Hey everyone!

I ordered English Panther Leather seats and changed the gray piping to double red stitching. After the upholster took apart the seat covers, he told me they are heated, even though I never ordered. Then I checked and saw both front seats have complete heating system with wirings. I asked my friends at the dealer today, and they were kind of surprised promising to find out how can we make it work. I think it's simple!

Has anyone noted this before and made the sits functional?

 

I'm curious if they put them in all of their seats, and just not activate them unless you buy the cold package? It would make sense to me to just manufactor all of the literally thousands of seats the exact same way....instead of just adding those parts later. If that makes any sense.

And I don't know what "sits" are....but I think you might be talking about seats, no?

-Cody

 

Land Rover does this (or at least used to) as it was cheaper to make them all the same.

Anyway...the local dealer would hook them up for ~100 which included the switches and telling the BECM that they were there...

 

Yes, of-course, I corrected the mistake.

I also found out that the passenger seat is different from driver's. They are identical, except one extra wire on passenger seat, and if you miss that wire your airbag indicator light won't go off even after you clear the fault code.

 

Does it mean that the majority of the MINI dealers will do for the similar amount?

 

I would suspect so...give your SA a call and ask him. Most likely he won't know on a price...but ask him to talk to a tech and figure a price. If they will do it, see what price they give you. It could be either close to $50, or closer to $100+ depending on how the tech's preceive the install....and if they give you some bogus $100+ quote, tell them that Land Rover's do the same thing for less money, and see if they will compromise.

BTW: I LOVE my heated seats.
Good luck!
-Cody

 

Keep in mind that in the Land Rover, the seats were hooked into the BECM and the harness was in the console for the switches...so it was:

1 - pop two panel blanks
2 - plug in switches and insert in to console
3 - "Tell" the BECM that the vehicle has heated seats

Might be as easy in the MINI...and if so...should be $100 or less...

I am guessing that the MINI BECM does not care, so it should be LESS...

 

Heated seats ROCK!! (Yes, even here in SoCal )

 

has anybody else confirmed that all seats are prewired with heating elements (like the '05+ cars are prewired with much of the alarm system?) if so, swapping out the switch where the mirror adjustment is for one with the heating controls and reprogramming the computer will be a GREAT find for this owner who WISHES he had ordered heated seats...

anxiously awaiting more info on this one!

 

+1... i'm also curious if this means that my '06 on the way (without heated seats) is prewired and could be "turned on." If so, I might ask the dealer to do this if the cost is minimal (I realize I just said "dealer" and "cost is minimal" in the same sentence...lol).

Now that it is starting to get a little colder, I'm wishing I had ordered them... the hazards of ordering a car in the summer and not thinking of winter!

 

Ok so who is going to take apart their seats and check?

 

I would be more than happy to check! Unforunatly I am in Kentucky and my car is in Florida! Easy excuse for me because I am wondering the same things! I wont be back for a couple of weeks to take mine apart. Seems like if they were built into all the seats,we would have known by now??Weirder things have happenned I guess!

 

Looks like just a harness too me:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.d...21&hg=01&fg=64

Cost who knows?
You have to go to Seats and look Accessories and Retrofittings

01112/2001 Part number 61110145996+core, See EBA 0145998
Notes:

 

My car was sold new in Savannah, GA without the heated seats, but I bought it used in PA where I have become accustomed to heated seats. I recall asking the SA about this and he said I'd have to retrofit the seats or put in ones already wired. Perhaps this is specific to earlier MINIs. But I'm definitely interested in what can make this work if anyone is willing to dig deeper!

 

According to Real OEM, the term "ended" on their form means that the harness? has been discontinued.

 

I am still waiting for the answer from dealer, will keep updated.

 

Please do, I would love to add this on!

 

I emailed Paul at Classic Mini (a sponsor on this site) He stated the part number I gave him was good. So, the kit can be ordered !!

Now, just to find out how hard it is to wire it up and make it work ! And wether or not you have to go back to the dealer once you have it installed..

 

Rawhyde thanks:

http://motoringfile.com/howto/miniheatedseats.pdf


See page 11

You must have the plug for the heaters for this mod to work.. My car appears not to have it so no luck for me.

So check under your seats and if you have an open harness, you can add the harness kit and the heaters will work!

 

mixed news there. "The seat covers with integrated heating system are not supplied with the installation kit and must be ordered separately" sure implies that the heating elements are not included in the standard seat covers.

OTOH, seems like you won't need the dealer to turn it on. "The system does not require coding".

what would i look for under the seats of my car to see if the elements are already in place and just waiting for the wiring harness and switch to connect them to the car?

 

MINI does this with sooo many options it would not be suprising in the least if that were the case.

 

I checked my sport seats and did not see any additional connectors.. Maybe someone could take a picture of there heated seats. And show us the connectors.

 

I have had my seats out 4 or 5 times and did not have any extra connectors..

That said if they were tucked under the seat Id pull them apart and hook it up.

 

I just talked to my tech and he said "yes" all seats have the heating element. You would have to get the wiring harness and new switch.
Although he doesnt know if the wiring harness is available. I need to
take a look at my seats. It would be nice to activate them.

 

I am not a tech but, I could not seem to locate my switch.. Perhaps you could help us all locate our switch ?

Anyway the harness is the part number I have listed and it's just plug and play from there. If you have the heating elements already in your car.