Vented seats not working

[mymini007]

Does anybody know why?

They just dont seem to work, the ones i had in my Saab, sounded like a plane taking off, but really did cool you down on a hot day, but the ones in the CLS are at best like an asthmatic hamster.

Any ideas?

 

[davidjpowell]

Mine won't even touch the asthmatic hamster.... I've also had the Saab experience.

Mine are on my list to investigate, as I can't believe it's meant to be like that.

 

[camerafodder]

They are very 'gentle' in operation

 

[flat6buster]

In my new e they are as powerful as the dab reception (ie not at all).

 

[aaronrhodes]

I just picked up an SL55 with this feature and was a bit disappointed with how feeble the air seems to be but doing some research it appears that these seats suck rather than blow and in the beating hot sun I did notice my back was noticeably cooler with this switched on.

 

[mymini007]

I just picked up an SL55 with this feature and was a bit disappointed with how feeble the air seems to be but doing some research it appears that these seats suck rather than blow and in the beating hot sun I did notice my back was noticeably cooler with this switched on.

How would sucking the air help?

I guess they know what they are doing!!!

My saab used to blow, almost enough that a small child would have to have a seat belt on, or would be blown off the seat

 

[aaronrhodes]

Ha, not sure to be honest! My guess would be that it's allowed your back to breathe as it would if it wasn't pressed up against a big piece of leather.

Certainly seems to work though either way!

 

[Vilus]

It is more efficient to suck away the heat, than to blow cool air onto it. Similarly the coolant in the engine takes the heat away from the engine, and cools it in the radiator.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

I felt the same way about the comfort ventilated seats on my C350. I certainly couldn't see the point of three settings for them! But then I read about the sucking rather than blowing. And come to think of it the seats always felt a lovely comfortable temperature when we were driving around in the high heat of North Italy when we were there in June. A trick I didn't work out until recently was to turn the air con right down in the back of the car (but only when there were no passengers there) and this provided more of a cooling effect. But still not really worth the extra £370 over ordinary heated seats. They're OK, but no more than that.

 

[developer]

Mine are subtle, but do seem to stop the sticky shirt syndrome in hot weather.

Suck or blow - which is best - that age old question

 

[n13]

They do both?? they suck from the rear passengers knee area (where the vents in the seat are) and blow onto your back. There are two fans in the back rest and probably another two under the seat.

There are some DIY's available to upgrade the back rest fans.

A few ways to test if the work is to put a tissue or something light on you seat with them on full (they are pretty weak) see if the tissue floats (a tiny bit)
With the engine off and just the ignition on (no music) you can hear them
oooor take the back off you seat - you can see the fans from there (2 x Tx20 screws i think)

 

[John]

Suck or blow - which is best - that age old question

I knew someone would do it.

It never crossed my mind, of course...

 

[James]

They are a bit of a con. I always thought that 'climate-controlled' seats actually bled off air from the a/c system (somehow) and moderated the air to the chosen temperature (which I think the top level Lexus possibly does), but they are just fans that suck air. I must admit it does work on a hot day especially if you get in the car with with a sweaty shirt.

 

[developer]

A trick I didn't work out until recently was to turn the air con right down in the back of the car (but only when there were no passengers there)

Aha - I like it .