heated seats...

I want to swap seats with a fellow who has electric heated seats. I do not have heated seats as an option on my car. If I put my seats in his car, will he still have heat (through my seats) since he has the switches on the console? Reason is, he said that he called Circle BMW and they supplied information but didn't answer the question. Circle BMW said that if you ordered just the leather covering as a part from the parts dept, the heating filament is included whether you have the heated seat switches in your car or not. Therefore, does BMW include the heating filament in all of the 3 series car seats regardless if you selected heated seats upon ordering? This would kind of be considered a "heat ready" or (analgous to "cable ready" TV). I find it funny that BMW would put the heating filament in all seats regardless if you choose that option. Then again, it may be cheaper for Lear to just manufacture them all the same and leave it up to BMW to put the electric switches or not. Please advise. Thanks.

Originally Posted by CPG80

I want to swap seats with a fellow who has electric heated seats. I do not have heated seats as an option on my car. If I put my seats in his car, will he still have heat (through my seats) since he has the switches on the console? Reason is, he said that he called Circle BMW and they supplied information but didn't answer the question. Circle BMW said that if you ordered just the leather covering as a part from the parts dept, the heating filament is included whether you have the heated seat switches in your car or not. Therefore, does BMW include the heating filament in all of the 3 series car seats regardless if you selected heated seats upon ordering? This would kind of be considered a "heat ready" or (analgous to "cable ready" TV). I find it funny that BMW would put the heating filament in all seats regardless if you choose that option. Then again, it may be cheaper for Lear to just manufacture them all the same and leave it up to BMW to put the electric switches or not. Please advise. Thanks.

good question.. anyone...

Originally Posted by fu98

good question.. anyone...

from roadfly.. well that question is answered...


Thinking wishfully, I inspected my seat covers to see if they had the heating elements. Of course, they didn't.

However, Joe said all replacement seat covers from BMW only include heating elements, which is why it says for cars with or without heated seats (and gives the same p/n for both). The part numbers for non-heated seat covers are not even in the ETK, at least on the modern cars.

Nothing I did to my car was prewired unfortunately. It was literally wired for only a garage door opener, phone, mic, lighted cassette box, and CD changer. That's why I went crazy over those retrofit harnesses you were able to get for me!