Heated seat retrofit with pictures

[nigwhyrito]

Originally Posted by bmwman528e

It would 100x easier just to run the aftermarket heaters on their own wiring and circuits and then just use the Factory X5 Heated Seat button and get it to work with the new wiring.

hmmm bmwman528e - Curious were you talking to me. Reason I ask is because thats what I did. My aftermarkets were single stage heaters. The bmw switch and electronics are for a dual stage heater. So without the thermistor the BMW switch would not work. My aftermarket kit was for kia sorento that I crashed a long time ago. So when you say 100x easier you must have meant for me to buy another aftermarket kit. That 1 already was dual stage heaters. 2 Made for bmw 3. spend money that I didnt have to spend ? Just confused by the last post thats all.

[nigwhyrito]

Thanks cool for the concern but I actually removed the klixons or as my dad called temp switches. I didnt like the fact the seats were not as hot. It kept kicking in to fast. My thermistor in the seat lements are working fine. I tested with a temp probe 3 distinct different temps 0ff high and low.. crap I forgot what they were but they were the same as what bmw posted. Also you said 100kΩ, i thought I purchased 2: 50kΩ.
50kΩ per circuit. I thought the seat heaters left and right were considered 2 different circuits. So are you combining total resistance when both are on at same time?

[gruf]

top post mate,
i got the wires under my back seat so i followed your instructions and bought the switches and then found the wires under the front seat (passenger if in uk)
i have installed everything but have no power in switches, i have read the posts and a k9 relay keeps popping up.
Where is the realy located and do you have the part number for said relay if there is not one in my car.
Tar

[nigwhyrito]

"Yes you defininetly need the the relay.. Its a light green one has 5 pins. Called k93 unloader relay terminal 15"

Is that what you are referring to?

If so this pic might help you.

Is this how the fuses area in the back of your X5 look.
Mine has these relays. I bought the rear seat heat relay off a guy parting out his X.
just to confirm you stated you have the wires under the rear seat. Okay you have half the wires right. Meaning to completeley remove you rear seat do you have disconnect any connectors. If no coonectors then that mean your rear seat doesnt have any heating elements. So thats another reason why the switches wouldnt work. Which means now you have to go out and do 1 of these.

1. buy heated seat elements Preferably a 3 wire design
2 buy a rear seat from a parted out x with the elements already installed. mainly 4.6 and 4.8 have them. Not my poor 3.0

3. Buy just the rear leather cover from a parted out X as i think the elements are sewed in.

again i started this mod because i had some leftover seat elements from my last vehicle that i never installed.

Let me know if you need the actual part number of that relay. Im sure real oem has it.

OMG i am so glad i took this pic today. My fuses 80 and 81 have the wrong amps. There supposed to be 20 not 25. My x5 is going turn into a phoneix and burn up. Going to autozone now.

[gruf]

Originally Posted by nigwhyrito

"Yes you defininetly need the the relay.. Its a light green one has 5 pins. Called k93 unloader relay terminal 15"

Is that what you are referring to?

If so this pic might help you.

Is this how the fuses area in the back of your X5 look.
Mine has these relays. I bought the rear seat heat relay off a guy parting out his X.
just to confirm you stated you have the wires under the rear seat. Okay you have half the wires right. Meaning to completeley remove you rear seat do you have disconnect any connectors. If no coonectors then that mean your rear seat doesnt have any heating elements. So thats another reason why the switches wouldnt work. Which means now you have to go out and do 1 of these.

1. buy heated seat elements Preferably a 3 wire design
2 buy a rear seat from a parted out x with the elements already installed. mainly 4.6 and 4.8 have them. Not my poor 3.0

3. Buy just the rear leather cover from a parted out X as i think the elements are sewed in.

again i started this mod because i had some leftover seat elements from my last vehicle that i never installed.

Let me know if you need the actual part number of that relay. Im sure real oem has it.

OMG i am so glad i took this pic today. My fuses 80 and 81 have the wrong amps. There supposed to be 20 not 25. My x5 is going turn into a phoneix and burn up. Going to autozone now.

cheers mate, i got the part number earlier and bought it £10.
every thing works perfect.
Thanks

[Gregory891]

FAIRLY easy to retrofit PDC, I did it on my 2002 X5.

[LVP]

Originally Posted by nigwhyrito

Been searching on this forum for pics of rear heated seat wires and could never find one. Asked a couple people where the wires are hidden or at least the location.. No answer.. Well today was nice day so here are my pics of my X all ripped up for anyone that wants to know for future .. Also to come will be pics of the rear footwell lights added.. Aparently they are prewired too. So in a nutshell the connectors are zip-tied under the front drivers seat.. but at the front of the rear carpet.. close to the back part of the front door pillar.

Pulled this upgrade off. Heated rear bottom seat only, not the rear uppers. Picked up a rear seat bottom, switches and relay at a wreckers. Wires were under the driver seat for the switches (just needed to be fed up through the console), power wires under the rear seat. I have to switch seat leather, but I tested each side and they are good. Tossed in the relay and life is good. Kids will be happy in the cold months . This write up helped locate those switch wires quite nicely. Thanks!

[LVP]

Originally Posted by LVP

Pulled this upgrade off. Heated rear bottom seat only, not the rear uppers. Picked up a rear seat bottom, switches and relay at a wreckers. Wires were under the driver seat for the switches (just needed to be fed up through the console), power wires under the rear seat. I have to switch seat leather, but I tested each side and they are good. Tossed in the relay and life is good. Kids will be happy in the cold months . This write up helped locate those switch wires quite nicely. Thanks!

There is always a snag. The heater elements are stitched in to the rear leather. It will be a more involved process, but I've started dissecting the donor heated seat and will figure out a way to transfer the element over to my seat. It just won't be easy. I seem to attract these projects.....

[gatojurko]

I have question about strange option in my car! I have my e53 for three years! My car has Italian package and has no heated seats! But I have felt sometimes in cold weather like my ass had been warmed! I did not pay attention to that... I thought it is because of material in seat! My wife just said she has very warm ass during driving! Could it be automatic option for winter?

[Gregory891]

It's a good question, however E53 don't have automatic seat heating. It's activated by the switch strip just in front of your front ashtray. Switches are at the extreme left and extreme right.

Italian market E53, I have one originally with cloth mechanical seats. I retrofit heated leather sport seats up front, leather rear (no heat) and the matching door cards. Fairly easy to do, I did a write-up on this ~4 years ago.

Someone might have retrofit a basic panel in the seat, have you checked?