Cooled seats not cooling

[GT Pony]

The TSB replaces the backrest blower motor with a redesigned one that contains a fabric air channel for the hot air to escape.

I thought the "fabric air channel" was to draw air from under the seat ... not to exhaust hot air from the TED. Believe the hot air is still just rejected inside the seat back, and that's why the TSB fix doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

Sponsored

 

[Darko66]

The TSB was issued in September 2015, so likely began to be incorporated in production vehicles around that time.

You can tell if the TSB modified unit is installed by looking under the seat from the backside. If there is a white intake "sock" coming out of the seat flap (see under seat image from TSB), you have the new version.

I thought the "fabric air channel" was to draw air from under the seat ... not to exhaust hot air from the TED. Believe the hot air is still just rejected inside the seat back, and that's why the TSB fix doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

Correct, although it's more that their intake is insufficient then that the hot air being trapped (although that's still an issue). As mentioned, it does solve the hot spot issue though since the fan is no longer overheating.

 

[jasonstang]

The TSB shows to remove the seats to do the fix.

Just sounds like such a pain in the ass.

 

[jasonstang]

The TSB was issued in September 2015, so likely began to be incorporated in production vehicles around that time.

You can tell if the TSB modified unit is installed by looking under the seat from the backside. If there is a white intake "sock" coming out of the seat flap (see under seat image from TSB), you have the new version.



Correct, although it's more that their intake is insufficient then that the hot air being trapped (although that's still an issue). As mentioned, it does solve the hot spot issue though since the fan is no longer overheating.

My car was built in october and it did not have this fix.
I believe it's only a TSB so unless the customer complains, they don't take actions.

 

[ctlaw]

I did the TSB. See the pics for results.

The seats have 2 blower motors, one for the bottom and one for the backrest cooling. The TSB replaces the backrest blower motor with a redesigned one that contains a fabric air channel for the hot air to escape. If you are frustrated with the heat generation in the lower portion of the backrest and you can get the TSB done for free: DO IT.

Pic1 : Before
Pic2 : After

The seat bottom is not "excellent cooling".

At the three-bar setting, you get what should be about two bars of cooling. One bar is negligible.

 

[Darko66]

My car was built in october and it did not have this fix.
I believe it's only a TSB so unless the customer complains, they don't take actions.

Well it was the end of September that the TSB came out, so it might have taken awhile to work its way through. Depends on how far in advance the seats are assembled, I suppose. Although maybe the TSB didn't make it into any 2016 models. Perhaps anyone else with a build date around that time (October 2015 and later) could share.

My opinion though is your better off with the original unit. There will be options to adapt it for improved performance – mine (available soon) and possibly others. I think, but haven't proven yet, that they went with a lower speed fan in the modified unit which greatly limits its ability.

 

[millhouse]

Well it was the end of September that the TSB came out, so it might have taken awhile to work its way through. Depends on how far in advance the seats are assembled, I suppose. Although maybe the TSB didn't make it into any 2016 models. Perhaps anyone else with a build date around that time (October 2015 and later) could share.

My opinion though is your better off with the original unit. There will be options to adapt it for improved performance – mine (available soon) and possibly others. I think, but haven't proven yet, that they went with a lower speed fan in the modified unit which greatly limits its ability.

My build is May 31st, 2016 and it still has the issue. Considering that was the last production day for the 2016 mode year, I'd consider it safe to assume this is an issue on all 2016's.

 

[A7mad]

I thought the "fabric air channel" was to draw air from under the seat ... not to exhaust hot air from the TED. Believe the hot air is still just rejected inside the seat back, and that's why the TSB fix doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

Correct, although it's more that their intake is insufficient then that the hot air being trapped (although that's still an issue). As mentioned, it does solve the hot spot issue though since the fan is no longer overheating.

Corrected my post. Thanks.

I wished that the TSB would make the back cool just as good as the bottom, but oh well. I've had it for a week now and it has never developed heat in the lower region yet, which used to be extremely annoying.

The seat bottom is not "excellent cooling".

At the three-bar setting, you get what should be about two bars of cooling. One bar is negligible.

I agree that the bar system is kind of pointless, I never had the need to go any lower than 3 bars.

 

[DB23]

The f150 guys have a 400+ page thread on this. 2 of the members actually worked with ford on the TSB. http://www.f150forum.com/f118/cooling-seats-issue-tsb-feedback-304154/index425/

One of those fellows is also selling intake AND exhaust kits (for those who haven't done the TSB) or just exhaust kits for those with the TSB done. http://www.dryfilament.com/ford-tsb-seat-cooling.html

As to whether these would work in our seats, who knows. Of course the fact that the f150 seat covers unzip makes the work much easier ...

FWIW, the consensus there is that the lack of exhaust is a bigger problem than the lack of intake.

 

[Stangnut]

Wish we could get some of the Ford guys over here. I would especially love to hear from the original designers and some of those guys who drive the mules to test everything before the car goes into production.

 

[BamBam]

Wish we could get some of the Ford guys over here. I would especially love to hear from the original designers and some of those guys who drive the mules to test everything before the car goes into production.

I don't think anyone really did testing on the seat cooling function.

[ame]

at 8:05 he says that only the seat bottom cushion cools, That's at a press event... I don't know if the developers said that or they found out for themselves though. But I'm thinking the latter since if by design the lower cushion was supposed to be the only cooling part there wouldn't be a fan built in to the seat back.

 

[RockStang]

It's probably been asked already but can we just disconnect the back motor so it doesn't get hot. I can't use mine at all because the back will burn me.

 

[BamBam]

It's probably been asked already but can we just disconnect the back motor so it doesn't get hot. I can't use mine at all because the back will burn me.

The TSB seems to only be good at not warming up the back of the seat, So that might be something worth you having done.

 

[ctlaw]

The f150 guys have a 400+ page thread on this. 2 of the members actually worked with ford on the TSB. http://www.f150forum.com/f118/cooling-seats-issue-tsb-feedback-304154/index425/

One of those fellows is also selling intake AND exhaust kits (for those who haven't done the TSB) or just exhaust kits for those with the TSB done. http://www.dryfilament.com/ford-tsb-seat-cooling.html

As to whether these would work in our seats, who knows. Of course the fact that the f150 seat covers unzip makes the work much easier ...

FWIW, the consensus there is that the lack of exhaust is a bigger problem than the lack of intake.

There are at least two more big differences.

F-150 Cooled seats were not available on the standard cab. Thus, they only are on vehicles that had underseat AC and had plenty of space behind the seat (whereas my driver's seat touches the rear seat bottom and prevents upward airflow).

Of course, that begs the question of why they worked on Fusion and not on F-150. My guess is that F-150 performance is somewhere between mustang performance and Fusion performance. Being a truck, the F-150's seat is higher off the ground and thus is likely farther away from the output of the underseat AC duct (note photos on Tim's kit you linked to http://www.dryfilament.com/ford-tsb-seat-cooling.html). My fix for F-150 would have also included adding a little diverter to the duct outlet to divert some air upward

 

[RubyRed15]

at 8:05 he says that only the seat bottom cushion cools, That's at a press event... I don't know if the developers said that or they found out for themselves though. But I'm thinking the latter since if by design the lower cushion was supposed to be the only cooling part there wouldn't be a fan built in to the seat back.

They just tried to pretend it was "working as designed" to see if the public would buy it and not be infuriated by being sold a product that doesn't work.

Sponsored