Are Ventiliated Seats an energy hog aka wasted feature?

[CHG-ON]

I would think that all they would do is pull some of our body heat away. I think that would be an improvement over non-ventilated, which I find tend to stay quite warm even after the cabin is cooled. It would be awesome to have actual coolant coils, ala the heated coils.

 

[ModelXsig1100]

if half of us can't even notice it then...I think they could have implemented something better overall what do you guys think. ? Keep in mind how many cars have this technology. They were not creating something new here...and we all have pretty decently priced cars here.

Bottom line is they should have delivered something better given price/and advancement of features this company brings to the table.

This. I don't perceive much effect, and it's disappointing.

I don't think most people parse the word "ventilated" and think about the direction of air flow. Certainly I didn't expect not to feel anything, which is my experience with it.

 

[Zythryn]

This. I don't perceive much effect, and it's disappointing.

I don't think most people parse the word "ventilated" and think about the direction of air flow. Certainly I didn't expect not to feel anything, which is my experience with it.

Have you asked your SC about it?
Perhaps it isn't operating correctly.
It certainly isn't a gale, but for me, it is definitely noticeable.

 

[gjunky]

It is very noticeable in high heat when you pre-cool the car. The seats feel very cold when you get in. The effect feels less as you are driving or if t gets very hot. It still keeps the seats and the person in them a bit cooler. I really like it in the heat here in AZ. We have black leather so the effect after pre-cooling is very welcome.
ps: we picked black leather to keep them looking better over time, realizing they might be warm in the sun.

 

[int32_t]

Moving air is going to make the seat feel cooler, but it won't cool off the steering wheel or anything else you want to touch. I'd still use the A/C with the seats even if it does use a bit more electricity.

 

[Blastphemy]

I don't think most people parse the word "ventilated" and think about the direction of air flow. Certainly I didn't expect not to feel anything, which is my experience with it.

I have had ventilated seats on two other cars, and you could definitely feel the airflow. Those ventilated seats made a big difference in my other cars and had a demonstrative effect on how hot my back was. The Model X seats, on the other hand, do nothing... unless you set them to the maximum '3' setting, and then they do nothing except make a lot of noise. What a waste of money! These ventilated seats were the only reason I bought the Premium Upgrades Package, and I would never have agreed to spend that much if I'd known then how worthless the seats were. I guess that what you get for ordering a car before ever having a chance to test drive it!

 

[systemcrashed]

I know this is an out of the box idea but, Is anyone willing to use a small pin needle and open up the perforations in the seat slightly? This could help with the airflow.

 

[jelloslug]

I know this is an out of the box idea but, Is anyone willing to use a small pin needle and open up the perforations in the seat slightly? This could help with the airflow.

That would not help. The reticulated foam that is under the upholstery is the largest blocker of the air pressure.

 

[vandacca]

Has anyone that has had their compressor lines un-crossed notice any improvement in the ventilated seat flow? It still boggles my mind that it "sucks" air into the seat rather than "blow" air out.

 

[ohmman]

Has anyone that has had their compressor lines un-crossed notice any improvement in the ventilated seat flow? It still boggles my mind that it "sucks" air into the seat rather than "blow" air out.

I just roasted coffee tonight and it struck me that my roaster also "sucks" air through the beans to cool them rather than blowing it. Mostly this is because ambient air is cooler than air that's ducted through the already hot roaster. I wonder if sucking seats are following the same principle. If you aren't actually cooling the air first, maybe drawing cabin air through the seats is better than blowing it.

Just a (probably wrong) thought.

 

[raysspl]

Personally never have been interested in ventilated seats. AC/heat suffices. Then again, I'm from Cali!

 

[systemcrashed]

That would not help. The reticulated foam that is under the upholstery is the largest blocker of the air pressure.

couldn't you perforate deeper into the foam as well?

 

[systemcrashed]

I just roasted coffee tonight and it struck me that my roaster also "sucks" air through the beans to cool them rather than blowing it. Mostly this is because ambient air is cooler than air that's ducted through the already hot roaster. I wonder if sucking seats are following the same principle. If you aren't actually cooling the air first, maybe drawing cabin air through the seats is better than blowing it.

Just a (probably wrong) thought.

My thought was that it is done this way to minimize condensation and moisture buildup in the seat. (probably wrong too)

 

[jelloslug]

couldn't you perforate deeper into the foam as well?

That would not really help. There are "tubes" built into the main seat foam that channel the air from the fan to the reticulated foam. The tubes usually have one or two large holes that feed the reticulated foam layer. Then, the reticulated foam layer helps distribute the air throughout the seat. If you were to poke holes in the foam you would just make the air skip the foam layer and just come out on a few concentrated spots.

 

[jelloslug]

Are the ventilated seats "cooled" seats or just "ventilated" seats. There is a difference.

 

[systemcrashed]

Are the ventilated seats "cooled" seats or just "ventilated" seats. There is a difference.

ventilated only by a fan underneath that circulates cabin air.

 

[jelloslug]

ventilated only by a fan underneath that circulates cabin air.

Hummm, that's too bad. Real cooled seats have a peltier heat pump in them to provide the heating and cooling for the seat.

 

[Topher]

I've used my Flir thermal camera and cannot detect ANY cooling with the ventilated seats. The heat function works well though. I'm hesitant to post pictures because I think I should take a more structured/scientific approach to measurement with a consistent control. So far I have done the following:

1) turned one seat on and not the other: no difference after 5 mins.
2) sat 2 mins in one seat with it on, then sat 2 mins in the other seat with it off. No difference.
3) dipped my finger in a glass of water and rubbed a line of water across the bottom of each front seat. Turned one on and not the other. After 2 mins no difference in temperature of either water spot.

Ventilated seats are going to work (if they do) by evaporative cooling off your skin. I wouldn't expect to see any affect on an IR camera.

Thank you kindly.

 

[vandacca]

That would not really help. There are "tubes" built into the main seat foam that channel the air from the fan to the reticulated foam. The tubes usually have one or two large holes that feed the reticulated foam layer. Then, the reticulated foam layer helps distribute the air throughout the seat. If you were to poke holes in the foam you would just make the air skip the foam layer and just come out on a few concentrated spots.

It's my understanding (from reading this forum) that the fan is working in reverse. Air is drawn from the foam, rather than blown into it.

I would have guessed that blowing air would have been more effective, but then again, I'm not an expert in this area. I'm sure there is a good reason for designing it in this way.

 

[jelloslug]

It's my understanding (from reading this forum) that the fan is working in reverse. Air is drawn from the foam, rather than blown into it.

I would have guessed that blowing air would have been more effective, but then again, I'm not an expert in this area. I'm sure there is a good reason for designing it in this way.

I have never seen a ventilated seat that worked that way. Someone needs to look under the seat and see if there is a filter under there.