(Lack of) Effectiveness of Cooled / Ventilated Seats?
02-09-2006, 10:08 PM
#1
Almost a Member!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2001 CL 600
(Lack of) Effectiveness of Cooled / Ventilated Seats?
I have questioned my dealer the downright absence of any perceptible effect of the ventilated seats on my CL.
At first, I assumed they were broken and asked to have them checked when the car was in for routine. I was told they were working fine. I noticed no change and had them checked again (and again).
The service tech swears they are working properly (based, in my opinion, solely on his ability to hear the faint whir of the motor when he puts his ear to the seat). He told me he would check with Mercedes and, thereafter, called to let me know that he was advised by Mercedes they are not, in fact, designed to cool the passenger, but are designed to cool only the seat. Hmm.
While I'm not expecting the sensation of sitting on an air hockey table, I am amazed at the absence of any perceptible effect, even when holding the bck of my hand over the seat. I can't imagine why Mercedes would have engineered such a worthless feature into its flagship model.
This has been bugging me for a couple of years and I am interested to know what others think about their emperor's-new-cooled-seats.
At first, I assumed they were broken and asked to have them checked when the car was in for routine. I was told they were working fine. I noticed no change and had them checked again (and again).
The service tech swears they are working properly (based, in my opinion, solely on his ability to hear the faint whir of the motor when he puts his ear to the seat). He told me he would check with Mercedes and, thereafter, called to let me know that he was advised by Mercedes they are not, in fact, designed to cool the passenger, but are designed to cool only the seat. Hmm.
While I'm not expecting the sensation of sitting on an air hockey table, I am amazed at the absence of any perceptible effect, even when holding the bck of my hand over the seat. I can't imagine why Mercedes would have engineered such a worthless feature into its flagship model.
This has been bugging me for a couple of years and I am interested to know what others think about their emperor's-new-cooled-seats.
:
02-10-2006, 10:01 AM
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Boston
Posts: 934
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
NSX
Chas are you making a joke? They are just ventilated not actually cooled, right? I find mine to be somewhat ineffective as well... I just thought thats how it is...
02-10-2006, 10:47 AM
#4
MBWorld Fanatic!
The seat fans just blow ambient temp air thru the seats and it is not hooked up to the a/c system. If you shut the engine off and just run the acc position in the ignition switch and turn this function on, you should hear the fans running. (I believe I read there were 16 or more fans in each seat). You will not feel a great amount of air coming thru the seats. Living in Florida, the system works fairly well for me.
02-10-2006, 01:39 PM
#7
MBWorld Fanatic!
According to my '02 CL500 manual, the system uses a large amount of electrical power and MB advises to use it no longer than necessary.
Trending Topics
02-11-2006, 04:13 AM
#9
No.. the freon was a joke.
The way the ventilated seats work is that they just move enough air to prevent your shirt from sticking to your back during the sunny days.
Trust me, they work. You can tell that there is a difference when you swap between cars. My X5 doesn't have them and it sucks when the sun it out on full blast. Moms LS430 and dads SL500 have the heated and cooled seats. Same day, you feel much better after a drive. Your shirt isn't stuck to your back nor do you feel any sort of sweat.
The way the ventilated seats work is that they just move enough air to prevent your shirt from sticking to your back during the sunny days.
Trust me, they work. You can tell that there is a difference when you swap between cars. My X5 doesn't have them and it sucks when the sun it out on full blast. Moms LS430 and dads SL500 have the heated and cooled seats. Same day, you feel much better after a drive. Your shirt isn't stuck to your back nor do you feel any sort of sweat.
02-11-2006, 04:14 AM
#10
Almost a Member!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2001 CL 600
I also was joking about the freon.....
Sounds like the ventilated seats are better on paper. I am imagining 16 tiny fans and laughing. I guess if this is the only thing about the car that aggravates me now and then, I am pretty happy with it.
I would be happier if MB didn't represent the seat as being ventilated in the first place. I would have been perfectly happy. The A/C certainly works. You could hang meat from the rearview when its 100 degrees outside.
I would be happier if MB didn't represent the seat as being ventilated in the first place. I would have been perfectly happy. The A/C certainly works. You could hang meat from the rearview when its 100 degrees outside.
02-24-2006, 08:30 AM
#14
Almost a Member!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 51
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2001 CL 600
Lexus also has cooled seats that will put a chill down your spine... It seems it would have been pretty easy for Mercedes to have a switch on the seat to go from ambient, non-cooled air to cooled air.
02-24-2006, 08:49 AM
#15
MBWorld Fanatic!
The temperature of the air coming thru the seats should be the same temp as the air in the cabin. In theory, if the temp inside the car is 72 degrees, that's what should be coming thru the seats. Maybe that's what MB was thinking.
03-02-2006, 09:10 AM
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 299
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1988 560SL (sold); 2001 E430 (sold); 2004 SL500; 2009 CL550
The "ventilation" reference is to the holes in the seat and the function of the feature. Think of how a/c used to have a "vent" feature than let outside air into the car - but didn't cool the air.
I have them in my SL and they are great. In summer they keep the back of my shirt for getting wet by keeping the heat and humidity away that would collect between me and the seat. They are also great in winter when used in conjunction with the heated seat - blows warm air around you.
and btw...if you bought the feature and didn't actually read the manual/brochure well enough to understand what the feature was and how it worked - why did you buy it? and you deserve to be disappointed.
I have them in my SL and they are great. In summer they keep the back of my shirt for getting wet by keeping the heat and humidity away that would collect between me and the seat. They are also great in winter when used in conjunction with the heated seat - blows warm air around you.
and btw...if you bought the feature and didn't actually read the manual/brochure well enough to understand what the feature was and how it worked - why did you buy it? and you deserve to be disappointed.
