Heated seat issue
- Thread starter r1george
- Start date
Sounds like a broken element wire.
You've got two choices, either strip the srat apart and repair the broken part with a butt crimp (if plastic shrouded then remove the plastic) or replace the element. BMW say that you have to have a replacement foam pad aswell, as the element is glued to the pad, which makes it expensive and you still have to strip the seat.
EDIT ** Butt crimps...
This...
or this... 
You've got two choices, either strip the srat apart and repair the broken part with a butt crimp (if plastic shrouded then remove the plastic) or replace the element. BMW say that you have to have a replacement foam pad aswell, as the element is glued to the pad, which makes it expensive and you still have to strip the seat.
EDIT ** Butt crimps...
This...
or this...
Last edited:
Are your seats electric?
If they are manual then there is a box under the seat with 3 plugs going into it about the size of a deck of cards.
There's some pictures in here:
1 plug is from the car the other 2 plugs are for the seat base and the seat back. The seat base plug is black and has 3 wires. Pull the black plug out and use a multimeter to do a continuity check on the brown and green purple wire. If there is a circuit and the resistance is low then the element is likely good.
This means the black box will need replacing and it's around £15 for a second hand one.
If your seat is electric then it's the same principle but the black box is a lot bigger and a bit more expensive.
On M-Sport seats the heating element is not stuck to the foam, it is free and loose and easy-ish to remove. No idea about the non M-Sport seat but I'd imagine it's the same.
If they are manual then there is a box under the seat with 3 plugs going into it about the size of a deck of cards.
There's some pictures in here:
1 plug is from the car the other 2 plugs are for the seat base and the seat back. The seat base plug is black and has 3 wires. Pull the black plug out and use a multimeter to do a continuity check on the brown and green purple wire. If there is a circuit and the resistance is low then the element is likely good.
This means the black box will need replacing and it's around £15 for a second hand one.
If your seat is electric then it's the same principle but the black box is a lot bigger and a bit more expensive.
On M-Sport seats the heating element is not stuck to the foam, it is free and loose and easy-ish to remove. No idea about the non M-Sport seat but I'd imagine it's the same.
Good luck, from the description "...the back and bolsters still heat up..." tells me they are Sports seats, as the standard seat heating pads have both the main and side incorporated in the same run, so if one is damaged then they both don't work, but if the sides work then they are separate runs, but work from the same output of the heat control module (doesn't matter whether they are electric or manual, the heating control circuits are the same!).