[2020g20]

Just when we thought we knew how these US-spec cars were behaving... You guys ready for this?

After remote starting my car the other day and sitting down on my typical ice-cold driver seat, I reached over to place something on the front passenger seat...and that seat was warm-ish. Not warm, but definitely not as cold as my seat. I hadn't pressed the Start button yet, nor was it even cold enough outside to trigger my automatic seat heating anyway (was only 51F outside, mine is set to 50F). I shrugged it off, but then I noticed it again the next day. So I decided to setup a test...

Last night I did a few things: 1) Completely turned off automatic seat heating in iDrive, 2) set my HVAC to 61F and upper vents only, 3) closed all my upper vents. So the auto heat seating shouldn't have kicked in at all today, and the ambient hvac heating effect should have been minimized.

This morning it was 30F here. I walked out to the car without starting it, and used my IR Temp gun to check every area of both seats. Every surface of both front seats was a solid 30F. I went back inside and remote started through the app, and I waited 15 minutes. Went back outside and opened the car, and without pressing the Start button I tested both seats again. All surfaces of the driver seat had barely risen in temp, to just shy of 40F on all surfaces now. The periphery of the front passenger seat (including side bolsters, head rest, etc), were all very close to 40F too. I attribute all of that to the slight rise of ambient air temp in the cabin with the engine running. Makes total sense. However...on the front passenger seat, the entire middle of the seat and middle of the seat back (exactly where the heating elements are located)...were all 60-65F. WTF? Granted, I wouldn't call this a "heated seat" at this point...more like a "defrosted seat". But it's abundantly clear that the heating elements were engaged, but again ONLY on the front passenger seat, AND at a much lower level than normal heating would be. I then pressed the Start button to exit remote start mode, and of course neither of the seat heaters came on because I'd turned the auto activation off last night.

Knowing full well this is batshit crazy and that it would cause even more confusion in here, I just went out to my car and repeated the same test again this afternoon...with exactly the same results. So, there you have it. My US-spec 330i on software 07.2019.40 is remote warming my passenger seat only, at a much lower level then the lowest true "heat" setting, even when automatic activation of seating heating is completely disabled.

I'm scheduled to get my software updated in two days, and will absolutely be repeating this test after I get the car back.

[VipinLJ]

Originally Posted by 2020g20

My US-spec 330i on software 07.2019.40 is remote warming my passenger seat only, at a much lower level then the lowest true "heat" setting, even when automatic activation of seating heating is completely disabled.

Did you try enabling automatic seat heating at a set temp and see if both seats became warm? Weird that only passenger seat warmed up and not driver’s side.

[2020g20]

Originally Posted by VipinLJ

Did you try enabling automatic seat heating at a set temp and see if both seats became warm? Weird that only passenger seat warmed up and not driver's side.

I've had auto seat heating enabled for the whole 4 months I've had my car, and my driver seat has never been even sightly warmer than the ambient air temp when I get in the car. If my driver seat had been doing this, I definitely would have noticed long before now. And I agree, very weird. Like "software bug" level weird.

[Burrcold]

Enter Poochie to tell you you're drinking the Canada koolaid lol

In all seriousness though, that's awesome!

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Enter Poochie to tell you you're drinking the Canada koolaid lol

In all seriousness though, that's awesome!

Sorry, I merely just wanted to know if the heated seated actually powers on, upon remote start; not; 'kind of warm, but not really but then yea but just the passenger side but not really the passenger side'

This clears it up..

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by Poochie

Sorry, I merely just wanted to know if the heated seated actually activates upon remote start; not; "kind of warm, but not really but then yea but just the passenger side but not really the passenger"

This clears it up..

You keep digging my friend...keep digging.

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

You keep digging my friend...keep digging.

You keep deluding yourself, friend.. I'm sure if you think warm thoughts, the seat will also warm up.. But not really but then a little but only the back seat..

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by Poochie

You keep deluding yourself, friend.. I'm sure if you think warm thoughts, the seat will also warm up.. But not really but then a little but only the back seat..

Uh huh...

[VipinLJ]

Originally Posted by 2020g20

I've had auto seat heating enabled for the whole 4 months I've had my car, and my driver seat has never been even sightly warmer than the ambient air temp when I get in the car. If my driver seat had been doing this, I definitely would have noticed long before now. And I agree, very weird. Like "software bug" level weird.

Same here. I should check out the passenger seat too the next time I use remote start. Lemme see how mine behaves.

[2020g20]

Originally Posted by Poochie

Sorry, I merely just wanted to know if the heated seated actually powers on, upon remote start; not; 'kind of warm, but not really but then yea but just the passenger side but not really the passenger side'

This clears it up..

Man, if my post confused you that badly, Science classes must have been a real struggle for you lil' buddy. Don't feel bad, thermodynamics and electronics aren't for everybody.

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by 2020g20

If my post confused you that badly, Science classes must have been a real struggle for you lil' buddy. Don't feel bad, thermodynamics and electronics aren't for everybody.

Oof, burn..

You're right, genius, TL: DR, I don't give a shit whatever nonsense your attempting to dribble, I just want to know if my butt will be warm, by the time I get to my car.

Next time, a simple yes or no would of been suffice. Ok buddy

[sonicflux]

Originally Posted by Poochie

Oof, burn..

You're right, genius, TL: DR, I don't give a shit whatever nonsense your attempting to dribble, I just want to know if my butt will be warm, by the time I get to my car.

Next time, a simple yes or no would of been suffice. Ok buddy

I thought you said you were dropping this two days ago. Which you had also stated a day or two before that.

Dishonest much?

[Poochie]

Originally Posted by sonicflux

I thought you said you were dropping this two days ago. Which you had also stated a day or two before that.

Dishonest much?

Do you really need to clog up the thread with such a childish banter and keep this repetitive cycle going. I thought it's adults that buy these cars.

I did throw in the towel after all fruitless responses, such as yours but I was responding to someone referencing me.

It's just humorous how some of you guys are taking this topic so personally, like its some sort of direct attack on your being. I just wanted to be 100% convinced it's working, as claimed.

I was hoping someone came out of no where and shared some concrete confirmation of it, one way or the other, not subjective feedback.

I've been through a lot of these threads before and in ambiguous cases like these, sometimes people get things wrong, sometimes it's a lack for communication, on my part. No one is perfect but you can't dispute hard evidence like video or official wording.

Anyways, sorry I offended you or broke some sort of unwritten forum etiquette. A hearty my bad

[sonicflux]

Originally Posted by Poochie

Do you really need to clog up the thread with such a childish banter and keep this repetitive cycle going.

...

It's just humorous how some of you guys are taking this topic so personally, like its some sort of direct attack on your being.

Let's add projection to your list of traits along with dishonesty.

If you really wanted to know if your seat heated up, you could be an adult about it and, rather than argue about it with people on the internet, test it out yourself on your own car. You'd have to pretty stupid to not think of that, but... Well, I'll not rub it in.

[shawntech]

US m340i 11/2019.40

28f ambient, sitting for 8hrs, remote started via keyfob for 5mins

Steering wheel is 87f, pass seat 66f, driver seat 50f.

Can confirm everything seems to be heating except driver seat.

[sonicflux]

Originally Posted by ls3c6

US m340i 11/2019.40

Can confirm everything seems to be heating except driver seat.

That’s pretty amazing. Can’t wait to test mine out again and see if it’s the same.

And it’s somewhat good because we now know it can be fixed in an update.

[2020g20]

Originally Posted by ls3c6

US m340i 11/2019.40

28f ambient, sitting for 8hrs, remote started via keyfob for 5mins

Steering wheel is 87f, pass seat 66f, driver seat 50f.

Can confirm everything seems to be heating except driver seat.

Thanks for the further confirmation. But damn, was really hoping the 11.2019.40 update was going to fix the driver seat heating. I guess we need to start reporting this to our dealers and make some noise about it. Hopefully BMW will be more willing to fix this than the screen dimming issue.

[VipinLJ]

I wonder what the engineers at bmw were smoking when they decided to code in heating for passenger seat but not drivers seat.

[sonicflux]

Originally Posted by VipinLJ

I wonder what the engineers at bmw were smoking when they decided to code in heating for passenger seat but not drivers seat.

It's likely a bug. The clear intention was to have the front seats heat with remote start. Mistakes happen. Mistakes can be rectified.

[2020g20]

Originally Posted by sonicflux

It's likely a bug. The clear intention was to have the front seats heat with remote start. Mistakes happen. Mistakes can be rectified.

Agreed. There is no way this was intentional. I just had this same conversation with my dealer's "BMW genius" as I was dropping my car off for an unrelated service appointment this morning. She said "Maybe that's just how it was designed to work." Even the service advisor behind me laughed at that response. She shrugged and pretended to get busy doing something else so she didn't have to deal with me any longer.

They are fixing something else and are supposed to be upgrading me to 11.2019. Once they're done with that I'm going to report the seating heating issue (again) and have them log it in their system. I know they don't have a fix yet, but unless we all start reporting it now they won't fix have a fix any time soon.

[shawntech]

Originally Posted by 2020g20

Agreed. There is no way this was intentional. I just had this same conversation with my dealer's "BMW genius" as I was dropping my car off for an unrelated service appointment this morning. She said "Maybe that's just how it was designed to work." Even the service advisor behind me laughed at that response. She shrugged and pretended to get busy doing something else so she didn't have to deal with me any longer.

They are fixing something else and are supposed to be upgrading me to 11.2019. Once they're done with that I'm going to report the seating heating issue (again) and have them log it in their system. I know they don't have a fix yet, but unless we all start reporting it now they won't fix have a fix any time soon.

mine's going in for a new rear diff monday, i'll be sure to mention.

[VipinLJ]

I didn’t mean to say it was intentional. They could’ve coded in heating for the passenger seat and forgotten about coding the drivers seat heating. Mistakes happen yes.