Upgrade/boost the front seat ventilation?

[r2m]

I've done some searching here but can't find anything on this topic.

About a month or so ago I did the Porsche Experience, here in Carson, CA. I was zipping around the track and other features that they have there having a good 'ol time (by the way, that is a REAL hoot!!!) and started getting quite warm from the workout. My instructor turned on the A/C and the ventilated seats and it was AWESOME! I almost felt like an air hockey puck being elevated! Cooled me down immediately. These new Porsche's have incredible seats with cooling!

In contrast, I can barely feel the air flow from my GX's front ventilated seats. When I say I can barely feel the air flow, I mean with my hand against the seat back! I don't feel it at all with a shirt on and sitting in my rig with the seat cooling ventilator on.

Question: Is is possible to upgrade or boost the ventilation (cooling) of the front seats? Has anyone ever tried to replace the fan with a larger blower/fan or something? Are there any tricks to get more ventilation? Any ideas?

 

[Qball]

Great question! I am quite disappointed with the seats' cooling ability or lack of cooling ability. As you stated all the European cars and even american cars that have cooling seats blows away the lexus cooling seat....quite literally.

 

[r2m]

I haven't tried the cardboard or floor mat trick to see if it improves cooling but the heated seats in the 460s are without a doubt the best I have ever had on any Japanese vehicle. They can actually get too hot and heat up so quickly.

I agree with you about the heated seats! Way better than my 100 series Landcruiser!

 

[r2m]

I just purchased from Amazon a 200mm x 200mm x 30mm 12 VDC fan that pushes 130 CFM that I'm going to stick under my seat and see if that helps the seat and back fan develop a little more flow.
My logic is if kicking up the floor mats in the rear seats to divert the air flow from going through the bottom of the seat to the rear seats, instead to flow upwards to the front seat cushions provides a little more flow, then maybe just adding a large 8" fan right under the seat might do better?
Heck for $15 clams, why not??
If it works, $30 dollars for two fans (one for each front seat) and wiring it into the seat cushion wiring to work with the existing console rotatory switches may be a cheap and functional way of keeping us cool in the upcoming months!

I should be getting the fan in today or tomorrow.
I'll keep this thread posted of my experiment.

 

[JALinker]

I just purchased from Amazon a 200mm x 200mm x 30mm 12 VDC fan that pushes 130 CFM that I'm going to stick under my seat and see if that helps the seat and back fan develop a little more flow.
My logic is if kicking up the floor mats in the rear seats to divert the air flow from going through the bottom of the seat to the rear seats, instead to flow upwards to the front seat cushions provides a little more flow, then maybe just adding a large 8" fan right under the seat might do better?
Heck for $15 clams, why not??
If it works, $30 dollars for two fans (one for each front seat) and wiring it into the seat cushion wiring to work with the existing console rotatory switches may be a cheap and functional way of keeping us cool in the upcoming months!

I should be getting the fan in today or tomorrow.
I'll keep this thread posted of my experiment.

And then?

 

[MCDavis]

IIRC, the ventilation in the 460 is the seat bottom only.

 

[r2m]

If I remember correctly when I was doing my testing, there is air being pushed through the seat back, albeit, not much. I had to measure it with a post it note being held about 1/4" from the surface and noting the deflection.

 

[r2m]

And then?

I kind of dropped this after trying a few experiments to no avail. I know... I should have posted my findings. This is what I tried:
I used Post-It note paper (85mm x 85mm) since it is a common material known to everyone. Applied it to a block of wood about 1/4" thick so the block of wood would rest on the seat with the Post-It being 1/4" off the surface of the seat. This was done on the drivers seat to both the horizontal part of the seat (e.g. where you butt goes) and vertical (seat back). The Post-It note would be my pressure meter where I would measure the deflection of the Post-It note when air pressed upon it. Then with my static calibers:

1. Measured static distance of Post-It from seat surface. This would be my baseline measurement. We'll call this measurement "X"
2. Turned on (seat cooler) air flow to full. and measured the deflection from the air flow pushing against the Post-It note. We'll call the deflection measurement "Y" (I don't remember the deflection distance).
3. Added 200mm x 200mm fan under the seat wired directly to 12 VDC. Result: Still measurement "Y" because the Post-It did not change deflection (bend more) with the added air flow.
4. I then used my garage air compressor and nozzle to blow air up the seat bottom and back. The result was an increase in air flow through the seats, but who's going blow 6 CFM at 90 PSI up through their seats?

Thus I lost interest and dropped any further work on the project.
Note: I did get a noticeable difference in "coolness" when I had the air conditioner on and used the floor/feet setting to direct air down to my feet and thus would flow under the seat. There wasn't really any difference in air flow, but it was noticeably cooler on my bum and back.