Living in Colorado, I really like the heated seated on my Tahoe, so when looking for a used Mini, I really wanted heated seats. I found this '10 Clubman S with 7800 miles and could not pass up. Unfortunately, it does not have heated seats. Have been looking at the aftermarket carbon fiber heated panels. Price is reasonable but wondering about the quality and the fact that I will have to remove the seats and covering to install. Has anyone had any experience with this type of product and/or installation?

 

More info on "carbon fiber" heating panels?

Btw, you might like http://m.ebay.com/itm/160909086361?nav=SEARCH&sbk=1

 

How about Wet Okole seat covers with heaters? They are terrific! www.wetokole.com My son has heated ones in his Jeep they plug in to the cig lighter. Easy option

 

I installed one of those kits in my '06 MCS. They work reasonably well, but it was a lot of work to install them. The biggest problem is that the seat back covers are glued to the cushion. I guess you could glue the whole sandwich back together, but I chose to replicate hog rings with twine lashings sewn through the back of the cushion. Wiring is also a headache, but I was able to tap off the right fuse in the fusebox. (The OE setup is handled by the body computer.) There are several vendors of these kits, with widely varying prices, but as far as I can tell, they are all the same.

 

I think you might be in for an easier job than on the first gens. I don't think the seat covers are glued to the padding on the second gens, but instead use the usual hog rings.

Nevertheless, it is a lot of work to do a clean install - taking the seats out, getting the covers off and on again, running wires in the car. It takes a lot of time. I did it on my R50. But, whenever the cold weather strikes, it's time that I don't regret having put into the job at all. Nothing beats heated seats.

 

I thought about this type but was concerned about the side air bags in the seats. I don't want anything that would interfere with their operation.

 

I just bought a 2013 MCS off the lot w/o heated seats, and really wanted them. I got an aftermarket kit installed at a local installer (in Portland, via the MINI dealer). The kit is made by katzkin. It is inserted into the seats, which after the procedure look and feel no different than before (I have the leatherette). It was $500 installed (same cost as factory heated seats unless you would get them as part of the CWP). It works really well, though there are minor differences to stock seat heaters: only two positions (Hi/Lo/Off), and not using the factory swicth panel, but two aftermarket 3-way switches at the base of the shifter.
I am very happy with these and would recommend them as a great aftermarket solution.

 

Thanks gknorr and sp4rtan. I figured it was going to take a fair amount of time. I am glad to hear that Gen 2 seats are not glued. That makes me fell more like tackling this project. I really wanted to install remote start but that seems to be a very expensive option. What sort of time frame should I plan- all day, 2 days? If it is going to be more than a day, it might be cheaper in the long run just to bite the bullet and install the remote start.

 

Wet Okoles have cutouts on the side to prevent interference with the airbags.

 

Nice to know they're not glued on the 56s; I really don't like the striped pattern on the middle part of my two tone half leather seats where my bum rest and my lower back. I might want to restitch them with a new material and throw on some heating elements on as it gets quite chilly in London. Would hope someone has worked out with the factory heating switches too..

 

I don't doubt that someone could do it, but using the factory switches would be a real challenge. They are not switches as we old-timers know them, they are digital signal generators that tell the body computer what to do with the power circuits that go to the seats. You would have to replicate the factory wiring loom and have the computer re-programmed. I chose to tap off the fuse box and install the power switches that came with the kit in the same location as the factory switches.

 

Here's a video I ran across a while back showing the 2nd gen seats being put together. Pretty cool:

 

You should probably be able to get it done in a day if you're used to taking things apart. I think it took me a day or so for my install.

 

I reckoned. I was trying to source an LCI a/c unit (black buttons) and specifically not the climatronic unit as I know that it would require not only internal replcements (blower, sensors, harnesses) but also some ECU programming. I don't know anybody within BMW, am not keen on believing the dealership would do it for a reasonable price if at all, and I don't have a windows computer to run the available BMW tool that many use.

I digress, but I would also presume that there's more than just power + ground wires behind those switches. What a shame.

 

The first gens had a heated seat retrofit kit, and you're right, there is a little bit of circuitry behind the switches on that kit which I'm sure carried over to the 2nd gens in one way or another.

Have you read over this thread yet:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...w-clubman.html

 

Great find. Will consider the extensive labour since the winter even only in London's already hard to bear.