Does anyone know if the heated seat temperature can be adjusted?

My seats are way too hot to use even on number 1 setting. We cannot feel the difference between level 1,2 and 3.

Can I adjust myself? Can the dealer adjust them?

We have a VW as a second car and the seats are adjustable from warm to hot. The Mini is as hot on number 1 as the VW is on the top level.

Thank you.

 

They definitely aren't user adjustable, but perhaps the dealer can be of some assistance.

Setting 3 is absolutely scalding to me, but 1 is pretty nice. I can easily feel the temperature differences between the three settings, so perhaps something is amiss.

 

This is adjusted with a resistor, see here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=94611

 

They had a similar problem with the R50 and R53 cars and ended up with a fix that included the installation of a resistor in the seat heater circuit. If my memory serves me correctly.

But it wasn't until they had many complaints of "roasted nuts".

 

My wife's A-6 has a 5 position switch with an infintely adjustable thumbwheel. Better than Mini's concept on this. Position one is all I have ever used.

Roasted nuts can be left to those concession booths at the auto show.

 

This thread talks about the 1st gen MINIs. Not sure if the fix is the same for
the 2nd gen or not.
I lowered the heat of my 2003 MC's driver seat with the lowering adapter.
My wife won't let me do it on the passenger side as she likes her seat extra toasty.

 

Reminds me of the joke that ended in "Chet's nuts roasting on an open fire" (or something like that) lol

 

I always felt the MINI heated seats had 3 settings:
1st degree burn
2nd degree burn
3rd degree BURN

I was getting really frustrated and one day tried to "tough it out" on setting 1. You know what? It calmed down after the interior got warm. I have auto-climate so I'm not sure if these two things are related.

When I get in my '08 MCSa and turn the seat to 1 it gives me a 1st degree burn right away but if I deal with the burn for a few minutes (5-10 minutes of burn depending on how cold it is outside) and wait for the auto-climate to get the cabin warm the seat calms down to a point where it feels like a heating pad on the lowest seating which is actually very pleasant.

Anyone else experience the same thing?

 

Yep. There's a temp sensor in the seat that feeds back to the seat heating
circuit. That's why it overshoots and gets so hot when you get into a
very cold car and fire it up.
I wonder if the spacing between the elements and the temp sensor varies from
car to car, thus the need for an adapter to cool down the seats on some cars
and a different one to warm them up on other cars compared to stock.

 

I recognize this as well on setting 1 when initially entering my MINI on a cold day. Was never sure if it was just me getting used to the heat or the seat 'cooling' itself down.

 

I can feel a difference between the the settings. I LOVE the heated seats - they get nice and toasty, then calm down a little.

 

My 07 MCS gets a bit too hot at first too so in the winter I keep a bath towel folded in half over the lower part of the seat. My coat keeps my back from being scorched and by the time the interior warms up they seem to settle down and the heat will still penetrate the towel. That's a fast, cheap and easy fix for ya!

 

I found on the R56 the initial output will burn the buns and roast the nuts. But if you manage to withstand it after 5 minutes it actually seems to cool off. Not sure if its just my nutz getting used to the additional heat or if its actually cooling down.

I just view it as my mini having built in contraception

 

The three settings are very distinctive in my 07 MCS. On what passes for cold weather here in northern california, I start out on 3 then move it down to 1 for the duration.

3 is _really_ warm and it comes on fast.

In contrast, my partner's new saab 93's seat heaters are slow to warm and are barely noticeable even on the higher setting.

 

It feels way too hot. I'm afraid the seat is going to ignite.

I have a VW Jetta that has a thumbwheel type of adjustment. The top setting on it is too warm for me, but still much less warm than the lowest setting on my MINI.

 

Yeah, my wife's VW Cabrio has the same setup. Works very well.
Doesn't get warm as instantly as the MINI, though, but easier to get the
temperature you want.

 

A buddy of mine was looking into buying a used M5 at one of the local BMW dealers, and was told that the next M5 coming off lease, needed some work before it could be resold, because the passenger seat had once caught fire.

Makes you wonder...

 

It could be a Grand Cherokee.. they had lawsuits and recalls from disabled people (read: couldn't feel their bottoms burning) getting really bad burns from the heated seats. I fail to see who someone who can't feel it anyway is using the heated seats, but I do bump them sometimes, and like to roast people riding with me.

 

Same! It's actually becoming sort of a running joke/prank with my passengers. I'll sneak and turn their seat heater on to the highest setting. Within a minute they're looking around petrified, wondering why their butts are on fire.

 

Nomex underwear?

 

I just tried it with my passengers. their reaction is priceless!!!

 

I stopped in at a drive-through bank just after I got my MCS, and was horrified to feel the catalytic converter/exhaust heat coming through from under the car.

Oh...just bumped the seat control while toggling the window. Whew!

 

Today was the first time I used the seat heaters for more than 10 minutes at a time. I normally have them on 1 light since they are so darn hot. They seem to come on really hot but after some time they cool down to a reasonable level. Even turned it up to 2 lights after 30 minutes on 1.

 

They all feel really hot to me. I was suprised to see that the 3 light setting is actually the lowest. Doesnt seem to make sense but thats what Mini's own site says. Push once for warm, twice for toasty and 3 times for ahhhhhh. You would think that one light should be the lowest.

 

Indeed, and the owner's manual even says that "three LEDs indicate the highest temperature"... who's right? Only your butt can say for sure