Hi, great write up, really useful, thank you.

Apologies for reviving an old (but still valid) thread, but the photos in the original do not display for me at all. If I click on the broken link it tries to open the photo in a pop up form but it never appears.

An example of the url of one of the photos:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t_kit_pack.jpg

If I stick that directly in my browser it thinks about it for a few seconds and then just takes me to the forum main page.

Any idea how we can view the photos?

Edit:

I found the photos in OaklandMini's photo gallery here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/g/album/3782015/2

 

Kevin,
Message me your email address and I'll send you a pdf of my instructions and pics from this post....
Thanks,
Nate

 

Yeah, I hosted the images here so that the photos would never be an issue, but it looks like this forum changed their gallery entirely for each image. Bummer, but yes, all images are in my user gallery here.

 

Mid install here (got round to it at last!). Thanks to Nate for the instructions on the difficult location to install the switches. For anyone else reading this, I suggest you buy a "Titanium Step Cone Drill Bit Hole Cutter 4-32mm" to drill the hole - it will make your life much easier.

I have two questions for the wiring. My wiring lengths seem to be a bit different to the photos here, but:
1. The instructions say that 10 amps is required PER SEAT, yet people seem to be combining both so a single 10 amp fuse via the add-a-circuit. Should I use 2 separate add-a-circuits?
2. Which route did people choose for the red wire to the fuse box? Under the carpet in the foot-well or round the back of the pedals? I can't see any mention of the route taken.

Thanks
Kevin

 

I've installed a few trim upgrades on my UK spec mini that have included leather seats. These seats have heated elements in them, but I don't have heated seats programmed into my mini. So what I wanted to find out was whether I can use the existing wiring within the heated seats, and mate it with an aftermarket switch and relay to activate them? I was also considering adapting my control panel to use the genuine switches if that was even possible??

Any ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Chris

 

What year is your vehicle? Where did the seats come from? Did you get the heated seat cluster from the center column when you got the seats? Honestly, I don't think this is possible at least not from a DIY perspective. The dealer could probably do it if you spent enough money. I looked into it prior to doing my JCW and was told that it couldn't easily be done. It has something to do with the way the seats and switches are wired and programmed into the electrical system. In fact I was told that even if I could get a set of the switches, it would be almost impossible to wire them up to operate the heat elements that I installed. Sadly, I did this project so long ago that I've forgotten many of the details surrounding that piece of it.

 

I know this is a OLD post but wish the pics where still here

 

Just spent about 45 mins updating each link for you.
Stupid NAM changed the gallery and didn't auto-update links.

Should be all set now.

I no longer have my '08 Mini, but doing this install was fun. Hope this helps anyone considering this mod.

 

Oakland, I have a PDF of my section on this install. Maybe we should put them together into one pdf that we can send people when these links don't work anymore. Or when they need a handy-dandy manual for this install. I agree, it was a fun install and very rewarding to know I did it myself.

I still have my '09 JCW (on which I did this install). The car and I moved to Scottsdale, Arizona this past year, so I don't use these heated seats as much. But, they still work (and look) great!

 

Well I jumped head first into this install, this article helped out allot thank you!!! I did it on a R53, the process was mostly the same, Minus my upper potion was glued to the foam, that made it a little bit more difficult. The install took me about 8 hours and I did almost say screw it half way through the install, but I pressed on and glad I did. Once again NMM helped me out THANK YOU.

 

Wow, that's awesome looks OEM in the R53 also.

 

Glad to see this guide is still helping people. Makes it all worth it.

I too almost scrapped the entire thing mid-way, but it's one of those mods that once done, totally changes the car for the better.

 

Someone needs to do the rear heated seats in a R60/R61 or try the fronts in an F56.

 

...and that someone is you.

 

Don't have an F56 here yet, but we do have an R60 from one of the employee's cars. We carry the seat heaters now, so maybe in the future

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/IBHS1/

My R52 and R58 I have seat heaters factory. Maybe I can see about my R52 rear seats, that would be cool for cold nights with the top down and 4 people.

 

No offense, but it seems like you're trying to hijack this thread into a sales opportunity for your site when you add a link, etc.

I don't even own a Mini anymore, but keep this thread going and have updated all the photo links recently (after they were deleted) to assist others. Feels great to hear when people do this monster mod based on this thread and I do this to assist people and not to generate sales for someone else. You should create your own thread if you'd like to push your own sales.

 

I know this is a very old thread, but I just completed the job of putting seat heaters in my '07 Cooper S and want to say a huge THANK YOU to both OaklandMini and anitin1 for their postings. OaklandMini's posts were extremely well written and documented with pictures, and anitin1 was very helpful via a couple of direct communications to obtain his procedure.. Both seats will now be much more comfortable during winter driving here in Pennsylvania. I bought the 1 owner car with 31K miles on it out of FL, last spring, so of course it's original owner had no need for seat heaters. We do!

I installed the switches in the same place as anitin1 - in front of the parking brake lever. They look great and are readily accessible there. For anyone who might be doing this in the future, maybe I can help by giving the exact location of the holes I drilled. They were exactly 21.5mm on either side of the centerline of the console surrounding the shifter, and down 34.5mm from the ridge at the top of the shifter surround. I drilled a 1/8" pilot hole at those spots, then used a 20mm Forstner bit to make a very clean hole. If it makes a difference, and I don't think it does, my car has the automatic transmission shifter. There is a lot of room between where the holes were drilled and the shifter 'box'.

Thanks again guys, you were extremely helpful. I've previously installed seat heaters in the Recaro seats Porsche put in their 928 models, and these seats were a greater challenge than those seats!

Gary Knox

 

Hey Gary,

I love seeing posts like this. People like you are the exact reason I spent the time to document the process and post this mod. Great to hear that it's working well for you and enjoy the heated seats!!

 

I need to add my success story too! Thank you so much for the steps Oakland Mini!

I was quoted $1,200 for the drivers and 0$ for passenger as the shop said it could not be done. I did this fantastic mod a little over two years ago. I placed the buttons on the left and right side of the center console.

They work fantastic and definitely make these So Cal winters more bearable lol

Gary looks good! What kit did you end up using?

 

I think I put this in my write up, but the reason I did this mod in the first place was that no shop would do it for me. They would ask "Do the seats have airbags?" I would say "yes" and then they would reply "Then it can't be done." I specifically remember one shop owner saying if I was able to do this myself then he would hire me. LOL

I sold my '08 Mini that I modded with this aftermarket heated seat install, but it worked like a charm for years.

Love hearing these success stories and especially when people take pics of where they put their switches.
Thanks for sharing!

 

troyegly,

I bought the KBD Premium seat heaters from Amazon.

I ran a 14 gauge 12V wire from the Add a Circuit in the fuse box (15 amp fuse for heaters, they draw up to 6 amps each). Used circuit #42 - cigar lighter - under the carpet and up through the hole in the passenger side carpet for the airbag etc. loom. Ran another 14 gauge from it under the carpet around the tunnel to the driver's side. The connections for the switches come out of the sides of the tunnel carpet below the console covering, so they are accessible when the seat needs to be removed (but hidden from view when the seats are installed). Used one of the 8mm bolts holding down the rear of the parking brake for my grounds (need a 5/16" lug to fit that bolt). I used a 12" square ceramic tile inside the car for supporting wires when I needed to do any soldering in there..

Gary

 

I want to add one follow up bit on my installation. When I finished and had everything re-assembled again, everything functioned properly EXCEPT my radio. it only produced white noise on the tuner. Spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I might have damaged wiring or harnesses that run along the tunnel under the console, or a fault in the antenna amplifiers. Couldn't find anything wrong, did a lot of searches on the internet for reception issues. FINALLY, I found two clues about the location of the coaxial cable from antenna to radio. Once I had that information, along with the dis-assembly of the console and passenger side stuff I'd already done, took about 1 hour to solve the problem and re-install everything.

The coaxial cable runs along the outside ledge/sill on the passenger side from the fuse box area to the rear seat area, then up to the roof and to the amplifiers. There is a molex connection just to the rear and below the fuse box area. That connection has a latch, but apparently mine was not 'latched', so it became disconnected when I was installing the seat heater 12V supply wire. I found both ends and reconnected - pushing it tight enough to latch. Wunderbar, the radio tuner receives just as it did before I started the project.

Adding this 'just in case' someone is doing this in the future on an R56 hatch. Before you re-assemble, check your radio reception!!