Aftermarket heated seat elements using OEM switches?

[Fishy Dave]

Hello,

The one thing missing from my Z4M is heated seats. To add them it appears I have a few options:

1. Buy a set of used, M seats with elements fitted, E46 M3 retrofit wiring kit (Z4M kit discontinued) and centre console switch unit. (expensive option)
2. Buy aftermarket carbon seat heating elements and fit myself (or have them fitted) using the aftermarket relays/wiring/switches (cheaper, but ugly non-oem switches)
3. Combination of the two??? Aftermarket elements, relay and wiring but using the OEM switches?

Is option 3 possible? I'm uncertain whether the oem heated seat switches with the three lit led settings are actually switches in the old sense or whether they only send a signal further up the line to tell the heated seats to power up (still trying to understand this new fangled canbus stuff)?

Thanks, Dave

 

[Fishy Dave]

Anyone?

 

[bony_13]

I'm going through a similar thing - I changed the OEM heated seats to RX8 seats but the two heating systems don't seem to be compatible. So I have bought an aftermarket ebay kit and am going to rip out the mazda elements. My options are to either:
1) Use the heated wiring as a simple +ve and -Ve for the aftermarket heating. But I don't know if that will work.
2) Run a breakout fuse from the spare slot in the fusebox, to provide a 'dumb' 12V supply.

If I were you (i.e. having a post-facelift without the switches) I would be going for option2. The switches aren't that ugly and can be mounted on the side of the seat where you wont really notice them.