Mcfancy14

Is this common....when I switch on the high mode for ventilation for seats, the ventilation motor revs up nicely and get a nice effect...then after a bit the motor just shuts down, but the ventilation switch still shows it's on the high level (3 lit indicator on the switch)....ugh

GeNomeZ

Mine doesn’t do that. I turn it on and as far as I have been able to tell it stays on until I turn it off or turn off the car.

KrustyKustom

Mine seems to stay on as long as desired on cool. On heat it if you start on hi, it will slowly go down to low but still stays on.

I have the MB tex with cooling seats.

Daso

While how noticeable the cooling is seems to vary, it seems to be consistent when I turn mine on. I've actually never heard it.

MBguy013

I have only used the cooled seat option once but I did notice that the fan does seem to stop and seemed to do so when the engine shut off with the eco stop. Once the engine fired up again and I started moving, I heard the fan spin back up.

nextmilenium

Wow, you guys have good hearing. I don't think I can hear mine when I turn it on. Next time, I'll try to listen more carefully.

MercOne1

Cooled seats in the gle are really bad. I’ve never noticed any benefit from turning them on.

DavidBN

My wife and I have found them to be great. Air movement is noticeable but they don't replace the need for whole-car air conditioning. In my opinion it's one of those upgrades I took take a chance on (anything to make the wife more comfortable) that turned out to be well worth it.

EddieKBG

Mine does start high as mentioned, but will slow down after a while, and kick back up after another while. Lol
I don't use the eco mode.

Daso

Does eco mode disengage the ventilated seats? I use eco in the city solely since it starts in second gear and with stop and go traffic is a bit less jumpy. Otherwise I’ll skip eco

GeNomeZ

I thought the same thing, but after some experimenting found that if I waited a few minutes after the starting the car (and letting the AC get cool) it was noticeably better.

mbgle

Mine does the same thing. I brought it to Mercedes a few weeks ago to look at this issue (and many others) and they told me it was operating normally. No clue how this is normal. My Audi has ventilated seats which the motor turns on and stays on every time you use the feature and you can feel the seat cooling. More than half the time I turn on the ventilated seats to max in the GLE I don't hear anything. Even the times you do hear the motor, it shuts off soon thereafter and the cooling affect is mild at best.

monwen

Mine varies as well. Sometimes I hear it and others I hear it slow down. BTW, my BMW worked the same way.

WRA1963

Agree. My seat actually gets hotter and the fan cuts off at times. Dealer claims it's normal operation. Technician said it does get hot. The Shop Foreman and Shop Manager overruled the Technician. I think that's some BS. Sounds like they don't want to replace the fan. I plan to write a letter/email to MB Headquarters. Probably won't help. But, I had a KIA with better ventilated seats. Imagine that.

mbgle

I commented on this thread a while ago, I dumped my GLE a few months ago and bought a Cayenne. Best move I ever made, I can't tell you how much better the Cayenne is in every way. But since we are talking about ventilated seats, shockingly, when I turn on the seat ventilation, it stays on the whole time and the seat gets cooler...can you imagine!

WRA1963

Thanks mbgle. Funny you should say that. The Cayenne was my other choice and I selected the GLE. Maybe I should have selected the Cayenne.

mikapen

Perhaps, depending on options. For $35,000 more you can get one that handles and rides as well as the 167 GLE, but the rest are just individual taste.
For instance, I can't find a seat that's comfortable (why I sold the previous Macan and the Cayenne) and the invisible controls on the console are just dangerous, in my mind. I like physical switches.

You were right about the seat ventilation, however. Sounds like you turned on an Electrolux in the backseat when you turn on one, and two seats on will have you turning up the radio! "What could you repeat yourself? Or turn down your seat fan?"

me4tux

Hello,
Are the ventilated seats a standard option on all 2020 GLE350 models?

The issue is that when I search for used 2020 GLE350 models online, some used car ads state heated seats only.

I hope and assume that some sales guys have their ads in error...
Please let me know if ventilated seats is indeed a standard option.
Thank you in advance.

monwen

No. Ventilated seats are an option

MBguy013

As stated, they are an option. Although I have them on my 450, I would not order them again as they do not compare to other manufacturers cooled seats. As the name implies, they just circulate ventilated air from beneath the seat and the fan kicks on and off unlike others. Don't waste your time trying to find them. if you do find a vehicle that has them, test it out first to ensure you really want them.

me4tux

Hi, I will take note of your explanation of the Mercedes Benz 'ventilated' seats mechanism. I will definitely keep that in mind...

Is there an easy way to find out from seat pictures, buttons?, or other means to find out if the ventilated seats option is available on a particular used MB GLE350?
I rather not call up the sales rep to ask this question (for obvious reasons) and was hoping there was an easy way to know from pictures posted on a used vehicle ad.

Example: usually from the pictures, I can see both the 2 front seats have small holes/perforations and this could indicate either/or the existence of heated/ventilated features? And, is there any button on the console which indicate the ventilated seat option exists?

aces&eights

Yes, there is. Locate these two buttons nested between the seat controls and speaker on the driver’s door. The first button controls the heated seat function; the second controls the ventilated seats.

tomb73

Had ventilated seats in an Audi SQ5, worked great. Actually 'cooled' the seat using forced air. The MB 'ventilation' simply sucks air from the cabin of the vehicle into the seat. so the air in the vehicle needs to be cool. If you are just getting into a hot car (we live in TX) it is useless until the car cools off. Even then, it is less effective than the Audi was. II do hear the fan noise, and it does seem to start and stop regardless of the choice I make on the door control. I 'suspect' it uses the same control as the heated seats, which have that on and decline function, but not certain.

TonyF61

Mine stay on for the entire ride at full strenght; although, minimal at best.

mikapen

Mine does too, and it usually resumes after leaving and restarting the car.

"Minimal" is one way to describe it, or I'd call it "feeble." Even though it's kind of a "virtual" experience, I do feel that it relieves my sweaty backside.

It's nowhere is windy as my '15 Cayenne, which sounded like a Hoover and was annoyingly loud on anything but the lowest settings.

The ventilation was so weak that I put a sheet of paper against the seat with the ventilation on high.
I found that the seats faintly suck instead of faintly blow!
And that suction wasn't enough to hold the paper against the seat back or seat.

I'll have to try that experiment again with tissue paper or something.

Maybe my switch is wired backwards 🤔 LOL