I thinking bout buying a 2005 (55) Park lane and was wondering if it is possible to retrofit heaters to the leather seats and switch gear to the dash on this model and if so what would be the expected cost involved
Can be done, although I don't know the cost... Give Chris at Woodmans a PM - he's usually spot on with prices (reminds me I still need to sort out my chrome line interior!)... Keep us posted on price because its something I'm curious about!
The Original MINI One Seven
Yorkshire MINI Register - PM for details
hi yes you can retro fit heated seats for the base and the back rest for both seats would be £240 fitted ,call safe sound in coventry 08453313355 i am having them done next week
Cost for everything installed was about $700 (almost double what it would have been if I ordered them originally in 2002), but they did a fantastic job, looks stock, and they are really really warm.. Even warmer than the stock heaters I have on my other Cooper.
If the seats come with heater elements already in them (many sports seats do), there will be a spare connector under the seat. Mini do a retrofit kit for this which integrates nicely with the electric mirror control. The installation instructions are in this document courtesy of Motoring File. I did the install myself, but it should take a competent mechanic/fitter a few hours to do. Cost of parts was about £100.
Apparently most of the leather seats fitted (Gen 1) DO HAVE the heating elements already installed, but no wiring. The clue is to look for an unused black 3 pin socket on the end of a length of wire under the middle-front of the front seats (use a mirror!). On mine it was held off the floor on a simple slide-on clip arrangement on the underneath of the seat squab. You can also probe a bit and see a shrouded wire in the hinge of the seats heading into the seat backs.
The local BMW/Mini dealer was useless, tried to persuade me that there was no such retrofit arrangement. I pointed out the part number for the wiring kit which is available and the Mini workshop instructions (thanks to forum members and google). Their Senior Technician eventually had a look in the car after much persuading and... changed his mind.
The kit cost £120 + VAT (loom and replacement OEM switch arrangement) and three hours labour (didn't fancy carpets and seats out and finding the right connection myself). There is no need for any recoding.
They're really toasty in the cold or damp!
The technician reckoned that the elements are fitted to BMW leather's, but they cut the plugs and trailing wires off if heated seats aren't originally spec'd. Miserable sods
If possible please could you take a photo of the connector. I've got one which one dealer say is for heated seats and one say is not! Also if you've any photos of during fitment, I'd be most grateful if you could upload
Thanks
The Original MINI One Seven
Yorkshire MINI Register - PM for details
If you look under the seats (check both seats, passenger side has an extra connector for the sensor mat which may have been unplugged and bypassed by now). If you have a vacant socket on the drivers side you have heater elements.
I've connected up the heated seats to a car that didn't originaly have the option, the plug is black and has 3 wires brown black green here is how I did it, Note the kit is no longer available at Maplin but still can be found online, as it is widly used by people to hatch bird eggs.
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