptom was when pressed the driver seating lights would come on for a couple of seconds and then go out. Passenger side was working perfectly.

[bill-h]

Good thing the elements are available separately, Unlike the E46 ones.