EnergiCCAATS Posted June 3, 2015 at 04:20 PM Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 at 04:20 PM I'm wondering if I have a problem with my cooled seats, or if others experience similar performance. When FIRST turning on cooled seats, I feel cool air both from the seat bottom on my butt and rear on my lower back. After having on for several minutes (maybe 10-15 minutes later) I seem to be getting much less "cool air" overall, and eventually only feel cooling on the seat bottom. The rear actually feels like it starts HEATING and even after recycling on/off, I can't get ANY cooling out of the rear/lower rear of seat-back....it literally feels as if the seat HEATERS are on in the rear portion of the seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonzo71 Posted June 3, 2015 at 06:30 PM Report Share Posted June 3, 2015 at 06:30 PM I dont have them on mine since Ford came out in 15 with it, but my wife Explorer has it and a few days ago, I thought I felt the same as you. I wasnt there long enough that day but meaning to check it out more. I'll have to keep an eye on this topic and maybe by this weekend, I'll know more with the wife's car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnergiCCAATS Posted June 11, 2015 at 03:52 AM Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 at 03:52 AM (edited) There's definitely something wrong, today within 5 minutes of operation, the seat back was getting VERY HOT while the seat bottom was cool. It definitely felt like the seat HEATER was on in the rear seat back, but the seat bottom was nice and cold. Edited June 11, 2015 at 03:53 AM by EnergiCCAATS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum15Ti Posted June 11, 2015 at 10:05 AM Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 at 10:05 AM Mine blows cool air from the seat back and bottom, however it doesn't blow very hard even on high compared to other cars I've driven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastphemy Posted June 11, 2015 at 04:03 PM Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 at 04:03 PM When FIRST turning on cooled seats, I feel cool air both from the seat bottom on my butt and rear on my lower back. After having on for several minutes (maybe 10-15 minutes later) I seem to be getting much less "cool air" overall, and eventually only feel cooling on the seat bottom. That's pretty much how it feels to me too: Initially a lot of cool air on the seat bottom, a hint of cooling in the lower back, and none for my upper back. After a while, all I feel is a very cold seat bottom and barely any (if any) cooling coming from behind. Shame that these seats weren't engineered to provide the reverse experience, because I'd much rather have my entire back cold than just my butt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expresspotato Posted June 16, 2015 at 07:20 AM Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 at 07:20 AM There's definitely something wrong, today within 5 minutes of operation, the seat back was getting VERY HOT while the seat bottom was cool. It definitely felt like the seat HEATER was on in the rear seat back, but the seat bottom was nice and cold. The back of your seat is supposed to get hot. The cooled seats use a thermoelectric module called a Peltier. So long as the fan is spinning its all good... One side gets hot and the other side gets cold when electricity is applied. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_generator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonzo71 Posted June 16, 2015 at 01:12 PM Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 at 01:12 PM (edited) The back of your seat is supposed to get hot. The cooled seats use a thermoelectric module called a Peltier. So long as the fan is spinning its all good... One side gets hot and the other side gets cold when electricity is applied. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_generatorhe said very hot and Even then, I'm not so sure. It wouldnt make sense for your seat to get hot (unless you have your seat warmer on ;) )I finally rode in the wife's explorer and the bottom is cool/cold (depends on settings) and nowhere else did it get warm/hot. If it gets hot/very hot, you need to get it checked. Unless its a heater or in the sun, nothing should be hot..... Edited June 17, 2015 at 11:33 AM by lonzo71 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastphemy Posted June 16, 2015 at 04:08 PM Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 at 04:08 PM The back of your seat is supposed to get hot. That makes absolutely no sense (not your explanation of the Peltier module, but rather that the electronics are actually set up that way in the seat at all). Ford wouldn't be so daft as to offer cooled seats that actually heat the seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expresspotato Posted June 19, 2015 at 03:54 PM Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 at 03:54 PM That makes absolutely no sense (not your explanation of the Peltier module, but rather that the electronics are actually set up that way in the seat at all). Ford wouldn't be so daft as to offer cooled seats that actually heat the seats.The driver side gets cold, the back of the seat gets hot. Why are you so confused? Feel free to go to your dealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastphemy Posted June 19, 2015 at 04:33 PM Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 at 04:33 PM Are we talking about the same thing? To clarify, by "seat back" I mean the portion of the seat in contact with my lower and upper back, not the part of the seat that passengers in the rear seats can see. If you're trying to say that heat is dissipated out the back of the seat so the front portion of the upper seat can be cooled, that's reasonable. But if you're trying to say that cooled seats cool the bottom cushion and heat the upper cushion, then you're far out in left field. My dealership confirmed that cooled seats are supposed to cool the seats (both the upper and lower portions), not heat them! lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnergiCCAATS Posted June 22, 2015 at 03:07 PM Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2015 at 03:07 PM The back of your seat is supposed to get hot. The cooled seats use a thermoelectric module called a Peltier. So long as the fan is spinning its all good... One side gets hot and the other side gets cold when electricity is applied. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_generator NO, what I meant was the UPPER part of the seat (behind my back) is getting HOT after several minutes of operation. Sitting in the seat, it literally feels like the seat HEATER is on in the upper part of the seat while the BOTTOM of the seat (under my butt) is cold. I'm guessing a dealer visit will be in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastphemy Posted June 22, 2015 at 04:47 PM Report Share Posted June 22, 2015 at 04:47 PM NO, what I meant was the UPPER part of the seat (behind my back) is getting HOT after several minutes of operation. Sitting in the seat, it literally feels like the seat HEATER is on in the upper part of the seat while the BOTTOM of the seat (under my butt) is cold. I'm guessing a dealer visit will be in order. Let us know what your dealer finds, EnergiCCAATS. That's definitely not how the cooled seat function is supposed to work. Perhaps whatever portion of the mechanism that's supposed to vent the heat out of the seat is misdirecting it towards your back, or maybe some internal insulation is out of place? Looking forward to your eventual update. My own seatback doesn't get hot when I turn on the cooling function, but it also doesn't get very cold (if at all). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isaaktnt Posted August 5, 2015 at 03:36 PM Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 at 03:36 PM (edited) Ok this is very weird because I have used this feature practically everyday for the last month and thought it actually worked great until stumbling on this thread. Mine is as Blastphemy described, very cool at the bottom and neutral at the lower back and upper... until of course yesterday. I tried setting the memory seat for the first time using button 3 and pressing lock button on my remote after the second chime... didn't work of course, so I hopped into my car and drove off blasting the AC and using the seat cool feature. About 5 minutes later I notice the lower back portion got uncomfortably hot. Pull over and indeed the lower back portion is hot! the seat is cool.. the upper back is normal. Touch the passenger seat and the whole seat is normal temp. Turned on the seat cooler for that and the same thing... WTF I am not sure its related but that was the only thing I did yesterday. I'll try to reset the whole seat memory and key feature to see if that works. Edited August 5, 2015 at 03:56 PM by isaaktnt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isaaktnt Posted August 6, 2015 at 06:18 PM Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 at 06:18 PM I am unable to reproduce this when the seat is not hot, which leads me to believe the fans blows the AC air from bottom up and pushes the heat up to the back. I can reproduce it when the seat been sitting in the sun all day.. and its still hot even after running it for 15 min. This is rather disappointing. But at least I know that the heating is not mistakenly activated. I will take a longer drive to see if it will eventually cool down the whole seat if given enough time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonzo71 Posted August 6, 2015 at 06:41 PM Report Share Posted August 6, 2015 at 06:41 PM I'm sure you checked but check under the seat. Maybe there is something under it that is causing it. I was reading the manual yesterday and I remember it saying dont put anything under the seat . If not, I would take the car in. .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnergiCCAATS Posted August 18, 2015 at 02:34 PM Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 at 02:34 PM An update. I spoke to the service manager at the dealership and he stated that other Fusion owners (non-Energi) have voiced a similar complaint, and they were waiting on Ford engineers to look into it. I told him that I wondered if the fan motor in the rear part of the seat could be what's generating the excessive heat that FEELS like the seat heater is on your mid-lower back after about 15+ mins of operation and he said that was an interesting observation. Haven't heard anything back from them, but don't wanna take it in until Ford engineers have come up with an idea of what's causing this. Others observations above do hold water though that when it is a HOT day, and car has been sitting in the sun is when it's worse....HOWEVER the seat behind my mid-lower back gets MUCH hotter after 10-15 mins of ventilated operation than it was when first getting in the car AND you can feel a hot point when touching the middle of the back of the seat (near the fan). In my opinion this is either a fault or design flaw, because the seat bottom under my butt gets ice cold after 10-15 mins of operation and it has a fan as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybridbear Posted August 18, 2015 at 07:08 PM Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 at 07:08 PM In my opinion this is either a fault or design flaw, because the seat bottom under my butt gets ice cold after 10-15 mins of operation and it has a fan as well.You're probably right. Do other Ford models with cooled seats have this same issue? Or just the Fusion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnBry Posted August 19, 2015 at 01:33 AM Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 at 01:33 AM I was riding home today in 90+ degree Tampa heat and I said "I swear my back is getting HOT". To take subjectivity out of it I ran a test. The whistlepig (my Fusion) was fully charged and in a 31.5C ambient garage for 3 hours. I turned on the car and seat coolers and made sure the A/C vents were pointed away from the seats (although I probably should have turned it off), closed the doors, and let it run for 15 minutes with nobody in the seat. The seat back does get warm from the cooler but not as hot as I thought it felt: It does get pretty hot in the back, I saw temps over 45C at one point so maybe there's a chance that while sitting in the seat it can push against the thermoelectric module somehow? I tried sitting in it for a couple minutes after the test and didn't feel any noticeable heat in my back. The FLIR also showed a pretty even heat distribution when I got up. Rexracer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastphemy Posted August 19, 2015 at 02:18 AM Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 at 02:18 AM Wow - luckily I don't seem to have that problem! All that happens in my 2015 is that the bottom seat gets frigid while the rear seat back barely gets cold at all. I haven't noticed a "hot" spot; just a lack of cooling overall behind my back. Guess I'll bring this to my dealership's attention when I do my first service and see what the technicians say about it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordService Posted August 19, 2015 at 03:28 PM Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 at 03:28 PM I am unable to reproduce this when the seat is not hot, which leads me to believe the fans blows the AC air from bottom up and pushes the heat up to the back. I can reproduce it when the seat been sitting in the sun all day.. and its still hot even after running it for 15 min. This is rather disappointing. But at least I know that the heating is not mistakenly activated. I will take a longer drive to see if it will eventually cool down the whole seat if given enough time. An update. I spoke to the service manager at the dealership and he stated that other Fusion owners (non-Energi) have voiced a similar complaint, and they were waiting on Ford engineers to look into it. I told him that I wondered if the fan motor in the rear part of the seat could be what's generating the excessive heat that FEELS like the seat heater is on your mid-lower back after about 15+ mins of operation and he said that was an interesting observation. Haven't heard anything back from them, but don't wanna take it in until Ford engineers have come up with an idea of what's causing this. Others observations above do hold water though that when it is a HOT day, and car has been sitting in the sun is when it's worse....HOWEVER the seat behind my mid-lower back gets MUCH hotter after 10-15 mins of ventilated operation than it was when first getting in the car AND you can feel a hot point when touching the middle of the back of the seat (near the fan). In my opinion this is either a fault or design flaw, because the seat bottom under my butt gets ice cold after 10-15 mins of operation and it has a fan as well. I was riding home today in 90+ degree Tampa heat and I said "I swear my back is getting HOT". To take subjectivity out of it I ran a test. The whistlepig (my Fusion) was fully charged and in a 31.5C ambient garage for 3 hours. I turned on the car and seat coolers and made sure the A/C vents were pointed away from the seats (although I probably should have turned it off), closed the doors, and let it run for 15 minutes with nobody in the seat. The seat back does get warm from the cooler but not as hot as I thought it felt:... I tried sitting in it for a couple minutes after the test and didn't feel any noticeable heat in my back. The FLIR also showed a pretty even heat distribution when I got up. Wow - luckily I don't seem to have that problem! All that happens in my 2015 is that the bottom seat gets frigid while the rear seat back barely gets cold at all. I haven't noticed a "hot" spot; just a lack of cooling overall behind my back. Guess I'll bring this to my dealership's attention when I do my first service and see what the technicians say about it... Hi guys, I want to check out some options. Please PM me your VIN, mileage, best daytime phone number, full name, and dealer name/location. Meagan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonzo71 Posted August 19, 2015 at 06:40 PM Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 at 06:40 PM I'm going to ask my wife, since she drives the explorer all the time if it happens to her..but she hardly ever uses it because it makes her feel like going to the bathroom :headspin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexracer Posted August 20, 2015 at 04:14 PM Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 at 04:14 PM I was riding home today in 90+ degree Tampa heat and I said "I swear my back is getting HOT". To take subjectivity out of it I ran a test. The whistlepig (my Fusion) was fully charged and in a 31.5C ambient garage for 3 hours. I turned on the car and seat coolers and made sure the A/C vents were pointed away from the seats (although I probably should have turned it off), closed the doors, and let it run for 15 minutes with nobody in the seat. The seat back does get warm from the cooler but not as hot as I thought it felt: It does get pretty hot in the back, I saw temps over 45C at one point so maybe there's a chance that while sitting in the seat it can push against the thermoelectric module somehow? I tried sitting in it for a couple minutes after the test and didn't feel any noticeable heat in my back. The FLIR also showed a pretty even heat distribution when I got up.Oh man, best post i have ever seen, take all the subjective opinions out of it "i feel" "I think" "my brakes are loud" How loud? actual data, love it. Hybridbear and flyingcheesehead 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapnBry Posted August 20, 2015 at 05:44 PM Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 at 05:44 PM Hi guys, I want to check out some options. Please PM me your VIN, mileage, best daytime phone number, full name, and dealer name/location. Meagan I should clarify that I think it's working just fine. My back was warm because it was hot out and there is no cooling in the seat back. I'll provide my information if I can provide any further useful tidbits, but unless the seat back is supposed to be cooled as well I'm perfectly happy with the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastphemy Posted August 20, 2015 at 05:55 PM Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 at 05:55 PM (edited) The seat back is also supposed to be cooled, CapnBry. I'd point you to the manual, but it's full of inaccuracies and omissions, so can't be relied on to support that assertion. For example, page 135 states, "The cooled seats will only function when the engine is running" which is utter nonsense (since I use them all the time in EV Now mode). The manual also states, "If the engine falls below 350 RPM while the ventilated seats are on, the feature will turn itself off; You will need to reactivate it" which has also never happened to me. The reason I know the seat back is supposed to be cooled is because I do feel cooling there initially. It's just that the car can't maintain it. Edited August 20, 2015 at 06:00 PM by Blastphemy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybridbear Posted August 20, 2015 at 08:55 PM Report Share Posted August 20, 2015 at 08:55 PM I'd point you to the manual, but it's full of inaccuracies and omissions, so can't be relied on to support that assertion. For example, page 135 states, "The cooled seats will only function when the engine is running" which is utter nonsense (since I use them all the time in EV Now mode). The manual also states, "If the engine falls below 350 RPM while the ventilated seats are on, the feature will turn itself off; You will need to reactivate it" which has also never happened to me.These sections are obviously just copied from the gas Fusion manual lol there is a lot of that unfortunately. We're considering the Kia Soul EV as a potential replacement for our Focus Electric at lease end. I've been reading through the Soul EV Owner's Manual. In additional to all the poorly translated sentences that don't make a lot of sense there are some sections that are obviously just copied from the gas Soul manual and are not correct for the Soul EV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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