[DadzC7]

Anyone with another car that has A/C seats think these seats in the Corvette are very weak? In my Cayman I can feel the A/C coming out and it actually cools me down, same with my Wife's Explorer and any other car I have owned with A/C seats, which has been at least 10 or so. I can barely feel the A/C coming out. I turned on the passenger side when no one was in it and I could hear it turn on but really couldn't feel much with my hand. Drivers side is about the same. Pretty disappointing if this is normal. One of my requirements for any car I buy is A/C seats, especially with a convertible and living in Florida.

So if anyone else has them and has noticed they are much weaker then another brand they may have owned, or if the opposite is true and they work well, please let me know. I am waiting to bring it to the Dealer for its first oil change and to fix the up/down of the stereo, this may be something else to add to the list.

I do have to say that if they are working properly, they are poorly designed!

 

[mjw930]

The Corvette seats, as well as the seats you describe having owned are not Air Conditioned, they simply draw fresh air through the seat to allow evaporative cooling to work it's magic. It's possible the volume of air in the C7 seat is different / lower than to others you describe but none of them actually cool the air, they are called "Ventilated" seats, not "Air Conditioned" seats.

The other thing may be whether the C7 seats push or pull air. The most effective seats pull air through the seat but that confuses people since they expect to feel cold air being pushed out of the seat. I don't have mine yet (pickup Thursday) so I can't make any 1st hand observations on their performance.

I had the same issue with the vented seats in my 2 Jeep Grand Cherokee's. I noticed the SRT with the suede inserts didn't seem to work as well as the full leather seats I had in the Overland. They were the identical seat design so it was chalked up to the difference in material causing less sweating so therefore less evaporative cooling with the suede inserts. Both of the Jeep seats pulled air through the seat.

 

[DadzC7]

Interesting. I would swear the ones in my Cayman have A/C, they are cold. if it is just drawing air, wouldn't it be warm?

Where is Ormond are you? I too am in Ormond, in Hunters Ridge.

 

[mjw930]

I'm over by the river off Beach St.

Here's the Cayman seat description from the Porsche site.

Seat heating and ventilation

A seat heating function is available as an option for all seats. Seats are heated in the cushion, backrest and side bolsters. In conjunction with seat heating, we can also equip your seats with seat ventilation on request. A slipstream effect is produced by active ventilation of the perforated seat center and backrest and by passive aeration at the side bolsters. This evaporates perspiration moisture and therefore makes for a dry and pleasant seating environment, even in hot weather.

They aren't air conditioned but they certainly may move more air.

 

[Mobius]

I don't have mine yet (pickup Thursday) so I can't make any 1st hand observations on their performance.

I've been using mine regularly during 80+ degree top-down driving, and there is a noticeable effect, especially when they are first turned on and you can immediately feel the cooling. I was a bit surprised how loud the driver seat is at full power (just noteworthy, not excessive), and I usually set the fan speed to level 2 or level 1.

It's a nice feature, and I enjoy it.

The heated seats are great too, when out for a midnight drive and temps have fallen into the 60s...

 

[DadzC7]

I will have mine checked when it is in the Dealer. I for sure think that more air should be moved then what is currently coming out. I can barely feel it on high with my hand and even less with my body while sitting. I can certainly hear it working.

 

[freshayr]

I agree the ventilation is not quite as good as others that I've had. Still better than nothing but definitely not that powerful.

 

[kp51]

If you have the AC blasting the seats will 'feel' like they are cooled since they are moving the cool air that drops down.

If you are driving with the AC off, top off etc you wont really feel much - but you wont stock to the seat either

I've had better, and worse, vented seats. Only so much you can fit in those seats..

 

[freshayr]

I agree the ventilation is not quite as good as others that I've had. Still better than nothing but definitely not that powerful.

Oh, forgot to mention that I have the competition seats, wonder if that makes a difference.

 

[The Rock]

In mine, it feels "cooler" when I take my shirt off!

 

[GrayRayBhamAL]

I agree.
The AC seats are weak. I was thinking of having them looked too. And I have the normal seats.
I'm quite disappointed as well. I was really looking forward to the idea of them this summer.

 

[RUMFITS]

The seats are ventilated seats not AC seats. Do you think if you run the AC to the floor/foot area the ventilated seats will suck up the cool air? I'm not sure as to were or how the ventilated works. Just a thought.


CPL Mo USMC Vet

 

[Ragtop]

Think there is a lot of confusion, lots of people thinking they were air conditioned seats. I didn't know either till I finally started reading the owner's manual. It does help, especially with top down and sun beating down on you. Not a sweaty back yet!

 

[DadzC7]

Thanks for the clarification everyone. A little disappointing they do not work as well as others but better then none at all for sure, especially in a Vert with black interior. I am still going to have them checked out to make sure they are operating properly because I can barely feel anything but a trickle coming out on high and no change when I lower them. So hopefully they can get better. if not, I will just have to suffer I guess.

 

[elegant]

If you are in a convertible, top down, and it is 86 degree out, all the ventilated seats are going to do is to pump 86 degree air at your back and at your thigh/butt -- so it you will not feel much of anything. However, on the same 86 degree days, if you have the top up, have had your air conditioning set at high for a while and the interior cabin temperature is 60-65 degrees, you will feel nice and cool -- not feel as if the back of your shirt is sticking to you. The fans are tiny, perhaps 1 1/2", and that air flow is then sent over a fairly large surface, so you won't feel a "breeze."

As stated above, not an air conditioned seat as some of other GM products are.

 

[mjw930]

If you are in a convertible, top down, and it is 86 degree out, all the ventilated seats are going to do is to pump 86 degree air at your back and at your thigh/butt -- so it you will not feel much of anything. However, on the same 86 degree days, if you have the top up, have had your air conditioning set at high for a while and the interior cabin temperature is 60-65 degrees, you will feel nice and cool -- not feel as if the back of your shirt is sticking to you. The fans are tiny, perhaps 1 1/2", and that air flow is then sent over a fairly large surface, so you won't feel a "breeze."

As stated above, not an air conditioned seat as some of other GM products are.

What's interesting is they seem to push air out where the last ventilated seats I had pulled the air through the seat. Personally, I think pulling the air through the seats is a better way to leverage evaporative cooling.

 

[greggshere]

I tried mine out yesterday for the first time. It was 90 degrees out and the AC was on in the car. They worked great! The wife turned hers off and said it was too cold for her. I put mine on the lowest setting and it was great. Obviously having the AC on is what is going to make them feel nice and cool. Like others have said, if they are recirculating car temperature air you probably won't feel much if the air is warm or hot.

 

[DadzC7]

I drove it yesterday, top up, A/C at 70. 90 outside and the seats still could not be felt on high. I have to assume something is wrong. No one in the passenger seat, turned it on high and could barely feel anything with my hand. I will know soon enough, going to bring it in next week for oil change, lowering bolts and stereo repair and that will be on the list as well.

 

[PoconoG]

What's interesting is they seem to push air out where the last ventilated seats I had pulled the air through the seat. Personally, I think pulling the air through the seats is a better way to leverage evaporative cooling.

If you don't mind your car eventually smelling like body sweat that the seat has sucked into into the cushions from you....then yes....pulling air/sweat into the seat makes sense.

 

[rdslon01]

If you don't mind your car eventually smelling like body sweat that the seat has sucked into into the cushions from you....then yes....pulling air/sweat into the seat makes sense.

That is actually a really good point. I hadn't thought of that...