[TonyW1967]

Has anyone had issues with their seat cooling function? Mine is not pumping air into the seat, certainly not the the bottom, although I can sometimes feel it on my back. The system is definitely working, I can hear it running when switched on.

It used to work fully, up until a month or two ago.

[wcr3d]

We would be glad to help you but you may not realize,
this is an F10/11 forum.
If you are not aware, it is not cooling but ventilation.
So the hotter it gets, the less effective.

[lsturbointeg]

Was he referring to the heated seats as AC?

[TonyW1967]

Thanks both, yes, I was aware this wasn't an F07 forum, but there aren't many participants on the F07 forum... (tumbleweed)

It doesn't work well at any temperature, doesn't matter whether its 18 degrees (like today) or 35 degrees (like yesterday.

Isturbointeg, I have both options, heated seats are great, its the cooling function I have issues with.

The cooling function used to work very wel, up to a few months ago.

[wcr3d]

I suspect hosing, my understanding is they use hosing as ducting.
You should be able to look it up here, probably some troubleshooting steps too.
www.newtis.info

[philipm785]

Originally Posted by TonyW1967

Thanks both, yes, I was aware this wasn't an F07 forum, but there aren't many participants on the F07 forum... (tumbleweed)

It doesn't work well at any temperature, doesn't matter whether its 18 degrees (like today) or 35 degrees (like yesterday.

Isturbointeg, I have both options, heated seats are great, its the cooling function I have issues with.

The cooling function used to work very wel, up to a few months ago.

There are multiple fans in these seats, so it's possible that the ones in the back are working and one or more in the seat base have failed. You would still hear the fan if this was the case.

Also, is it possible that the ventilation holes in the seat and/or cushion may have become blocked somehow? Any spills, overly aggressive application of leather cleaner, etc. ?

[Qsilver7]

If you turn the seat ventilation on high (3 illuminated LEDs)...you should be able to feel the the affect of the fans if you place your hand over their location.

I just did this the other day as the temps went up into the 90° F range...and I thought about the threads that discussed this topic and how some say they didn't feel anything. So I stuck my hand under my thighs...and could feel the area around the fans were cooler than other sections.

See the images below that show the locations of the fans:

[TonyW1967]

Thanks All for the input - the fans in every location are working, I put my ear to every location and can hear them whirring.... I just can't feel any air! Looking at the seat leather pores, some look blocked but the majority seem OK, but of course, I can't tell what is behind them.

I'm tempted to pin prick every hole, but don't want to 'push' what may be blocking the pores onto the fans....

So, what's the guidance here now, to get to ?

[Qsilver7]

Just to be clear...the BMW ventilated seats aren't designed to blow air onto you...they are designed (see some of the highlighted text in their description in posts above) to keep the seats comfortable...basically using thermodynamics to keep the surface of the seat from becoming sticky and wet from the occupants perspiration by "wicking" away moisture using the air flowing through the "permeable" layer below the perforated leather.

Since the fans are using ambient temp air...I would also suggest to take a look at how you have the air direction button set on your IHKA control panel. You can select air to blow to the defrost vents/dash vents/floor vents. If you want to "help" the ventilated seat fans...I would suggest selecting that air is blowing to the floor vents (there are vents directly below the front seats) as well as the dash vents (for summer air direction)...and this can help by sending "conditioned" (cooled) air directly below the front passenger seats...which can facilitate the fans in the seat by providing them with cooler air.

See #19 & #9 in the illustration below of the IHKA control panel. You can make multiple air direction selections...but try selecting that at least some of the air is flowing to the floor vents...see if that helps.

[TonyW1967]

many thanks, I'll give that a go! :-)