How do your heated seats behave? I think mine are defective.

[X5Boston]

A quick question to fellow X5ers. How hot do your driver's side heated seats get? I both my E53 X5s, the drivers seat usually got very hot and I usually had to turn it down a notch to two bars after 10 - 15 minutes even on the coldest days.

Here is what mine does, when I initially turn it on, it gets hot for about 5 minutes and then it begins to cool down. Cool to the point that on colder days, the parts where my body do not contact the seat gets very cool. Turning it on and off does not work and I need to shutdown the vehicle for 5 minutes before the seats work again. The first trip did not resolve the issue and the dealer stated the seat was "normal" because there were no fault codes. After a second trip, the dealer told me the seat control unit was drawing too much power and was causing the issues. That did not work.

The latest trip brought a report of "the seat is 10F cooler than other seats but within BMW specifications." My SA initial made it sound like they swapped out the entire seat. Turns out they swapped out the heating element from another E70 X5. The seat back has a faint indication the seats are still warming after 5 minutes but the seat cushion still cools down.

Just got the vehicle back from the dealer after three attempts to fix the seat for a multitude of issues from a defective venting fan to the dealer breaking the active seat. I will need to go back because the tech who worked on the seat did not put the plastic trim back on. There are two pieces of lose plastic rattling around the driver side.

I am almost 100% sure I am getting the runaround here. My understanding is the techs do not get paid unless there is a billable repair. Personally I think the tech plugs things in, gets no code and then runs off to another job. Any time spent troubleshooting means they do not get paid and simply find a quick excuse such as “cannot reproduce the reported problem.”

I've sat in the passenger seat and that ones works as I remember in my 01 4.4i and 02 4.6is. The seat gets blazingly hot and after 10 - 15 minutes, I turn the heat down a notch.

Oh, and one other thing. The noise in the back is still not fixed. MY SA, in a very condescending tone nonetheless, told me my ice scraper in the rear compartment caused the noise. Well, on drive down one of Boston’s infamous cattle path roads, the noise is back. In one other thread, another member mentioned that the glue on the seat may not have cured properly and the rubbing of the panels causes the noise. Well, needless to say I will be requesting a new SA. My original SA left the dealer and his replacement has a less then acceptable bedside manner. I tolerate rude and obnoxious people very well but this guy is like nails on a chalkboard.

(Ok, so it was not as quick as expected)

[swesson]

The highest setting is the first one, you need to push twice more to go to the lowest setting. At least new cars are adjustable! I remember a Lexus I had in the mid-nineties had only 1 setting and it could tan your hide!

[X5Boston]

Originally Posted by swesson

The highest setting is the first one, you need to push twice more to go to the lowest setting. At least new cars are adjustable! I remember a Lexus I had in the mid-nineties had only 1 setting and it could tan your hide!

Yes, I made sure its on the hottest setting, 3 red bars on the iDrive and the green LED is on on the button. On the passenger side, the seat is very hot like on my previous E53 4.4i and 4.6is. The drivers side, it only stays hot for a couple of minutes before cooling off. All settings are on full.

Just like you describe on the Lexus, I've always been used to "tan your hide" hot and then backing down to a nice McDonald's "keep the burgers warm until some sucker comes and buys a burger that has been dried out for the last 7 hours" hot.

[rufusdedog]

Buy or borrow a contactless thermometer, the kind you point at a surface and it tells you the temp. I bought a good on for <$100. Take the car to the dealer and get the seat and back temps. Then go to one of the cars on the lot and do the same. If there's a big difference, even the most stubborn SA will have to concede.

[X5Boston]

Originally Posted by rufusdedog

Buy or borrow a contactless thermometer, the kind you point at a surface and it tells you the temp. I bought a good on for <$100. Take the car to the dealer and get the seat and back temps. Then go to one of the cars on the lot and do the same. If there's a big difference, even the most stubborn SA will have to concede.

You must be psychic. Just before checking the thread I was going to ask about getting one. If I do get one, I am going to submit the cost to the dealer. I usually let things like this slide but this situation is becoming a sad comedy of errors. The claim from the dealer is "it's only 10F cooler and within BMW spec." I have to call BS. If Lexus can claim body panels tolerances made by 10,000 ton presses within .001" of an inch, surely 10F cannot be considered acceptable for a seat.

I have zero confidence in the new SA since I've already caught him in a lie. He claims "there is nothing wrong but we swapped the seat anyway" but then he admitted that they only swapped "the heating element" in my current seat. The service agreement read as follows "SWAPPED SEAT WITH KNOW GOOD SEAT. SEAT OPERATION IS NORMAL" This was when I called back about the poor job they did on reattaching the trim pieces.

That is a world of difference. I'll put 100 to 1 odds they'll submit a claim to BMW corporate for the hours and and parts on a new seat.

On the 26th, I'm going back in for a 4th service appointment in less than 2 months.