Sorry for a possibly silly question. On a 2001 LS430 if there are those 2 black ***** to the front right side of the shifter, does that confirm there are cooled front seats? Do the same buttons control heat? Would that come on the premium package or another package? The car also has Nav. I'm sure there is no UL option here. I'm not sure how many of this options change from 2001 -2003. Thanks all.

 

If there is blue on the left side of the bezel around the buttons and red on the right side, plus if the seat leather is perforated, the seats are heated and cooled. If the bezel around the buttons are only red and the leather smooth, the seats are heated only. At least that's how it is in 04-06. It seems that a lot of features were more ala-carte in 01-03 rather than being stictly in trim levels (ML, CL, UL, ...) like in 04-06.

 

If you have this switch, you have heated and cooled seats. BTW, i think the heated and cooled seats are only on cars with perforated seats (little holes in them).

 

yep no perforations = no cooled seats. No way to blow cool air into seats without perforations : )

 

i have a question related to this... whats the difference in the heating/cooling when the buttons are pushed in?

 

Pushing the buttons in or leaving them out has no effect on the actual settings.

 

really? i dont feel a difference, but i figured there was some point to it...

 

i think the point of being able to push in the buttons is so it sits flush.

 

It's just an ergonomic thing. When the buttons are in, your adjustment settings are inaccessible and can't accidently be changed and in theory, more visually appealing.

As an aside, and from an ergonomic standpoint, my old LS400's had door handle slots which, when you put your hand in to close the door from inside, felt just like putting on a glove. The LS430 is less 'form fitting' but still much better than any USA designed cars that I've rented when away on business. Just another small (but important) detail the Japanese and other Asian designers seem to have mastered.

Will and the Furry Ones in the OC

 

Yes, I just found out that the car I'm interested in does not have the cooling feature. The ***** that are there are for the heated seats which is just what the Doctor ordered here in Florida!

 

In all fairness, the cooling feature on these seats are not wonderful. While it does circulate air, it just doesn't ever make the seats cool enough to turn the dial down or off.

 

Agree the cooled seats button is the only disappointing feature on my LS especially in the Texas summer. I was expecting arctic blast up the you know what... but nope - the cooling effect is almost imperceptible at least on my car.

 

I never set the cooled seat on my Lincoln MKZ above medium, and seldom set it above low. I love the idea of a cooled seat, but sometimes it can be too much of a good thing. The cooled seat in my LS430 keeps things comfortable, but not iced.

 

on the long drive home from work the seat coolers def help, it dries the sweat in places where it shouldnt be :-) and even gets a little too cold at times, so im satisfied.

 

None really, just pops out to make the ***** more accessible.