How many ventilation fans in one seat?
07-23-15, 02:13 PM
#16
I'm at the dealership right now having my seat coolers looked into. I can confirm what bclexus and jkeller are saying is accurate. Two fans, one in the bottom of the seat, one in backrest. And there is no cooling element, it's just using cabin air. BMW and other makes may have an additional cooling unit, but I can't say for sure as I do not own any of those other vehicles. Right now they're running a diagnostic on my car to see if there are any issues. If so, I'll report back with what the technician says.
Update: So the technicians checked my car against a new one sitting on the lot. To be thorough, or as they claimed, they wrapped the seat in plastic and it expanded as it should have. The fact is, the 4GS cooling seats are just not as powerful or helpful as other car makers. It's definitely a design flaw that Lexus should fix in future vehicles (since they can't fix it in the already sold ones). For those of you who are wondering, I have a 2015 4GS. I don't know if there is a difference in how it works compared to 13 or 14 4GS versions. Sorry I couldn't be anymore help.
Update: So the technicians checked my car against a new one sitting on the lot. To be thorough, or as they claimed, they wrapped the seat in plastic and it expanded as it should have. The fact is, the 4GS cooling seats are just not as powerful or helpful as other car makers. It's definitely a design flaw that Lexus should fix in future vehicles (since they can't fix it in the already sold ones). For those of you who are wondering, I have a 2015 4GS. I don't know if there is a difference in how it works compared to 13 or 14 4GS versions. Sorry I couldn't be anymore help.
Last edited by djkidd; 07-23-15 at 05:12 PM.
07-23-15, 06:32 PM
#17
Lexus Test Driver
The problem with blowing air through the seats to cool them, is the seat design itself. When the seats make contact for such a large surface area (which is good), there is no room for the fans to blow air. Like others have mentioned, the static pressure must be overcome IN ADDITION to blowing air hard enough to make the person seated feel cooler. It's a no-win situation for the way our seats are designed, because your body is making solid contact with every place the fan is blowing.
They need to rethink the entire design because this isn't very effective. Would adding fans help? Maybe, but how many and where do you stick them? At the bottom / back junction? Above the shoulders aiming down?
My suggestion is a system that other manufacturers have used. Liquid cooling through little hoses under the surface. The goal of cooling yourself is to remove heat, and this way works well, and you don't get fan noise above and beyond what the AC is already providing. Packaging is the main problem (because you add water pumps in the seats and the associated plumbing attaching it to the dash), but that's for engineering to worry about.
They need to rethink the entire design because this isn't very effective. Would adding fans help? Maybe, but how many and where do you stick them? At the bottom / back junction? Above the shoulders aiming down?
My suggestion is a system that other manufacturers have used. Liquid cooling through little hoses under the surface. The goal of cooling yourself is to remove heat, and this way works well, and you don't get fan noise above and beyond what the AC is already providing. Packaging is the main problem (because you add water pumps in the seats and the associated plumbing attaching it to the dash), but that's for engineering to worry about.
07-23-15, 09:12 PM
#19
man those who complains about the 4gs cooling seats, you guys should really try the 3gs ones -- talk about useless. the 3gs ones were so horrible it wasn't even funny, the 4gs ones are so much better already.
with that said, yes i agree it can still be improved further. the ones in my s550 were very strong and cooled down the seats fast
with that said, yes i agree it can still be improved further. the ones in my s550 were very strong and cooled down the seats fast
07-24-15, 12:59 PM
#20
I feel the 15 is better. I see control buttons are different so not sure if design is improved but I definitely can feel it cooler than my 13. Last year this time when I got home the seats were still hot. I felt the fans made it worse but dealer said it was working fine 
07-25-15, 01:47 PM
#21
Lexus Test Driver
Ha, I got some perspective today. My friend has an E46 M3 and I let him drive my car today. He noticed the HUD first then kept commenting about the seat coolers. "My next car will have seat coolers" was his last declaration.
I think they're better than we realize but they're most effective when the cabin is already cool. One thing I've wondered about is the button that shuts down air to the rear passengers. If you turned that off, and allowed air to divert to the rear, would the fans pick up that cold air and therefore be more effective? I know there are tunnels under the front seats that blow heater air to the rear passengers, but I am not sure if cold air is also funneled through there, or if it's strictly focused through the center console armrest vents.
Anyone care to test the theory?
I think they're better than we realize but they're most effective when the cabin is already cool. One thing I've wondered about is the button that shuts down air to the rear passengers. If you turned that off, and allowed air to divert to the rear, would the fans pick up that cold air and therefore be more effective? I know there are tunnels under the front seats that blow heater air to the rear passengers, but I am not sure if cold air is also funneled through there, or if it's strictly focused through the center console armrest vents.
Anyone care to test the theory?
07-25-15, 02:51 PM
#22
If you move the driver's seat all the way forward you can see the floor vents for rear seat passengers. If you manually put the ac to blow from dash vents and the floor vents simultaneously, then the bottom cushion fan will draw up some of that heated or cooled air. How effective this is will be determined by where drivers seat is positioned IE fan intake just slightly behind floor vents output. If your seat is too far forward then you seat fan intake will be too far ahead of the floor vents to be effective.
07-26-15, 10:38 AM
#23
Well put me in the camp that is happy with my vented seats!
They are perfect! My body parts in contact with the seat don't sweat like they did with perforated but non vented seats. And my body parts don't get too cold either, I would hate feeling cold on my back and other body parts
And to be honest other than ducting the air directly from A/C I don't know what else they could do, a stronger blower would just blow more air around your body parts (path of least resistance).
To get enough air flow past your body parts, you'd have a system designed like a hover craft (but with a multi stage air compressor). And if they could get the air pressure high enough, you'd be floating in your seat as the sound of the compressors deafened you lol
I think the water cooling idea would work great though!
They are perfect! My body parts in contact with the seat don't sweat like they did with perforated but non vented seats. And my body parts don't get too cold either, I would hate feeling cold on my back and other body parts
And to be honest other than ducting the air directly from A/C I don't know what else they could do, a stronger blower would just blow more air around your body parts (path of least resistance).
To get enough air flow past your body parts, you'd have a system designed like a hover craft (but with a multi stage air compressor). And if they could get the air pressure high enough, you'd be floating in your seat as the sound of the compressors deafened you lol
I think the water cooling idea would work great though!
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Robertcave (05-30-22)
07-26-15, 11:27 AM
#24
Pole Position
Thread Starter
Well put me in the camp that is happy with my vented seats!
They are perfect! My body parts in contact with the seat don't sweat like they did with perforated but non vented seats. And my body parts don't get too cold either, I would hate feeling cold on my back and other body parts
And to be honest other than ducting the air directly from A/C I don't know what else they could do, a stronger blower would just blow more air around your body parts (path of least resistance).
To get enough air flow past your body parts, you'd have a system designed like a hover craft (but with a multi stage air compressor). And if they could get the air pressure high enough, you'd be floating in your seat as the sound of the compressors deafened you lol
I think the water cooling idea would work great though!
They are perfect! My body parts in contact with the seat don't sweat like they did with perforated but non vented seats. And my body parts don't get too cold either, I would hate feeling cold on my back and other body parts
And to be honest other than ducting the air directly from A/C I don't know what else they could do, a stronger blower would just blow more air around your body parts (path of least resistance).
To get enough air flow past your body parts, you'd have a system designed like a hover craft (but with a multi stage air compressor). And if they could get the air pressure high enough, you'd be floating in your seat as the sound of the compressors deafened you lol
I think the water cooling idea would work great though!
And obviously, have 4 god damn fans.
07-26-15, 12:54 PM
#25
Lexus Champion
But sucking the air instead of blowing might cause smell problems since all moisture/sweat will be sucked into the seat. Maybe that's why it has a perfume dispenser...haha
07-26-15, 06:03 PM
#26
07-27-15, 07:51 AM
#27
The seat coolers are pretty much the same as the 3GS whic we just traded in. I noticed a lot of the effectiveness comes down to what your wearing. Thin t shirt and shorts and you definitely notice them. Hoodie and jeans not so much. But on the other hand in comparison to my brother in laws old M45 those seats chilled the hell out of the "boys" regardless of what you were wearing.
07-27-15, 12:24 PM
#28
Pole Position
Thread Starter
The seat coolers are pretty much the same as the 3GS whic we just traded in. I noticed a lot of the effectiveness comes down to what your wearing. Thin t shirt and shorts and you definitely notice them. Hoodie and jeans not so much. But on the other hand in comparison to my brother in laws old M45 those seats chilled the hell out of the "boys" regardless of what you were wearing.
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AlexDev (05-30-22)
07-27-15, 12:46 PM
#29
Lexus Test Driver
Do they suck in air or blow air out of the seats?