SL/R231: Cooler seats
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Joined: Jun 2012
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From: In the minds of others rent free.
SL 400
Cooler seats
Hello all,
Since I do not know anyone with an SL close to me to compare I figured I would ask all of you.
It just dawned on me today for some reason, but I realized that I have never used my cooled seats. Are the cooled seats supposed to be cool to touch, or if you hover your hands just above the seat surface you are supposed to feel cool air blowing like your vented air conditioner vents on the dash?
Although it was around 90 degrees outside and likely hotter inside my car while parked all day outside, I didn’t really feel anything happening when I turned on the cooled seats. The dash lights for the seats were on, I turned the radio down so that I could hear things and I did hear/feel a kinda fan rumble, or something, but I swear I didn’t feel anything cool happening. Am I supposed to have on shorts to feel the cool? Had on jeans today.
What do you get when using your cooled seats. Gonna look in the owners manual this weekend I guess.
Since I do not know anyone with an SL close to me to compare I figured I would ask all of you.
It just dawned on me today for some reason, but I realized that I have never used my cooled seats. Are the cooled seats supposed to be cool to touch, or if you hover your hands just above the seat surface you are supposed to feel cool air blowing like your vented air conditioner vents on the dash?
Although it was around 90 degrees outside and likely hotter inside my car while parked all day outside, I didn’t really feel anything happening when I turned on the cooled seats. The dash lights for the seats were on, I turned the radio down so that I could hear things and I did hear/feel a kinda fan rumble, or something, but I swear I didn’t feel anything cool happening. Am I supposed to have on shorts to feel the cool? Had on jeans today.
What do you get when using your cooled seats. Gonna look in the owners manual this weekend I guess.
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; Jul 9, 2022 at 04:40 AM.
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Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 169
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2013 SL550
I think it's more about moving air with a fan than actual cold air blowing on your tush. It was 112 degrees when I got in the car this week, needed max AC and seat fans just to survive until the car cooled off.
Junior Member
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 68
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From: Pachuta, MS
2015 SL400
I use mine a lot and I can agree it is more like air movement than really “cool”, however I think they make a difference. We had them in our Range Rover and they put out a surprising amount of cool air. One thing to check is if some yahoo at one point conditioned the seats and clogged a bunch of the holes…I have seen this first hand. A good proper clean may help airflow.
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2017 SL450, 2017 Ford Expedition, 2007 CLK 550, 2019 Buick Enclave
You don't really feel a breeze like with the air scarf, but you can definitely tell it is a cooling sensation and definitely feel it. It is so diffused that there is not actually a breeze. But can definitely tell when it is on.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: In the minds of others rent free.
SL 400
And you guys can tell it’s cooling even when you have jeans, etc. on? I thought I may need lighter/thinner clothes on? I’m driving my SUV today. (Lots of hard rain) but will check the SL seats tomorrow to see if I can feel something.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; Jul 9, 2022 at 04:18 PM.
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Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Miami Beach
2006 CLS55 AMG Sold 2010 E550 Coupe totaled by mechanic, '13 SL550 I totaled it, 2017 SL63 current
I use mine every time I drive the car. It really seems more for airflow than cooling like others have mentioned. I wish the air scarf had AC as well, that would be heaven.
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Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: In the minds of others rent free.
SL 400
I too have thought about the air scarf and how awesome it would be with AC cooled air coming out of them. No reason MB can't engineer that. It may or may not be easy to do, but they could do it. I think MB were like "if they want cool seat air tell them to drop the top and drive like a bat outta hell” lol.
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; Jul 10, 2022 at 12:14 PM.
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Joined: Apr 2022
Posts: 73
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From: Florida
2017 Mercedes Benz SL550 w/ ABC; 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8L Turbo
There is a common misconception about “cooled seats”. Most are actually “ventilated seats” that use fans to either blow out through the perforations vs. some manufacturers that suck in instead. Only a few brands/models actually make “cooled seats” which use true air conditioned air to blow out through the perforations. Land Rover is one as Jhop mentioned above with his Range Rover. The others tend to be mostly American or Korean brands while the Europeans tend to stick to the much less satisfying ventilated options. A salesman at BMW even told me that he had heard many complaints about ventilated seat fan motors heating up enough to actually become uncomfortable. A Google search is your friend for brands and models but AFAIK no Mercedes has true cooled seats.
This is a decent article about the issue— https://www.cars.com/articles/which-...-seats-438946/
This is a decent article about the issue— https://www.cars.com/articles/which-...-seats-438946/
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: In the minds of others rent free.
SL 400
That article didn’t even list the SL as having the option. Unless they, like many lump the SL in the S class, class.
So I guess I’m still not clear on this.
So it’s not air conditioning air, ok I got that part. But how do you feel the cool? I can’t hold my hand above the seats and feel air blowing, but if I put my hand on the seat, the seat will be cool to the touch?
If I don’t have the AC on in the car but have the cooled seats on in the middle of the day on a warm one you guys are saying the entire inside of the car would be hot from no AC, but my seats would still feel cool to the touch even with the rest of the cabin being warm? Is that right?
Because I was gonna say how would you know the seats were cool, or cooling if you have the AC on and the entire cabin of the car is cool from the AC?? My car AC is bone chilling cold when on.
So I guess I’m still not clear on this.
So it’s not air conditioning air, ok I got that part. But how do you feel the cool? I can’t hold my hand above the seats and feel air blowing, but if I put my hand on the seat, the seat will be cool to the touch?
If I don’t have the AC on in the car but have the cooled seats on in the middle of the day on a warm one you guys are saying the entire inside of the car would be hot from no AC, but my seats would still feel cool to the touch even with the rest of the cabin being warm? Is that right?
Because I was gonna say how would you know the seats were cool, or cooling if you have the AC on and the entire cabin of the car is cool from the AC?? My car AC is bone chilling cold when on.
There is a common misconception about “cooled seats”. Most are actually “ventilated seats” that use fans to either blow out through the perforations vs. some manufacturers that suck in instead. Only a few brands/models actually make “cooled seats” which use true air conditioned air to blow out through the perforations. Land Rover is one as Jhop mentioned above with his Range Rover. The others tend to be mostly American or Korean brands while the Europeans tend to stick to the much less satisfying ventilated options. A salesman at BMW even told me that he had heard many complaints about ventilated seat fan motors heating up enough to actually become uncomfortable. A Google search is your friend for brands and models but AFAIK no Mercedes has true cooled seats.
This is a decent article about the issue— https://www.cars.com/articles/which-...-seats-438946/
This is a decent article about the issue— https://www.cars.com/articles/which-...-seats-438946/
Member
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 76
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From: Arlington, TX
2018 SL 450, 2019 Volvo XC40
The effect is definitely pretty subtle. As others have noted, these are really in the category of ventilated seats, which they accomplish by pulling air into the seat surface via a suction fan. So the idea is that your cooled cabin air is pulled into the seat, meaning that air is pulled through your clothes fabric where it contacts the seat. If you're wearing shorts you'll literally feel nothing where it's skin-on-leather (wow, that just took a turn), but where your pants or shirt fabric contact the seat you should feel a slight cooling effect.
The main purpose is to draw airflow through your clothing to prevent dampness from sweat, not really to "cool" anything per se. It's basically evaporative cooling.
The main purpose is to draw airflow through your clothing to prevent dampness from sweat, not really to "cool" anything per se. It's basically evaporative cooling.
Thread Starter
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From: In the minds of others rent free.
SL 400
Ok, now I got ya.
Tomorrow is my day off and it should be dry out, so I plan to test my seats a bit, read what the manual says about the cooling feature and also work on rock chip repairs that I was trying to work on last month, but had to table it until after I returned from my road trip. Will update each in the proper threads.
Tomorrow is my day off and it should be dry out, so I plan to test my seats a bit, read what the manual says about the cooling feature and also work on rock chip repairs that I was trying to work on last month, but had to table it until after I returned from my road trip. Will update each in the proper threads.
The effect is definitely pretty subtle. As others have noted, these are really in the category of ventilated seats, which they accomplish by pulling air into the seat surface via a suction fan. So the idea is that your cooled cabin air is pulled into the seat, meaning that air is pulled through your clothes fabric where it contacts the seat. If you're wearing shorts you'll literally feel nothing where it's skin-on-leather (wow, that just took a turn), but where your pants or shirt fabric contact the seat you should feel a slight cooling effect.
The main purpose is to draw airflow through your clothing to prevent dampness from sweat, not really to "cool" anything per se. It's basically evaporative cooling.
The main purpose is to draw airflow through your clothing to prevent dampness from sweat, not really to "cool" anything per se. It's basically evaporative cooling.
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Joined: Apr 2022
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From: Florida
2017 Mercedes Benz SL550 w/ ABC; 2010 Cadillac SRX 2.8L Turbo
That article didn’t even list the SL as having the option. Unless they, like many lump the SL in the S class, class.
So I guess I’m still not clear on this.
So it’s not air conditioning air, ok I got that part. But how do you feel the cool? I can’t hold my hand above the seats and feel air blowing, but if I put my hand on the seat, the seat will be cool to the touch?
If I don’t have the AC on in the car but have the cooled seats on in the middle of the day on a warm one you guys are saying the entire inside of the car would be hot from no AC, but my seats would still feel cool to the touch even with the rest of the cabin being warm? Is that right?
Because I was gonna say how would you know the seats were cool, or cooling if you have the AC on and the entire cabin of the car is cool from the AC?? My car AC is bone chilling cold when on.
So I guess I’m still not clear on this.
So it’s not air conditioning air, ok I got that part. But how do you feel the cool? I can’t hold my hand above the seats and feel air blowing, but if I put my hand on the seat, the seat will be cool to the touch?
If I don’t have the AC on in the car but have the cooled seats on in the middle of the day on a warm one you guys are saying the entire inside of the car would be hot from no AC, but my seats would still feel cool to the touch even with the rest of the cabin being warm? Is that right?
Because I was gonna say how would you know the seats were cool, or cooling if you have the AC on and the entire cabin of the car is cool from the AC?? My car AC is bone chilling cold when on.
For the cars that “blow” IMO they are typically louder than the cars that “suck” (convo taking another weird turn). If you’re unsure about any car, just put a tissue on the seat cushion and it will either blow up or stick to the seat.
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From: Baltimore County, MD
'13 s212 63 p30. '06 LX470
That article didn’t even list the SL as having the option. Unless they, like many lump the SL in the S class, class.
So I guess I’m still not clear on this.
So it’s not air conditioning air, ok I got that part. But how do you feel the cool? I can’t hold my hand above the seats and feel air blowing, but if I put my hand on the seat, the seat will be cool to the touch?
If I don’t have the AC on in the car but have the cooled seats on in the middle of the day on a warm one you guys are saying the entire inside of the car would be hot from no AC, but my seats would still feel cool to the touch even with the rest of the cabin being warm? Is that right?
Because I was gonna say how would you know the seats were cool, or cooling if you have the AC on and the entire cabin of the car is cool from the AC?? My car AC is bone chilling cold when on.
So I guess I’m still not clear on this.
So it’s not air conditioning air, ok I got that part. But how do you feel the cool? I can’t hold my hand above the seats and feel air blowing, but if I put my hand on the seat, the seat will be cool to the touch?
If I don’t have the AC on in the car but have the cooled seats on in the middle of the day on a warm one you guys are saying the entire inside of the car would be hot from no AC, but my seats would still feel cool to the touch even with the rest of the cabin being warm? Is that right?
Because I was gonna say how would you know the seats were cool, or cooling if you have the AC on and the entire cabin of the car is cool from the AC?? My car AC is bone chilling cold when on.
Have you ever sweat in a leather seat in the sun with the ac on due to the non breathability of leather? This prevents that swampass scenario.
Think about a car with no ac and windows up, vs windows cracked while driving on a hot day. The ventilated scenario Is a lower relative temperature than otherwise.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: In the minds of others rent free.
SL 400
So I just looked through the owners manual and also watched the owners video that is installed in the car. Not much on the seat ventilation, but there is a little info.
MB does use the word ventilation rather than the word cold. I guess since the ventilation controls light up blue when pressed I assumed that meant they were cold. I guess I never noticed before, or the music, etc. was too loud but the vent seats come on automatically if you roll your windows down with the key fob. That’s pretty slick. The car knows it must be needed if you are rolling the windows down before you get in the ride.
MB does use the word ventilation rather than the word cold. I guess since the ventilation controls light up blue when pressed I assumed that meant they were cold. I guess I never noticed before, or the music, etc. was too loud but the vent seats come on automatically if you roll your windows down with the key fob. That’s pretty slick. The car knows it must be needed if you are rolling the windows down before you get in the ride.
You won’t feel cooling. That’s been stated. I don’t know that Mercedes uses that word anywhere? So stop thinking of the words cool, cold, cooling, air conditioned. They are ventilated seats as mentioned. These seats pull air through them. They remove built up heat. They pull ambient ac through the seat so it does not warm up while in use. The reason “Germans” don’t have cooling seats is likely due to regulations or patents and licensing.
Have you ever sweat in a leather seat in the sun with the ac on due to the non breathability of leather? This prevents that swampass scenario.
Think about a car with no ac and windows up, vs windows cracked while driving on a hot day. The ventilated scenario Is a lower relative temperature than otherwise.
Have you ever sweat in a leather seat in the sun with the ac on due to the non breathability of leather? This prevents that swampass scenario.
Think about a car with no ac and windows up, vs windows cracked while driving on a hot day. The ventilated scenario Is a lower relative temperature than otherwise.
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; Jul 10, 2022 at 02:30 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 68
Likes: 32
From: Pachuta, MS
2015 SL400
I too have thought about the air scarf and how awesome it would be with AC cool air coming out of them. No reason MB can't engineer that. May or may not be easy, but they could do it. I think MB were like "if they want to cool air tell them to dropthe top and drive like a bat outta hell lol.
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 7,847
Likes: 3,498
From: Maryland
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
I have enuff politicians blowing smoke up my…well, you know. Just wish it was a little cooler on hot days.
