318 "heated" parts questions >>

[Cobra Jet]

On my prior E36 M3, the power mirrors, driver side door lock and windshield washer spray nozzles were heated.

I was just curious, were any of these same parts also heated on any of the 318's?

[swiss318is]

yes, of course!!!we also have park distance control, head-up displays and runflat tires!!:rolleyes::rolleyes:

NO, nothing of that...

[hoevesruperd]

canadian 318is came with heated sport seats! ouh yeah!

[swiss318is]

heated and sport seat in the same phrase...!!! sissy

[ak96ss]

FWIW, I've added both seat heaters and heated mirrors to mine. Not too challenging. But they didn't come with any of that.

[neilofla]

Amazingly, all the items you mentioned could be specified as heated from the factory. The door mirrors, driver and passenger door locks, and windscreen washer nozzle heating were all part of a "winter pack", but I think that option is rare on cars in Europe, I guess it was an expensive factory option.

I've heard that the later (90, 91, 92) E30s have the full electrical loom installed regardless of options selected, so retrofitting the heated mirrors, nozzles and door locks isn't too tricky. Thats also why the wiring for the door tweeters is there whether the premium sound system was installed or not.

Don't know much about the heated seats, though there were definitely an option, I see hoevesruperd is lucky enough to have them though!

[lindol]

I have the heated seats here too, I believe it was part of the standard car sold in the Nordic Countries along with the headlamp washer/wiper system.

[Gooch]

How do the heated mirrors work?  I replaced my passenger mirror with a used one from a seller on R3v who said they were indeed heated.  However, the plug/connection looked exactly the same as the one I removed...

[ak96ss]

Simple two-wire connection on the back of the mirror face itself. Apply +12V to one and ground the other, the mirror heats up. I wired it to come on when I turn on the rear defroster, I think the factory version heats them all the time. I may be mistaken...

[swiss318is]

i have to ask somebody if that "winterpackage" was available as an option in europe

[neilofla]

@ swiss318is, I'm fairly sure the "winter pack" was available as an option in Europe, definitely available in UK and Ireland at the very least. I suppose it would be more common in colder countries, maybe thats why I haven't seen too many cars around here with it fitted

@ ak96ss, I think you're right, if the mirrors are heated, they're "hot" while the ignition is on, instead of switching on with the rear window demister. though being switchable seems a better idea to me

@ Gooch, as far as I know, if the mirror glass has an electrical connector on it, then it has a heating element in it. If there is a corresponding connector in the mirror housing, the car should have the heated mirror option installed.

[Cobra Jet]

Hmmm...  so there was a possibility of the 318's having such parts...

swiss318is - so, how's your heads up display, run flat tires and park distance control working?    

Is there any way of knowing or being able to tell IF the vehicle is indeed equipped with those heated parts (except for the heated seats, because it's obvious enough if the car has them)?  I mean, by physically looking at the mirrors, wiper nozzles & key locks, there's no real way of knowing if the car is (or was) equipped w/ the heated parts from the factory.

I would assume w/ the windshield nozzles that if looking under the hood liner, if there are wires and a connector going to each nozzle, it would be a 100% sure bet that the nozzles are in fact heated.  I remember on my E36 M3 that each nozzle did have a connector going to the washer nozzles on the hood because they were indeed heated.

Is there any way of maybe determining by the VIN or any other data decals on the car that it could have been opted out with those heated parts?  (probably a looooong shot, eh?)

[hoevesruperd]

the serial only tells model, year, production plant, safety features, and thats about it. but i'm sure the dealer keeps track of the cars he sells so you could go back and get more information. serials basic information is available in the first few pages of the bentley manual. if someone needs it i can post it here but there's nothing in there about winter options!

[neilofla]

As hoevesruperd says, there's no way to tell from the VIN alone, but if you go to a BMW main dealer with your VIN they should be able to contact BMW HQ in Munich and get your original specification. I found out the original spec on my 1990 iS that way.

As far as checking the hardware yourself, I guess heated seats and nozzles are easy enough to figure out, and by popping the glass out of the housing should tell you about the mirrors. Locks, I'm not too sure how to check them, but I guess if you have heated nozzles and mirrors it's a safe bet the locks are heated too (?)

[BimwadM42]

Given a VIN, a dealer can print out a history report with the model, color, upholstery, original dealer, in-service date, and the equipment codes.  It's a simple task that most anyone in the dealership can perform, but I'd ask a service advisor, who can also check if there are any open (recall) campaigns on the car.

Sometimes, a build sheet under the rear seat cushion also contains the same equipment information.

E36 heated mirrors are heated continuously, and the washer jets have a sensor in the right side brake duct.