Vented seats not so vented anymore
#51
MBWorld Fanatic!
I don't really see it being too hard, but I don't have the luxury of having down-time with the car. I'm too lazy to complete the project in one day lol... and I would need the car to get to work the next day.
As it is, I've been driving around with my seat back panel off since the weekend! Haha.
As it is, I've been driving around with my seat back panel off since the weekend! Haha.
#52
Super Member
I can measure them when I get home. You might be able to find something with better flow in the same size, that could be a great option.
Right now I plan to do just ONE fan on the seatback, before tearing up two bigger holes in the seat padding. If the fan works good, I will likely do the second hole as well.
I suppose the seat bottom would involve taking the seat out and I'm not ready to get that involved yet, especially since this is my only car. Maybe one day though, if the seat back fans work super.
Right now I plan to do just ONE fan on the seatback, before tearing up two bigger holes in the seat padding. If the fan works good, I will likely do the second hole as well.
I suppose the seat bottom would involve taking the seat out and I'm not ready to get that involved yet, especially since this is my only car. Maybe one day though, if the seat back fans work super.
#54
MBWorld Fanatic!
#55
Super Member
#56
MBWorld Fanatic!
The seat padding actually has some give to it. Instead of cutting out new space for the fans, I was able to make a small slit in each "corner" of the hole where the old fan fit. I would say about a 3/8th inch slit, and that allowed me to massage in my bigger fan without having to cut away any material.
I think my choice of fan was probably slightly large, at 3 1/8th inch. I would be willing to bet you can squeeze in a 2 3/4 inch fan without having to cut anything. I may in fact, go pick one up to test that theory.
#58
MBWorld Fanatic!
I don't have info on the stock fans as there are literally no markings on it.
As for the fans I bought, they were about $6, brand is Enermax model UC-8EB.
Noise: 14 dBA
Speed: 1500 RPM +/- 10%
Airflow: 24 CFM
I'm actually pretty bummed I didn't get to start it tonight. The tap splices I bought were for 18-14 gauge wire which is apparently too large. I need to go buy some smaller splices tomorrow after work. I want to use a tap splice just to make sure everything works ok without permanently damaging any of the stock components; then if it all pans out, I will hard-wire it in.
As for the fans I bought, they were about $6, brand is Enermax model UC-8EB.
Noise: 14 dBA
Speed: 1500 RPM +/- 10%
Airflow: 24 CFM
I'm actually pretty bummed I didn't get to start it tonight. The tap splices I bought were for 18-14 gauge wire which is apparently too large. I need to go buy some smaller splices tomorrow after work. I want to use a tap splice just to make sure everything works ok without permanently damaging any of the stock components; then if it all pans out, I will hard-wire it in.
#62
MBWorld Fanatic!
I ran the fan last night and sat in the seat but to be honest I didn't feel much.
I was only running one fan in the seat back and I only sat there for 5 minutes.
My new plan is to leave the larger fan in, and try to find a high CFM fan much closer to the stock size and run around with those two for a while and see how I like it.
I was only running one fan in the seat back and I only sat there for 5 minutes.
My new plan is to leave the larger fan in, and try to find a high CFM fan much closer to the stock size and run around with those two for a while and see how I like it.
#63
I ran the fan last night and sat in the seat but to be honest I didn't feel much.
I was only running one fan in the seat back and I only sat there for 5 minutes.
My new plan is to leave the larger fan in, and try to find a high CFM fan much closer to the stock size and run around with those two for a while and see how I like it.
I was only running one fan in the seat back and I only sat there for 5 minutes.
My new plan is to leave the larger fan in, and try to find a high CFM fan much closer to the stock size and run around with those two for a while and see how I like it.
A bigger fan will help for both pressure and noise, stick with a 92mm fan.
Got a Q: can you measure the voltage when you change the cooling setting, I assume that I'll be 12v at full power and going down from there ?
Last edited by timeToy; 05-20-2011 at 07:40 PM.
#64
MBWorld Fanatic!
You fan spec are weak (Noise: 14 dBA, Speed: 1500 RPM +/- 10%, Airflow: 24 CFM), specifically the speed, as there is a lot of back pressure that will be build (the air have to find it's way through the seat), you definitly need a MUCH more powerfull fan (at least 2500 to 3500 rpm I would said) so you have the "torque" to fight the back pressure and push the air through the seat.
A bigger fan will help for both pressure and noise, stick with a 92mm fan.
Got a Q: can you measure the voltage when you change the cooling setting, I assume that I'll be 12v at full power and going down from there ?
A bigger fan will help for both pressure and noise, stick with a 92mm fan.
Got a Q: can you measure the voltage when you change the cooling setting, I assume that I'll be 12v at full power and going down from there ?
As far as fan choice goes, I don't know if I'm prepared to go bigger than what I have now. I did at first, but now I really don't want to cut away material from the seat. Maybe I can find a more powerful fan in the same size, or slightly smaller? I shall research.
Oh yea, and for anyone trying, the brown wire is ground and the other wire - I believe it is orange with a red stripe) would be the 12V source. These should correspond to the black wire, and the red wire of your fan, respectively.
Last edited by bobgodd; 05-20-2011 at 08:09 PM.
#65
Senior Member
you may want to look at this fan, its a 80mm 12v high flow
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556093862.html
3400 RPM and 46 CFM airflow , they have others on the site. I will look thru some smaller ones.
70mm
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556068709.html
3400 rpm and 34 CFM.
if the original is 2.5 inches then a 60-70mm will be close. but if you want to move more air , then a larger fan is always easier.
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556093862.html
3400 RPM and 46 CFM airflow , they have others on the site. I will look thru some smaller ones.
70mm
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556068709.html
3400 rpm and 34 CFM.
if the original is 2.5 inches then a 60-70mm will be close. but if you want to move more air , then a larger fan is always easier.
Last edited by mikeevo; 05-20-2011 at 08:31 PM.
#66
MBWorld Fanatic!
you may want to look at this fan, its a 80mm 12v high flow
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556093862.html
3400 RPM and 46 CFM airflow , they have others on the site. I will look thru some smaller ones.
70mm
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556068709.html
3400 rpm and 34 CFM.
if the original is 2.5 inches then a 60-70mm will be close. but if you want to move more air , then a larger fan is always easier.
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556093862.html
3400 RPM and 46 CFM airflow , they have others on the site. I will look thru some smaller ones.
70mm
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556068709.html
3400 rpm and 34 CFM.
if the original is 2.5 inches then a 60-70mm will be close. but if you want to move more air , then a larger fan is always easier.
#67
Super Member
yea its like a computer 3 wire fan you just feed them 12V. Also if you look for prossor fans they usually run higher RPMs. I was thinking of running a duct up from the rear floor for cooling
#68
The sensor wire is useless it is just for the motherboard to read the fan speed, you can cut it out for our application, the fan speed will be determined by the voltage applied to it, so it may be loud at setting 3, but will be less at 2 and even less at 1
#69
Senior Member
I dont think it would be very loud due to the fact it is encased in the seat and with stereo , road noise and motor whine you could really think the fan was loud but cutting the speed down will help.
Last edited by mikeevo; 05-21-2011 at 10:11 PM.
#70
MBWorld Fanatic!
Bought a new fan and it's a bit more powerful. I stayed with 80mm so I wouldn't have to do any more "massaging" to get it in the car. I didn't sit in the seat but I did put my hand on the seat back, and while I couldn't feel air coming through like a breeze, I don't think it was designed to do that in the first place. I can feel the presence of airflow at the seat back and the leather actually felt like it was getting slightly cooler.
I dremel the other fan and fit it tomorrow and then go for a drive; hopefully it was worth the $10 or so for the two fans.
I looked again at the stock fan, and the brand is Papst, and there are a couple numbers there but couldn't find anything online.
PBT-GF20-FR
and 6294 002 009
New fan specs:
80x80x25mm
38.2 cfm
3000 rpm
32.1 dBA
I dremel the other fan and fit it tomorrow and then go for a drive; hopefully it was worth the $10 or so for the two fans.
I looked again at the stock fan, and the brand is Papst, and there are a couple numbers there but couldn't find anything online.
PBT-GF20-FR
and 6294 002 009
New fan specs:
80x80x25mm
38.2 cfm
3000 rpm
32.1 dBA
#71
Super Member
Bought a new fan and it's a bit more powerful. I stayed with 80mm so I wouldn't have to do any more "massaging" to get it in the car. I didn't sit in the seat but I did put my hand on the seat back, and while I couldn't feel air coming through like a breeze, I don't think it was designed to do that in the first place. I can feel the presence of airflow at the seat back and the leather actually felt like it was getting slightly cooler.
I dremel the other fan and fit it tomorrow and then go for a drive; hopefully it was worth the $10 or so for the two fans.
I looked again at the stock fan, and the brand is Papst, and there are a couple numbers there but couldn't find anything online.
PBT-GF20-FR
and 6294 002 009
New fan specs:
80x80x25mm
38.2 cfm
3000 rpm
32.1 dBA
I dremel the other fan and fit it tomorrow and then go for a drive; hopefully it was worth the $10 or so for the two fans.
I looked again at the stock fan, and the brand is Papst, and there are a couple numbers there but couldn't find anything online.
PBT-GF20-FR
and 6294 002 009
New fan specs:
80x80x25mm
38.2 cfm
3000 rpm
32.1 dBA
I noticed something weird with my stock cooled seats though, there doesn't seem to be a change in fan speed from 3leds to 2 leds. Did you notice this as well on yours?
#72
I have started to mod mine, check my gallery for pics, I will post a large DIY once finished.
The stock fan is a 60x60x10, the more powerful 60x60x10mm fan I could find on DigiKey was a 21.2 CFM, I think significantly more air flow is needed, so I have ordered 4 of theses fans:
80x80x15: 3800 RPM, 41 dB, 48.8 CFM - http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=603-1159-ND
I'll keep you guys posted!
The stock fan is a 60x60x10, the more powerful 60x60x10mm fan I could find on DigiKey was a 21.2 CFM, I think significantly more air flow is needed, so I have ordered 4 of theses fans:
80x80x15: 3800 RPM, 41 dB, 48.8 CFM - http://search.digikey.com/scripts/Dk...me=603-1159-ND
I'll keep you guys posted!
#74
I did roll the dice on this and hope that the system can handle it! If someone with a electrical diagram wants to chime in ?
#75
MBWorld Fanatic!
When I took the initial voltage readings, there was only about a 1V drop between the two settings, versus a drop of almost 4 volts between the middle setting and the weakest setting.