Heated Seats Burning

[zonefive]

Fly, if you can post pictures of your seat bottom that would be great. If the pad is sewn to the leather, it should be able to be un-sewn? The question is, how can the broken wire be found and repaired? this guy did it on an F-10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tggE...channel=sysell

As a last resort, the heating pad can be disconnected and a replacement generic pad can be placed, although the seat bottom only will be heated. This post described it: https://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-for...ement-diy.html

A follow up post described using a Range Rover pad that heats the entire seat: https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...nt-repair.html

Unfortunately neither has pictures, so if you do this repair please post.

[80stech]

A generic bottom pad can be installed and the back left intact and working. You might try to find out if the original pad is being shorted by the hog rings first. I would use zip ties instead of hog-rings to reassemble. There are other threads on this. A small problem with installing the generic pad is that it probably won't be wide enough to go up the side bolsters but then you would also need to do some sewing if it was.

[X5only]

The right part of driver's seat thigh support of my sports seat super heats. I have found that if I extend the thigh support, the heat spot goes away, and then after bringing it back it still does not heat up super hot. But when cleaning the seats and moving the support back and forth, it comes back. Extending it again "fixes" it. I'd like a real fix - it seems a simple one in my case, but I lack info.

[Salty B.]

My seat also has a bad hot spot on the left outer part, about mid-thigh when seated. I can't leave it on even in low for very long. I thought about swapping the front seat bottoms if that's not too much of a pain in the ass. The seatback heater doesn't work but I don't mind that as I'm usually wearing a jacket vs my butt being clad in underpants and jeans which are not warm at all.

[andrewwynn]

I swapped a seat bottom once (the recliner motor gears stripped and the leather got ruined from brake fluid). It wasn't difficult. I don't remember the steps just remember it wasn't hard

[X5Dawg]

Wow, can't believe this thread is still going! I still have a brand-new seat bottom cover with heating element - black, driver's side, non-Sport seat if anyone is interested. Send me a PM.

[Flydarrell]

I ended up pulling my seat out and taking it apart. No wonder these things are expensive the parts count in just the left front seat is ridiculous. In my case the leather and heating pad is sewn together. So I had to cut them apart to find the burnt spot where the wires had come apart. Some models this is not the case. I got the smallest gauge wire from the hardware store and soldered it together after cutting out the bad part. It's been over a year now and hasn't caught fire yet. So, so far so good.

[Henn28]

Originally Posted by Flydarrell

I ended up pulling my seat out and taking it apart. No wonder these things are expensive the parts count in just the left front seat is ridiculous. In my case the leather and heating pad is sewn together. So I had to cut them apart to find the burnt spot where the wires had come apart. Some models this is not the case. I got the smallest gauge wire from the hardware store and soldered it together after cutting out the bad part. It's been over a year now and hasn't caught fire yet. So, so far so good.

Nicely done. I agree, the seats are a big PITA to work with. From getting them out, the inevitable broken plastic bits, to getting them apart, it all sucks. Interesting that your element was sewn into the leather. The upholstery guy who did my front seats told me that mine were glued onto the foam so he steamed them off and glue them onto the new foam bottoms I bought for the project.