2001 E53 X5 > Fitting Heated front seats

[Dblock2151]

I did the retro fit a few years ago. I started with a bunch of research and purchased a 4.6is alcantara interior for my '01 3.0i, the alcantara seats were heated; my factory seats gray leather seats were not.

From what I've read, barebones X5 without Xenon lights were NOT pre-wired for heated seats. Again, this is just from what I read, and from reading that excerpt, I went ahead and attempted the retrofit.

I bought the front and rear seats, carpet, and new "row" of switches that had the heated seat buttons (and PDC button that I will eventually retrofit to the car), and hill decent, etc.

It worked on the first try and everything was perfect.

Fast forward to today, car is almost finished getting a repaint, and I have an Imola red interior (heated) waiting to go in once the car is back.

Good luck OP! I'm going to try and do this next with a E46 M3 convertible, but from what I hear, it's not as simple as my X5 project.

[shedtastic]

Well, the switch turned up and I now have heated seats, which I am very happy about.
So I can confirm, at least, that my 2001 3.0L was at least pre-wired for heated seats.

BUT - I would advise against using E46 seats in an E53.

I can't yet get the electric steering column adjustment to work.

Originally Posted by Effduration

Looks like this should work fine:

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...s-added-4.html

Looking back at that original post (from 2006!) he described swapping the "X5's side control panel covers because they are a little different from the 3 series, the X's side covers have a lower side skirt that covers up the rails when the seat is raised into its highest position. There is also an extra wire and clip that plugs from the drivers side seat control that is part of the drivers side X5 seat harness"

Well, I hadn't done that on the first attempt because I've always had limited success with removing and refitting these side trim pieces on E39s and E53s without breaking plastic clips.. But I guessed that the E53 module (driver's side has the memory controls on etc) must have something to do with the steering column adjustment, so I bit the bullet.

So the seat came out again - and I can confirm that the E46 seat control module appears to be the same PN (just a later revision) as the E53 one, but on the E46 one there is a white connector (with 4 wires) missing compared to when it is used on the E53 seat. I've never owned an E46, but I guess they don't have electric steering column adjustment?

So I guess this is the "wire and clip" that was referred to in the original 2006 post.

So I peeled apart the wiring on the old seat, and separated these extra wires from the rest and sure enough they fit into another section on the main 'multi connector' that plugs the seat to the vehicle. They also pick up an additional couple of wires from the other connector to the seat control module (which had vacant pins on my E46 seat connector). So I extracted this section from the E53 seat and added it to the E46 seat, taped it all back into the harness and refitted the seat.

But still no steering column adjustment. So I'm a bit pissed off about that.

Short answer: Do as Upallnight did, and just wait for some one to be parting out an X5 nearby..

[shedtastic]

I did at least find the source of one of my many rattle / clonk noises, under the driver's seat:

A spare gearknob..

[EODguy]

Originally Posted by shedtastic

I did at least find the source of one of my many rattle / clonk noises, under the driver's seat:



A spare gearknob..

I found a Mont Blanc pen under mine. I'm still looking for a Monet in there...

Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk

[shedtastic]

Originally Posted by EODguy

I found a Mont Blanc pen under mine. I'm still looking for a Monet in there...

Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk

Well, a Mont Blanc pen is a particularly good find!

Final update: I went back and swapped the seat switch modules over, and I now have an adjustable steering column again.

So, the E46 module was on the E46 seat when I bolted it in, and the column didn't work. I then added the extra bit of wiring into the seat harness and figured 'I think the modules are the same, but I may as well use the E53 one, since I knew that worked'. But it didn't work.

So today I swapped the E46 one in, and lo, steering wheel adjustment is back.

Phew. (Previous photos have been updated!)