DrMikeinPD

Here's a good Summer question!!

I've had a 2007 base model LS460 for about six months and the weather is now warm enough that I've turned on the front seat cooling feature a few times. Since the heating feature is so dramatic, I was expecting pretty obvious cooling, but honestly, I'm not sure if it is doing anything. I can't hear a fan.

What does your seat cooling feel like? How exactly does this feature work? If it's not working, what is typically the problem?

Thanks in advance!

Mike near Portland, Oregon, USA

DrMikeinPD

Thanks, which filter would that be?

Also, what does the control actually do? Does it turn on a fan, or open a vent somewhere? I'd like to try to verify that something is happening.

DrMikeinPD

Ah, thanks! That is very helpful! I will take a look under there tomorrow.

SpruceRain

The cooling is certainly far weaker than some other cars I have experienced. I once drove an Infiniti FX37, with dark brown leather seats, after the car had been an entire day in direct sunlight. Put the cooling on max, and it got unpleasantly cold in minutes. On my LS600h I sometimes struggle to tell whether they are active or not.
However!
Sometimes it works pretty well and is very noticeable, especially on the seat section. I think it's not a standalone control, but rather dependent on climate control settings. On hotter days it may start strong along with the climate control blowing cold air, but as the climate control inevitably settles down as temperature target is reached, the cooling effect of the seats fades away as well. If the seat cooling uses a peltier element, it should require quite a lot of cooling for the hot side, so perhaps it can't operate on max power without a supply of cold air from the climate control?

To change the filter, remove the mat (especially if you have the thick luxury mats) as that gives more room to work, and move the seat far forward.
I changed the filter on the driver seat recently, and used an Arago A87383R since it was half the dealer price of the OEM filter.​​

mikebrinda

Weak and ineffective.

UDel

I test drove several LS460's last year and always turned on the AC seats to the highest setting and it just felt very weak, hard to tell if it was even on and not very effective. My GS350 feels like it is blowing air at a higher velocity, feels more effective even if it is not direct AC air but even it does not feel all that noticeable either, just stronger then the LS460's. If you lean forward in my GS you can definitely hear the air coming out of the seats and feel it.

Tlutrick

My wife's RX450 hybrid feels a lot more intense than my LS460 L, but they are still just slightly better. I will say that cleaning or replacing the filter was extremely helpful and made a difference.

sdls

On my '10 it works and it helps but it takes a little while to become noticeable. Same with the heating function. I DO hear the fan when its running.

DrMikeinPD

Thanks for all the advice guys! I found the filter easily and just pulled it straight off. It was only moderately dirty. I started the car and turned the control **** all the way into the blue. For the first time, I could actually feel a little air coming through the tiny holes in the seat, so I decided to leave the filter off for now.

I then decided to do a little experiment while I had the car running....

Using the climate screen, I turned off the A/C and waited a minute. I could still feel the same slight movement of cool air from the seat.

Then I increased the climate control temperature to 78 degrees (the ambient temp was about 70) with the face and foot setting on the screen. I could feel pretty warm air coming out of the dash and below dash vents. The seat still had the same slight flow of cool air.

Then I set the vents to the floor/foot setting. The seat still had the same slight flow of cool air, which felt pretty good as the cabin was beginning to get too warm.

What does this mean? I'm guessing it means that the cooled seat airflow does not come from the main air conditioning system. So where does it come from?

VanCityLS4

iTrader: (1)

The only was these ventilated seats work effectively is if cold air flow is forced to the feet and at moderate and up speed. With the air intake only inches away it needs the ram air effect from the foot vents.

dfkd

Seats in the LS are actually air conditioned (actively cooled) and not just ventilated like the rest of the Lexus line and most competitors.
The 430 and 460 definitely use Peltier elements to actually chill the air flowing in the seats.

Even the S-class just uses fans (ventilation) as far as I know.

imDementeD

iTrader: (7)

I'm not sure what year everyone has but my 2014 feels nice. I haven't had much to compare to but I can absolutely tell a difference from on/off and feel like when I get in my 04 lx470 or 03 Tundra that the damn heater is on when it really isn't.

I will say, some clothing makes it less effective but still noticeable from not being on at all.

Stays on year-round! #Floridian!

DrMikeinPD

That would seem to match up with my little experiment conducted in my garage. Unfortunately, the cooling effect in my 2007 LS460 is so minimal, it would be easy to misunderstand how it works. I took it for a drive today (sunny) and the seat cooling effect was pretty much lost in the overall airflow through the car. I kept trying to feel it with my hand, but gave up so as to not have an accident.