Having spent a few months with the pleather seats, I've concluded that easy as they are to clean, they just pure suck on hot days compared to the cloth seats in my R55.

I have a line on a set of cloth seats out of a wrecked F56, but they're unheated. I'm trying to figure out, without actually taking apart my seat, whether the heating elements could be transferred to different seats, or are they glued or otherwise integral to the seating material.

Anybody ever pulled apart an F56 seat and have an idea of how feasible it is? Or even tried this crazy idea?

I've googled and searched RealOEM.com parts diagrams, and so far have come up empty. Leads and ideas appreciated

 

They make OEM retrofit kits for lumbar support so I don't see swapping heating elements as being any more difficult. You might look at realoem.com for parts breakdown.

 

I've seen the lumbar retrofits for the R-series cars, which is part of what made me start looking. And while the heating elements for BMW F-series cars are listed on RealOEM, it appears that for F-series MINIs heating elements are only available as part of the upholstery... Which run over $1000 per front seat!

BMW F30 Seat parts: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/part...BMW-335i&mg=52

MINI F55 Seat parts: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/part...Cooper_S&mg=52

MINI F-series Retrofits: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/part...Cooper_S&mg=03

I've spent the morning thus far searching google for F-series seat disassemblies, seat heater repairs, etc. So far I haven't found what I'm looking for.

I'll keep at it.

 

I just replaced the bottom sport seat cushions in my F54 with new base seat cushions as I did not find the bottom sport seats comfortable on longer drives.
The heating pad is glued to the seat cushion foam. I have not done the research, but the foam cushions could be the same between the leatherette and cloth if they are the same seat type i.e. sport or base. I did not try to peel the heating pad off, but it seemed like it would not be an issue.

 

Thank you so much, this is just what I needed to know! And instead of transferring the heaters one could transfer the upholstery, which I had not thought would be sufficient.

Now to have a conversation with She Who Must Be Obeyed...

 

Did you ever figure this out? I’m thinking of something similar. I’ve got heated leatherette seats on my F56S seats and I’ve got a line on some JCW alcantara seats that are unheated.

 

Sorry, I never followed through on it. Money was tight, so I held off, and lost my opportunity for the new covers. So I never ended up doing the experiment. From what others said though, it sounds like the heating elements are adhered to the foam. Not sure how easy it would be to cut them free.

 

Someone did the retrofit but thats for a non heated option to a heated option.

https://www.minif56.com/threads/retr...d-seats.90207/


Based on what i have seen they are molded it so i dont know if its a easy swap without cutting up the seat pads.