Heated Seats Burning
 

I've been a loyal BMW owner since 1989 and most recently purchased a 2001 X5 4.4. Excellent vehicle - don't know what took me so long to get envolved!!! Obviously, the X is used but is in fantastic shape. There are only a couple things requiring attention, the most important of which is the driver side heated seat. It's in great shape, but when the heat is activated, I get a super hot spot just under my left "bum". Anyone know what is causing this and how to fix?

Happy to have joined X5 World!

Jeff Scheneman

:xoutpost: does it get super hot immediately? try putting it on low (1 light on heated seat LED).

Heated Seats
 

Jah Guides, thank you for your reply. The seat gets hot pretty quickly, but it's just that "spot" that gets super hot, even when on the lowest setting. I'm baffled.

+1 - Mine does the exact same thing, even on the lowest setting.

:xoutpost: Many times its problems with our X5's that get us here to x5world. Thats the way it happened for me. I hope you get the problems solved.

Welcome to X5world.

A couple of possibilities:
- Heating element is damaged and is shorting in that spot.
- Seat padding is damaged and thin in that spot so heating element is closer to the surface.

Either way I wouldn't use it until you determine the problem. You wouldn't want it to "flare up" while going 65 mph on a freeway.

Mine does the same thing in the exact same spot. Seems like a common problem

My wife had the same issue on her 2005 X3. She ended up getting the entire seat (bottom part) replaced under warranty. I'm guessing the '01 isn't covered, but BMW didn't fix hers, they replaced it.

Good luck.

Rob

Sorry to bring this thread back, but I wanted to see if any others have had any experiences with the BMW extended warranty and this issue.

I have a hot spot in about the same place... drivers left side cushion towards the back corner. It finally go so hot today, I couldn't leave it on. Afterwards, I could smell a burning smell from that part of the leather.

I checked the CPO excluded items list and it doesn't seem to be listed, so I'm hoping it's covered with no problems.

Burned a hole through my seat. BMW replaced it under warrantee. Common problem.

neeed new heating filament. pry off the laeather and get a new part and replace. or have the dealership do it for mucho dinero

Burned my seat today. Didn't quite burn through, but it left a pucker in the leather. Left side, like everyone else. Damn thing isn't even 10k out of warranty. :dunno:

Can you snap a photo?

It makes sense that the problem is on the left side of the seat. That's the side that is subjected to the most flex as drivers get in and out of the vehicle. It's probably a metal fatigue problem with the heating element.

Just had mine replaced under the extended warranty. I don't have the paperwork in front of me, but I remember it had "leather seat cover" as one of the items. Also, I don't recall anything about a heating element being list there. So, I'm assuming it's already built into the seat cover.

I also had the passenger mirror motor replaced and I believe the parts alone came out to around $1300.

Another member on here very recently posted a thread and he said the heating element burnt strait through his seat and his pants! It actually burned his skin!

That is my question - is this a DIY project??

haha- jokingly......

light a quick fire under your right butt cheek, and go in to the dealership unhappy... your explaination may get some sympathy

same thing
 

I just bought a 2003 X5, and the same exact thing is happening to me. On the left side, towards the back. It physically burns me. And today I had it on, and the damn thing started burning through the leather. The whole car smelled like cows being branded, and then I got out and noticed that it had actually BURNED the leather, not all the way through, but it did leave what looks like a little cigarette burn or something. Highly pissed. It's only got 66k miles on it. How much is it to replace the seat? Or what really needs to be done? It's just out of it's certified pre-owned warranty (previous owner bought it CPO, had a 100k/2 year warranty), how do I get a BMW extended warranty? My bank was talking to me about it and thought for sure that it qualified, but couldn't tell me how to do it. Thanks y'all.

Benjamin K. Earle

Dealer quoted me $1175 for the new lower section of the seat. I won't be spending that much for heated seats. Maybe we need to all get together and submit safety reports to the NHTSA to get a recall rolling.

For some reason I seem to recall there was a BMW recall or bulletin discussing this issue.

Only for the E60 so far, I believe.

The recall also extended to the 7 series. It was in the bolster on the backrest. The repair involved a component in the wiring, presumably a current limiting device.

Heated seats have been wearing out for years. They are a carbon pad, and they wear from contact on the side where you get in and out, as noted above. That doesn't make them defective, it makes them worn out. If it happens during the warranty period, you have a case. If not, you have the option of replacing the pad or leaving them turned off.


Recall ID # 04V575000 - SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

Recall Date DEC 06, 2004
Component:SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
Model Affected:5 SERIES
Potential Units Affected:17905
Recall Date: DEC 06, 2004

Model Affected:
2004 BMW 5 SERIES

Summary:
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FRONT SEAT HEATING SYSTEMS, UPON ENTERING AND EXITING THE VEHICLE, EXCESSIVE CONTACT WITH THE SIDE BOLSTER THAT IS CONTAINED IN THE SEAT'S BACKREST MAY DAMAGE THE HEATING MAT LOCATED IN THIS AREA. IF SUCH DAMAGE WERE TO OCCUR, WITH THE SYSTEM TURNED ON, THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT MAY FEEL EXCESSIVE HEAT FROM THIS AREA.

Consequence:
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE HEATING MAT IN THE BACKREST'S SIDE BOLSTER COULD OVERHEAT AND DAMAGE, OR MELT A SMALL HOLE IN, THIS AREA OF THE SEAT COVER. IF THIS HAPPENED, IT COULD LEAD TO AN OCCUPANT BEING BURNED.

Remedy:
DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE SEAT HEATING CIRCUIT. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING DECEMBER 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BMW AT 1-800-831-1117.

Potential Units Affected:
17905


.

It may not make them defective, but it makes them a safety hazard, which is enough of a reason for a recall.

The posts I have seen indicate that turning them off solves the safety hazard, and they don't come on automatically. If an electrical short caused the seat heater to start a fire when there was no power to them, I agree it would be a safety hazard. If turning them off eliminates the hazard then they are every bit as dangerous as a cigarette lighter, which can also burn you.

Personally if it happened to me I'd take it to the dealer and call BMW customer service about it to pay for the repair. How am I to know whether the burn hasn't damaged the airbag sensor in the seat which is most definitely a safety concern that can't just be turned off.

If it is under warranty, then I agree completely. For a car that is up to 8 years old, I just don't see why BMW would be responsible. I am not saying that I would be happy as an owner with the heating pad failing, but let's be real here. They are used cars, and things break. That is why regular posters often advise people to get extended warranties, and that is why many of us trade these vehicles off at 4 years, so we don't have to deal with these issues.

If the suggestion is that a failed seat heater can result in an airbag not working, then I suppose the question would be as to how a hot spot on a driver's seat can impact the air bag. There is an airbag sensor on the passenger's seat to check if there is a passenger there. I think the air bag system assumes there is always a driver there, and doesn't check. I could be wrong on that, but I don't see an airbag sensor in the parts book. I did just check my year and model (2003 X5).

Essentially, these pads have been failing for years. It is a nuisance, and repairs are expensive. It tends to happen on the driver's seat bolster, where you sit, and where you slide in. Heavier drivers may make the problem worse, I am not sure. If the vehicle could have a fire, or the off switch doesn't work, then it is definitely a safety issue and should be fixed. Other than that, don't use it, fix it yourself, or get it fixed. It is a convenience feature, and not exactly essential for operation of the vehicle.

I just get a little frustrated with the entitlement attitude. When a part breaks on a vehicle that is several years out of warranty, and the assumption is that the manufacturer is responsible, it essentially means that I have to pay more for my new car because the same manufacturer is spending money on fixing old cars for people who want to sue them.

Just my $0.02

Good note. However it's not an entitlement attitude. BMW just issued a recall letter on passenger seat airbag mats developing microcracks that could render them inoperable.

It's SIB 657506 Airbag Warning Lamp for OC3 Seat Mat Fault

They have extended the warranty on that recall/repair to 10 years, unlimited miles and it affects a lot of different models (E53, E60, E61, E63, E64, E65, E66, E83, E85, E90, E91). Given the complexity of the seats these days I have no idea where the heating pad is relative to the airbag pad relative to the massage pad relative to the cooling pad, etc. etc.! but it does sound like they are taking it seriously and presenting them with a burned seat I can only imagine would get you some extra help. You need to remember that just because there isn't currently a recall or SIB describing a problem doesn't mean the problem doesn't exist. It just hasn't been documented by enough dealers yet. That's the problem with taking an older car to an indy shop. The shop doesn't report their findings to BMW (for obvious reasons...they are not getting reimbursed) and so let's say a problem that arises only during the 5th year of ownership if it was documented enough times might yield an SIB or even a recall which could get a warranty covered repair to at least some extent.

For the airbag issue, BMW reported that they had over 20,000 warranty claims, and they voluntarily recalled the affected vehicles and extended the warranty to 10 years on the airbag system. That seems like an appropriate response to a potential problem in a safety system.

A recall will happen if there is a safety or emissions issue, areas that are covered by additional legislation, not if something wears out. If things wear out after 5 years, after the warranty is expired, and owners try to get BMW to pay for it (essentially, asking for a longer warranty at no charge) then that is the entitlement attitude that I am referring to.

X5 driver side seat over heating.
 

Same thing just happened to us, although my wife was burnt right through her skirt,and the leather burned all the way through in two spots. BMW replaced the whole lower seat cover heating element etc,under warranty of course. It would have cost $1350 if I had to pay. I wonder if anyone ever sued for this espically after being burned. It's obviously a big problem thats well known, just like the oil seporator issues in the cold.

That really really sucks to hear about your wife getting burned literally, but glad the repair was covered. Did they cover it under the standard or extended warranty? I need to try to find the air bag SIB that discussed the recall and see what it says. I know BMW did send out a letter to owners.

Clearly BMW listens to problems and makes adjustments, as is evidenced by the oil separator problem now being covered under the extended CPO warranty where it wasn't before.

Just curious, what year is your X5
Thanks

Whatever you do, don't buy an E70 X5 then. SIB 520908 . Apparently BMW has gotten so many complaints that the heated seats DON'T get hot enough, that they will be cranking up the heat on them via a software update!

You'd be amazed at the number of things fixed/tweaked via software update... They just put new parameters in there and off you go!

X5 driver side seat over heating.
 

BMW just settled with us for a few thousand dollars,of what they called GOOD WILL reimbursement for our inconvenience. We didn't ask them for any money initially, They offered it as a payment for inconvenience. We only owned this X for less than two months. It is a 2006 model. So we took the money and ran.

Shows that BMW still does care about their customers, even new ones. :thumbup:

I AGREE 110%. BMW went out of there way to make us feel as possitive about the outcome as we do. Thank You.

Now to find some new Wheels for the X.

I have the same problem on our 2001 4.4...burnt seat, drivers side. Started last winter. We have not used the heat button since. I was hoping to get info on the fix and DIY it. Has anyone repaired this yet? I thought about trying to find a salvage seat to replace this one, but any replacement might have the same problem. It can't be that difficult to remove the seat and take it apart can it? Are parts available somewhere?

i got this proplem fixed last week at service, its pretty common. they took the leather off and replaced the heating element. the back left part of the seat(when seated) would get really hot. i went to touch it and felt like i touched a frying pan. they fixed it under warrenty and i had my car back the next day.

What kind of seats do you have? Standard seats or Sport seats? I have some parts for you to replace them.
Let me know

I have the Sport Package, but the seats are standard. Thanks for the reply.

My advice would be to turn the other cheek.


(Sorry, sorry---couldn't help myself.)

As an update to my post #28 BMW has updated the SIB 657506 Airbag Warning Lamp for OC3 Seat Mat Fault since February 2009.

Here it is:

Hot Seat Update
 

Thought I would update the burning seat issue. I e-mailed and phoned BMWNA on this issue but never heard back. Called my SA at Baron, inquired if there might be a fix for this. I told him I could DIY if there were parts available. He said he never heard of X5 seat problems, only 7 series. Said he would get back to me with my options. One week later SA calls, says BMWNA will order parts from Germany and send them to Baron if I will pay the labor to install. Quoted me $250 OTD. This is a no brainer. New seat in two weeks. LOL.;)

This is a good deal right here. I pray that we don't encounter this trouble or any other with our first BMW. It would appear to me that BMW had better be very careful with this situation, someone gets burned and they could have a very hefty lawsuit.

Flmrustic,
PM sent --

I don't think I've seen an answer for this - has anyone had this problem fixed under the CPO warranty, or had BMW or the dealer claim that it was not covered?

If the car is under warranty, it's covered.

i agree, anyone know the answer to this one? I wanted to know before i bring my 04 in for this same matter. They just replaced the water pump and a few other items wish i would of had them do the seats at the same time.

UPDATE
 

The defective heating element was covered under the CPO warranty (with $50 deductible). The dealer does not replace the entire seat cushion, only the leather seat COVER in which the heating element is integrated. The SA mentioned that they have seen a lot of this, including situations where the heating element burned all the way through the seat cover. I cannot understand why this would not precipitate a recall.

Recalls cost money.

Yeah, but I have to assume that BMW complies with CPSC reporting requirements. If the problem is as widespread as has been reported on this board (and as confirmed by my SA) I would have thought such a pattern would be sufficient to require a recall. I mean people are getting burned and this has to be a fire hazard as well.

I have an 05 X5 that has the driver side issue with the hot spot buring a hole through my leather. I called BMW and they told me to take it to the dealer, which I did. After a couple of days both the dealer and BMW called me saying that they could not help me, so now I'm stuck. I'm going to try and escalation but I doublt I'll get anywhere. Does anybody know how to fix this? Is it something I can do myself or a shop if I get the parts? Any suggestions?

Laz

Would take new leather as the heater is built into it. Anyone or shop familiar with doing basic upholstery work could do it, just hog rings in the right places.

If you'd turned it on before and it got so hot, why would you continue to turn it on after the fact. I'm sorry, but sounds like this time you did it to yourself.

In reply to everyone else, I'd suggest doing what this guy did I have warm buns again!!. This is a writeup I found on www.e38.org.

:iagree: While I completely agree this sucks and it's happening in my friends 750iL, I would hardly call this a safety issue since it's something that is optional. People burning themselves on seat heaters is simply your own accountability, since if you know the problem is starting, then stop using it...see my reply above to another member. If it's starting having the issue, STOP using it till you fix it.

So, oh, I don't know...DON'T turn them on till fixed. People aren't going instantly from all cozy to a cooking turkey. If you feel the burn, stop using them before it roasts through the leather and repair/replace the element.

It's not quite that simple. Some people lend their car to others. Some people have their kids drive their cars. Some have spouses who drive them ocassionally. While in an in deal world the owner would be able to tell everyone "don't use the seat heater or it will burn your ass" before they drive the car, that is not always practical. And someone could be badly burned before the realize how hot it truly is. The "cigarette lighter" analogy is inapposite; a cigarette lighter is SUPPOSED to burn things and is therefore not defective when it functions to sepc, whereas a heated seat is not supposed to do that. I don't know why you feel the need to make excuses for an obviously dangerous and unsafe condition. I agree, for godsakes, if this starts happening to your car don't use the seat heater until its fixed. But that doesn't rationalize or excuse the situation in the first place.

I'm not making excuses for BMW by any means because one day I'm going to eventually have to fix them myself just like everything else typical on a BMW. But if its something you know is failing (just like window regulators for example), yes you can tell people to not use it...cover it w/ some tape, leave a post-it note, pull the fuse, etc. Notes or tape may look stupid, but it's better and much more affordable than a burnt hole in your leather seat. Point is, once noticed it can be avoided and prevented from getting worse.

This SIB 520908 was updated in April 2009, here it is.

OK all, I am going to dive into this today - sick of not being able to use my seat heater. Seat is coming out and I will be tearing it down in an attempt to fix it. Will take pics along the way.

my driver seat gets very hot as well, infact 1 bar is the only setting slightly bearable!

rear seats- folded the one side down and im assuming somehow the heater got pushed on(i was the only person in the vehicle so :dunno: )
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...onda/005-1.jpg

long story short: bmw told me(this is the direct quote) " :nana2: "

the vehicle is a 4.6is dinan s3 and has been serviced at bmw since new, i also service my m5 a bmw(both are well out of warranty) i thought they would have treated me slightly better for being a loyal customer:rolleyes:

I rerely warm ma seat - hot climate and stuff however I still need to check it out as someone said you wouldnt want your seat go into flame while going at 140mph (234km/h)! Hell gee!

WOW! That's terrible. Unfortunately, being a faithful customer is like being a faithful employee nowadays - you're usually nothing more than a number on a sheet, so you've gotta look out for yourself everywhere you can. I've even tried to pull the "loyal customer" card back in the day and it never worked on my M5 myself, so that's what brought me to where I am now where I just do it all instead.

Finally received my replacement cushion and heating element - will get this put back together in the next few weeks and will post pics of all the work.

I'll be interested in that. How much was the fix (ballpark)?

Had the same problem, getting seat fixed by BMW
 

My wife drives an '06 3.0, and a couple of weeks ago I was driving with the driver side seat heater on high, and got burned right through the seat, with a cigarette sized hole in the leather. I almost crashed it was so hot, and not to mention I had my 3 month old daughter in the car with us. Well we called BMW North America and they are repairing the seat bottom with heating element for free, and I have no warranty coverage on the X5 anymore. So it may be worth it for some of you to call and make a stink, to see if you can get this covered as well.

Sorry, haven't had a chance to work on this - hopefully maybe this weekend. Will take pics and post price.

Does this problem occur at the level 3 setting only or is at any setting?

I always bump it up to level 2.

Mine was doing it on "1"

Just joined the X5 tattoo club. Left cheek membership. Didn't burn through, thank goodness.

Since it must go into a state where decreased resistance at that point makes it pump more current, I'd like to see a heater element and grid from the driver seat and wiring diagram. It sounds like we could limit the current via thermistor. Even a simple one like this: http://www.netrino.com/images/glossa...torCircuit.gif

Just set the thermistor at it's shut off temperature and set it at the edge of the seat where it gets hot on all of us. This would shut the seat off immediately if it got overheated and stop any burning through; saving the left cheek AND the $1,000 seat cusion.

Won't fix the element but as I stated in another thread, I like failsafes...... Plus as an EE I think about these things.

That would be nice. I've never had it happen since I make sure people don't kneel in my seats, climb around, etc but it'd still be nice to wire in something like that.

The seat in my 04 4.4 burned a hole in my jacket and fleece. When I felt really hot in that spot, I reached around and burned my finger. I have not used it since.

I took it to the dealer and the service tech told me it was not covered. When I went back for follow up work, I spoke to a different tech. He said "let me look into it'

Car is now in shop, getting a new upper and lower seat, for free! My car has been out of CPO over a year.

Super HOT Driverside Seating
 

Everyone: I am a proud new owner of the X5, but not new to the community as my spouse owns a 2004. We had the issue with the seats so much that it burned through and burned my husband.

BE AWARE that BMW has knowledge of this issue and will REPLACE your seat FREE of CHARGE under warranty or NOT. Just contact them (Headquarters). This issue is ongoing and folks are not taking the issue to them at hand so that it can become a RECALL. So please urge the others in the community to come forth.

Ours have been replaced twice for FREE. So far, my 2006 newly acquired seats are ok. Let me know how it turns out for you.

SilverFox06

SilverFox...

Just bought an '05 X5 with the heated seat issue...what steps did you take to get this fixed for free? Did you pay anything out of pocket? I'm in B-more, so may use the same method/Dealer you went through...

Call Bimmer Headquarters/Customer Care and tell them your seat element burned through and tell them you are aware of the problems with the X5 and they will set it up with the dealer. When you take it in to the dealer -- they will determine the next step which is probably ordering a new seat. And, we need this documented for everyone this happens to so that there can be a recall. Apparently, there are not enough claims at this point, but they will fix it for you. Best of Luck!

Does this SIB cover an 03' E53?

My drivers seat heated up pretty good on Saturday night where I had to shut down the heater and get out of the vehicle until it cooled down.

please can anyone show me where is thermostat fuse is located in bmw x5 2000 model please thank for the advance

Yes, it should be covered. Ask for the service manager when you go in for repair and contact BMW USA and tell them you were burned. They will jump right onto it.

Silver Fox,
Do you have a contact at BMW? Numerous people including myself have called and been told that this is not covered in any way.

I have an 01 X5 and have had this problem for years.

Let me converse with my spouse. He had his replaced twice at no charge. I know that he called BMW USA and he even demanded reimbursement for his trousers. Back at you tomorrow.

SIB 65-75-06 is specifically for the passenger seat, not the drivers seat. Someone tell me how this covers the drivers seat or please point out an SIB that speaks about the driver heated seat issue

It doesn't cover the heated seat element in any way, it was for the airbag detection system, ie it sensed the passenger's weight. It was confused with the seat heating pad by several posters.

The only service bulletin I am aware of is documented in post #23. It was for the 5 series, driver's backrest (not seat bottom) and was due to a defect in a limited number of seats.

There may have been other recalls, but I am not aware of them.

In general, seat bottom cushion heating elements have been wearing out as long as manufacturers have been making them. If they wear out during the warranty period, they are generally covered. After the warranty expires, it is no longer warranty, but some have had them replaced under a policy settlement by making sufficient noise (squeaky wheel, etc). Others, even loyal customers, not so much.

One of mine was replaced gratis by BMWNA last december. I called customer care and they set it up with my local dealer.

Leather was burned through, not just too hot.

They also did the SIB on the pass seat occupancy detector mat at the same time (it had microcracks, setting a fault light whenever the seat was occupied)

Mine went a couple of years ago and I had no warranty. BMW laughed at my request so I swapped it out myself. Upper and lower leathers were $988 each and we're difficult to order. Install wasn't bad once I figured out how 'hog rings' work.

i wonder if you could help me

ive got a new nappa interior, my old leather is heated but my nappa is not, do you know if i can take the seats apart and retro fit the heating from the old seats to the new ones.
Thanks

No you can't. The heating elements are stiched into the underside on the leather. There's no way to remove them without damaging the leather.

Topman
Thanks

anyone in Canada get this fixed? just started on my 2006 e53 and i want it fixed before winter, which is happening very shortly

BUMP

Bumping this for a good recent answer.

The wife fell asleep on a roadtrip and woke up to a hole in the seat and a hole in her nice Northface jacket. I'm curious as to how this isn't a safety(recall) issue with BMW. The pure plastic Northface shell could have caused bodily harm if it was hotter

Because the heater has an on/off switch. Too hot, turn it off.

Was the wife the usual occupant of that seat? Does she slide across the bolster, the usual cause of failure?

I had mine replaced out of warranty cause I physically had a burn Mark on my leg from zapping of electricity through leather. It even scorche'd the leather.

After reading this thread I have instructed my wife not to pull her usual sit on her feet, kneel on the seat to attend the child (unless 100% necessary), etc gymnastics as I would like to keep both the heater... and the occupancy sensor working.

We've always had non-heated sports seats and it's never been an issue (she's tiny) but this thread has scared the crap out of me with air bag mat damages and heater failures.

Anyone else? It's getting cold here in Calgary (well kinda) and I have a work truck so I can take my time to remove my drivers seat in the X and take it apart, but it seems like everyone says it's impossible to replace the heating element. I don't care to fix the tiny hole in my leather, I just want my heated set to work again...

BMW heated seat elements are stitched into the leather from the factory

The replacement part for most models is an element that can be sandwiched between the original (bad) element and the leather

BMW doesn't offer something like that for the E53, just the leather with integrated element (big $$$), but you can get something in the aftermarket. IPD, the volvo place, used to (?) sell heated seat mats that could be retrofitted into anything, same principle of sandwiching the element between the leather and base material

Wow, decided to jump on the site again and ran across this thread which I previously posted on. Well it ends up I never installed that new seat cover that cost me over $500 - in fact it is sitting in my basement, still in the original plastic, never having been installed. It is black Montana leather (pleather?) for a 2001, non-sport seat, with the heating element sewn into it. I did pull that seat out and take a look at how difficult it would be to replace it - main thing is taking off and putting back on all of the metal (hog) rings that secure the seat cover to the frame, but it looks like it could be done. Even if you decided you couldn't do it yourself, if you took the seat to an upholstery shop with the cover, I couldn't imagine they would charge you much to install it.

Anyway, I will be posting this up for sale soon, I guess after I pay for another premium membership - any reasonable offers will be considered.

Anyone know if BMW will still replace this? I just joined the club... :(

Luckily I caught it fast enough while i felt my jeans getting really hot, the smell of burning leather. No hole present but a slight brown spot in the leather now on my creme beige seats.

Never have fixed my wife's x5 doing this. The other x5's don't have the problem yet.

I have one hot spot on my driver seat. The insulation/padding is thin and hard from age and I can feel the resistive element right under the leather.

I plan to make a small hole and inject the likes of silicone between the heat tape and the leather to push it farther from my skin.

If the problem is a high resistance spot, usually the rest of the element won't be very hot but actually that could just make the one spot even hotter depending where the temp sensor Is.

Plan B would be to install a jumper across the hot spot. That will turn it into a cold spot but I'm not sure how clean of a fix that can be done without tearing off the whole seat cover.

I have an old seat I have from when I swapped seat bottoms that I can use for practice.

As luck would have it for the forum, the wife just got me a new coat that lets more of the seat heat through so now this problem has jumped up in the priority list and you guys are likely to see an AWR-fix very soon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I’ve got a burn hole through my seat, that burned through my jeans and caused a small burn on my leg.

Happened a couple of years ago. Still haven’t fixed it, just disconnected the switch. It’s ridiculous that it hasn’t been a safety recall.

This occurs on a lot of cars not just BMW. Happened on a friend's brand new <1 year old Subaru. I'd like to know how many of these burn seats are sport seats vs. comfort seats?

Mine is comfort seats, and I know of another 4.8iS owner with comfort seats that has the same issue. I may bring it to the local stealership and see what they say. I actually like using my heated seats, it would be a huge bummer if I wasn't able too

Awhile back I had my key in the run position but not started and I leaned into the X to get some stuff from the center console and when I put my hand on the seat with all my weight on it I got a popping noise and the light came on saying the seat heater was on (lowest setting) but so far it's never happened again and the heater has worked flawlessly. I'll keep an eye on it in case. But if I get a hotspot where my hand was then everyone should think back to any belville spring sound they may of had in the past and if it corresponds to their hotspot. :dunno:

Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk

Have this issue as well. Dealer says the part is discontinued and won't even give me the old part number. Does anyone know the part number or have the part available. I have the beige/light tan seats in my '04. Thanks

It’s a hard part to find. Dealers don’t like dealing with them and BMW resists a recall. Try eBay.
All part numbers can be found on RealOEM.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/select

I had a similar issue in my e53 but car was totaled before I got a chance to fix it.

The problem is a near break in the resistive element giving a high resistance spot. If you can jumper that spot you'll change it from a hot spot to a cold spot but I'm not sure the brat way to do that. Conductive epoxy? Crimp connector?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

This *shouldn't* be that hard to do, with the seat cover off.

I just installed comfort seats in my E53 and the seller didn't say anything about this, but there is an extremely hot spot in the lower cushion closest to the door. I measured with an infrared thermometer and the spot is close to 200 degrees.

I can't find any real info about how the seats are put together and what the heating pad actually looks like.

I have it all apart. The heating pad is sewn on to the leather. The part is discontinued, no luck on ebay or putting the part number in the search engine. Anyone have a stash of parts out there?

Can you get to the wire inside the pad? Pictures? My thought is to thread some fine stainless wire though the conductive "rope"

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.

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.

The right part of driver's seat thigh support of my sports seat super heats:D. 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:rolleyes:. I'd like a real fix - it seems a simple one in my case, but I lack info.

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.

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

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.

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.