I picked up my car in the end of March (I cannot beleive it has already been 2 months), and I have been using the cooled seats and I cannot help but notice that they are terrible. They definately do work decently for the first 20-30 minutes but after that, they are completely useless. I even tried putting my hand on the seat as I realize that I probably just got immune to the cooled seats after sitting in them for a while but I cannot even feel any air at all when I place my hand on the seat. Is there a TSB out for this?

 

I don't know, but I've been using mine lately and love them. I can def feel the air coming out of them and they also fill the cabin with a funny leathery smell. I'm really not sure how they work, but they do produce cool air, so i'm wondering if it's part of the A/C system. I know I can hear fans of sort blowing when I turn on the seat coolers (fanny freezers)

Hmm I wonder if they are using this technology.
http://www.amerigon.com/technology.php

 

if you are on a date and gassy, don't turn this on....

guranteed to magnify the puff really fast.

my brother did it and I had to stop the car for a while with the windows down and the moor open

 

Your car came with a moor option? Wow...that's pretty cool I guess.

 

This is what would be going on in the car if my passenger did the puff test.

 

A couple of days ago I was waiting in a parking lot for a friend and decided to try my ventilated seats...I was very surprised that when set on the highest setting, I could actually feel the air coming up through the seats and hitting my face...I was very impressed.

 

i might have to agree with is250 then. cause mine. well i can feel a little bit of air but not much at all on the highest settings.

from what i know its supposed to re-circulate air, and isn't attached tot he A/C. the bottom is supposed to be mroe powerfull thhan the backs.

anyone want to confirm? might be a problem...

 

Mine aren't working very well either. Wasn't getting any air even though I had it on high and 75 degrees. Been fiddling around with it and it seems that the temperature has to be set about 73 or below and on medium to high for air to come out of them.

 

Turn on your air conditioner but make sure the cold air comes out for both the front vents as well as the foot vents. When you press Auto (A/C), the cold air only comes out of the front vents. When the cold air circulates to the floor of the cabin, it is sucked by the ventilated seats to you tush. It feels a lot colder.

Also, don't forget that the way the seat is positioned and what you are wearing are all factors to how cold your bottom gets.

 

Thanks PhilipMSPT,

I guess my problem was I had it in AUTO. I kept checking that I had it in front and legs and the picture showed it was, but I wasn't really feeling anything on legs, so it must be because I had it in AUTO. Will test your theory tonight and take it off AUTO

 

I've now had the chance to sample the ventilated seats in three ISs. My car, a colleague's IS350, and an IS250AWD loaner. All three were the same, a very weak stream of air that could barely be felt, even with the setting on "3". I agree with the first poster that called them "terrible".

 

[QUOTE=LexusSara]if you are on a date and gassy, don't turn this on....

guranteed to magnify the puff really fast.

QUOTE]

Of course, once you are married you can resume this behavior, LOL.

 

Mine works fine. I love them. When I first try them, i thought it was very cool feature.

 

If you are expecing to feel the cool breeze on your face all the way from the seat you will be dissapointed, but they do work the way they are meant to work.

 

On the AC part of your post, I recently spoke with someone at my local Lexus dealer about these seats and he told me only the LS430 actually has AC hooked up inline with the vented seats (had a name for it, forget what it was) but the other models simply pushed air through them... we spoke specifically about the 2IS and the new ES350