--DIY Vented upgraded Seat Fans--
#52
Junior Member
Adaptation for S55
Hey all
I too, did this mod and it is well worth it! And with such a brilliant write up, it is quite easy. The thing is, while the W211 and W220 seem to share a lot in common, the seats are most certainly not among those!
Rather than start the thread from scratch, it seems to make some sense to offer the differences between W211 and W220 here, as the instruction steps are identical.
Firstly, unless your have particularly long arms, don't bother pushing the seat forward. What you see when you remove the rear cover:
The fan clip into plastic mounts, which is pressed into the cushioning. Unclip each fan, then pry the plastic mount out. Just your hands are necessary and they come out easily.
I used 12v, 80 x 25mm 40 CFM fans from Microcenter. These are very common inside computers, typically used as case fans to blow air onto Hard Drives or graphics cards, or to exhaust air from the CPU fan. Use a dremel to grind down the corners (so as to make fan casing round-ish) but do not break the casing around the fans entirely.
completed install. It's ok to use them either to blow towards the driver (forwards) or away from the driver (backwards) but you'll get better airflow if they are pointed towards the driver, I have found.
[QUOTE=berti_00;5200847]Well i did mine today and its a fairly decent process but let me tell you.. its WORTH the damm time, what an awesome mod!!
Plz refer to Timetoy's pictures as well, i didn't want to add them here without his permission but hes got some nice pictures too on the other thread!!
Link: https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...d-anymore.html
I too, did this mod and it is well worth it! And with such a brilliant write up, it is quite easy. The thing is, while the W211 and W220 seem to share a lot in common, the seats are most certainly not among those!
Rather than start the thread from scratch, it seems to make some sense to offer the differences between W211 and W220 here, as the instruction steps are identical.
Firstly, unless your have particularly long arms, don't bother pushing the seat forward. What you see when you remove the rear cover:
The fan clip into plastic mounts, which is pressed into the cushioning. Unclip each fan, then pry the plastic mount out. Just your hands are necessary and they come out easily.
I used 12v, 80 x 25mm 40 CFM fans from Microcenter. These are very common inside computers, typically used as case fans to blow air onto Hard Drives or graphics cards, or to exhaust air from the CPU fan. Use a dremel to grind down the corners (so as to make fan casing round-ish) but do not break the casing around the fans entirely.
completed install. It's ok to use them either to blow towards the driver (forwards) or away from the driver (backwards) but you'll get better airflow if they are pointed towards the driver, I have found.
[QUOTE=berti_00;5200847]Well i did mine today and its a fairly decent process but let me tell you.. its WORTH the damm time, what an awesome mod!!
Plz refer to Timetoy's pictures as well, i didn't want to add them here without his permission but hes got some nice pictures too on the other thread!!
Link: https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...d-anymore.html
#53
MBWorld Fanatic!
Anyone ever replace the seat bottom fans? I did the seat back a while ago, but the seat bottom looked too tough at the time.
#54
For those that have done this, is there room to use a larger fan? I wonder if a larger one would spin less rpms and be OEM quiet but still push the same amount of air.
I see some stock is 60 x 10 and some used 80x15 or 80x25. What about 90 or 120?
I see some stock is 60 x 10 and some used 80x15 or 80x25. What about 90 or 120?
#55
Junior Member
adding larger seat fans
Hey Craig
Generally, the best way to make seat fans more effective is to make them larger so as to make them move more air. The caveat is that with your backside firmly pressed against the seat cushion, there is not enought pressure generated by these (or any) fans so as to push the air across your skin.
However, larger fans do feel better and in order for them to fit the seat, you do have to cut out some of the cushioning, as described by the OP.
S-class (and I presume CL, SL and Maybach) have different seats so the procedure is slightly different than that in the E (and likely, your CLS). Of the sizes you mentioned, go with the 15mm deep models for your CLS as I suspect it'll fit easily. If you go with 25mm deep fans, they'll stick out of the cushion by a few mm. 10:1 it'll work just fine, but the spinning blades may rub against the seat innards when you close it up.
QUOTE=craig.vanderver;5697584]For those that have done this, is there room to use a larger fan? I wonder if a larger one would spin less rpms and be OEM quiet but still push the same amount of air.
I see some stock is 60 x 10 and some used 80x15 or 80x25. What about 90 or 120?[/QUOTE]
Generally, the best way to make seat fans more effective is to make them larger so as to make them move more air. The caveat is that with your backside firmly pressed against the seat cushion, there is not enought pressure generated by these (or any) fans so as to push the air across your skin.
However, larger fans do feel better and in order for them to fit the seat, you do have to cut out some of the cushioning, as described by the OP.
S-class (and I presume CL, SL and Maybach) have different seats so the procedure is slightly different than that in the E (and likely, your CLS). Of the sizes you mentioned, go with the 15mm deep models for your CLS as I suspect it'll fit easily. If you go with 25mm deep fans, they'll stick out of the cushion by a few mm. 10:1 it'll work just fine, but the spinning blades may rub against the seat innards when you close it up.
QUOTE=craig.vanderver;5697584]For those that have done this, is there room to use a larger fan? I wonder if a larger one would spin less rpms and be OEM quiet but still push the same amount of air.
I see some stock is 60 x 10 and some used 80x15 or 80x25. What about 90 or 120?[/QUOTE]
#56
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2006 E55, 1997 Mustang Cobra Conv
Funny I was JUST YESTERDAY asking someone if there was a way to upgrade the seat ventilation! Very nice write up, I see a cheap mod in my near future...going to go find me some new fans! Only problem is I don't own a dremel, so will have to find someone who does...If anyone on the board lives in/near Marlton NJ & has the equipment to do it & wants to do this at the same time, let me know...
#57
I see others who have used a 25mm so I am not worried about the depth. The only downside that I have read is the noise so I wonder if there is enough space to go bigger that 80mm. Of there is that opens up options for fans that spin less rpms and get the same airflow so will be quiet.
#58
Member
Funny I was JUST YESTERDAY asking someone if there was a way to upgrade the seat ventilation! Very nice write up, I see a cheap mod in my near future...going to go find me some new fans! Only problem is I don't own a dremel, so will have to find someone who does...If anyone on the board lives in/near Marlton NJ & has the equipment to do it & wants to do this at the same time, let me know...
#59
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2006 E55, 1997 Mustang Cobra Conv
Thanks for the offer, I may take you up on it! Do you have any interest in doing the same mod?
On a side note, was at the Hammonton show today, there was a gorgeous GNX
http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/p...psb509e0a7.jpg
#60
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'06 E55
I just picked up four of these:
b-blaster? More like B-hole blaster, amirite? I'm going to be cooling off the grundle region nicely. Well, my back region... but that should lead to cooler taint and all of that.
These bad mamma-jammas are dual ball bearing, 3500rpm and move a massive 62ft^3 of air per minute at only 39dB. Only 8 bucks a pop at Fry's.
b-blaster? More like B-hole blaster, amirite? I'm going to be cooling off the grundle region nicely. Well, my back region... but that should lead to cooler taint and all of that.
These bad mamma-jammas are dual ball bearing, 3500rpm and move a massive 62ft^3 of air per minute at only 39dB. Only 8 bucks a pop at Fry's.
#62
Member
Yup, that would be me. You are the only E55 I have run into (err, poor choice of words...) on the roads since acquiring mine!
Thanks for the offer, I may take you up on it! Do you have any interest in doing the same mod?
On a side note, was at the Hammonton show today, there was a gorgeous GNX
http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/p...psb509e0a7.jpg
Thanks for the offer, I may take you up on it! Do you have any interest in doing the same mod?
On a side note, was at the Hammonton show today, there was a gorgeous GNX
http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/p...psb509e0a7.jpg
#63
If you could get a 92mm in there I was thinking of this...it says 31cfm and it is quiet
Noctua NF-B9 92mm Fan
Rotational Speed (+/- 10%): 1600 RPM
Airflow: 64,3 m³/h Acoustical Noise: 17,6 dB(A)
Noctua NF-B9 92mm Fan
Rotational Speed (+/- 10%): 1600 RPM
Airflow: 64,3 m³/h Acoustical Noise: 17,6 dB(A)
#64
Member
Just thinking here, but has anyone tried reversing polarity with the fan wires so it blows instead of sucks? We may feel it then. I may try that before i put my fans in to see the difference.
#65
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2006 E55, 1997 Mustang Cobra Conv
Sounds like a good idea, but then again, if you're going to go thru all the trouble of getting to the fans, part of me wonders why not just change 'em out? I might try the polarity switch first...
#67
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#69
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'06 E55
I just wired up one of my fans and tested it. Sitting directly behind it with the seat still open, car off, I could barely hear the new fan. You could probably get away with a ridiculously powerful fan and not hear it with the seat buttoned up and the car running.
#70
Strange because others have complained about the noise with new fans and the ones you bought spin a lot of rpms and are 39dB. I wonder what the dB is on the three settings(low, med, high).
I have a CLS with a different seat but does it look like a 90mm would fit in there? What about 100mm?
I have a CLS with a different seat but does it look like a 90mm would fit in there? What about 100mm?
#71
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'06 E55
I took a video of the fans on with the seat open. I'll upload it later so you can hear for yourself.
There definitely is enough room to put a pair of 92mm fans, or even larger. Not sure of the power draw on the bigger fans or how much over the stock fans we can go. Quite a bit, I'd imagine.
With this fan swap, there is no perceived difference between high and medium. I have high, high again, and low. But really, who has used medium? That's right, nobody.
Oh, and the seat on my '06 is a little different and slightly more difficult. That easy to remove spring is not there. I took a pic I will upload later.
There definitely is enough room to put a pair of 92mm fans, or even larger. Not sure of the power draw on the bigger fans or how much over the stock fans we can go. Quite a bit, I'd imagine.
With this fan swap, there is no perceived difference between high and medium. I have high, high again, and low. But really, who has used medium? That's right, nobody.
Oh, and the seat on my '06 is a little different and slightly more difficult. That easy to remove spring is not there. I took a pic I will upload later.
#73
MBWorld Fanatic!
My seat coolers were not performing very well, and I came across this thread. I got the B-blast coolers but I got the B-blaster 90s.
Airflow 78 CFM
Pressure: 5.5 mmH2O.
This was one of the highest performing fans with lower fan noise that I could find - Thanks to Denroll for doing the 80s. The 90s draw 0.5A each vs 0.34A ea. for the 80s. No issues with stock system supplying current to these fans.
I almost did the 120s since CFM was higher and they were lower current draw, but the pressure was also lower, I wanted higher pressure to push through the material .. the 90s push really well. I believe 120s will fit but it is a little tight.
I did make some changes to what others did - I did not dremel the fans down. I cut square holes that were slightly smaller than the housing and squeeze in the housing so the material forms tightly around the fans. I did this for 2 reasons:
1. I am lazy - easier to cut squares than circles and can keep stock fans - no dremel needed.
2. More importantly, the side that needed to be cut would have compromised the structure of the entire fan since the fan motor is held on that side.
The only other things I did that I did not see mentioned were:
- I heatshrinked all the connections. I try to avoid tape because it degrades and falls off.
- I zip-tied the felt material to each fan (after cutting larger holes).
- Mine has airbags in the seats. I disconnected batteries (main and aux) and let it sit for for a couple of hours. I didn't want the risk of setting off the airbags.
Last note is, I must have a late 2005 model - seems to be the same seat as 2006 models. The springs don't exist, instead there are hooks that go to the edge of the seat on each side - it was a bit of a pain to detach them. I only did one side not both.
Thanks to everyone else that contributed to this thread.
*Edit* not sure why tinypic is showing my picture upside down. I tried to rotate and re-upload but it's still the same
Airflow 78 CFM
Pressure: 5.5 mmH2O.
This was one of the highest performing fans with lower fan noise that I could find - Thanks to Denroll for doing the 80s. The 90s draw 0.5A each vs 0.34A ea. for the 80s. No issues with stock system supplying current to these fans.
I almost did the 120s since CFM was higher and they were lower current draw, but the pressure was also lower, I wanted higher pressure to push through the material .. the 90s push really well. I believe 120s will fit but it is a little tight.
I did make some changes to what others did - I did not dremel the fans down. I cut square holes that were slightly smaller than the housing and squeeze in the housing so the material forms tightly around the fans. I did this for 2 reasons:
1. I am lazy - easier to cut squares than circles and can keep stock fans - no dremel needed.
2. More importantly, the side that needed to be cut would have compromised the structure of the entire fan since the fan motor is held on that side.
The only other things I did that I did not see mentioned were:
- I heatshrinked all the connections. I try to avoid tape because it degrades and falls off.
- I zip-tied the felt material to each fan (after cutting larger holes).
- Mine has airbags in the seats. I disconnected batteries (main and aux) and let it sit for for a couple of hours. I didn't want the risk of setting off the airbags.
Last note is, I must have a late 2005 model - seems to be the same seat as 2006 models. The springs don't exist, instead there are hooks that go to the edge of the seat on each side - it was a bit of a pain to detach them. I only did one side not both.
Thanks to everyone else that contributed to this thread.
*Edit* not sure why tinypic is showing my picture upside down. I tried to rotate and re-upload but it's still the same
Last edited by turbo97se; 07-31-2013 at 03:35 AM.
#74
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2005 E55, 2011 Honda Push Mower (21 inch deck bishes)
Well I'm sold. 4 B-Blasters coming my way. This Florida heat is too much to take.
Great info in this thread!
The place where I get all my PC gear from has them.. Schweetness
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835132021
Great info in this thread!
The place where I get all my PC gear from has them.. Schweetness
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835132021
#75
How interesting. I never considered the pressure of the fans. So the answers everyone wants:
- With the B Blaster 90's is there a difference in high, med, low?
- How is the noise on high?
- With the B Blaster 90's is there a difference in high, med, low?
- How is the noise on high?