So I love my 98 XLS so far except for one problem. Since I live in Milwaukee I must keep my windows up whenever I am not in the car to prevent it from being stolen. On top of this, the summers are getting more humid and hot. So whenever I sit in my car to go to work or start the 130 mile trip to my parents house I turn the ac on full blast and freeze to death while my back is sweating like a linebacker because the sun has beat down so hard on my car and heated up everything inside.
Here is my idea: An air conditioning system for my driver's seat. Sounds loony, but there is an air conditioning duct underneath each of the front seats. So If I can find a way to put some air conditioning tubing into a Mercedes seat (the perforated leather seats would aid in my cooling) or simply into the padding on the seat in order to cool it. I could easily put a little lever (yes a lever, I realize that's very 19th century for a car) to vent the a/c from the back passengers to my butt and I'd be happy. My passengers wont be happy, but then again most people who get into my car are to amazed by the leg room to notice a minor difference in heat.
I wish it would, then i would just add 3 inches of piping and jam it into the seat. But there is 5 or 6 inches of springs and foam that the A/C needs to travel through before it even gets to the trouble spot... the surface.
It is not crazy, some Infinity's have A/C seat's. It is a great idea, its just are you willing to spend the money to do it the right way, or just do something on the cheap. If you want to keep the stock seats, I would have the leather pulled, and run the tubing and then have them redone with a leather that is purforated.
Yes doing it the proper way would be fairly expensive. Nice, but expensive. I am not too worried about air blowing into my back so much as the leather being cool to the touch. You know when you get into your car and its been in the shade and you touch the leather and it has a nice inviting feeling to it, thats what I want... but when its in 92 degree heat and direct sunlight. If air is coming at it from one side, it will be cold on the other which means I don't "need" perforation. But you're right... I will have to take the seat apart. I would have to weave around the heating elements. Oddly enough... I never turn on my heated seats.... manufacturers are putting in the wrong options IMO.
So lets get these steps right:
1: Remove electical connections
2: remove mounts
3: remove leather
4: remove foam
5: drill holes
6: install ducting
7: install foam
8: install leather
9: connect old ducts to new ducts
10: install mounts
11: connect electrics
You don't really understand what I am getting at. The ducting wouldn't go further than the heating elements so you wouldn't even feel them. It is illegal to tint your windshield and my car faces away from the sun anyway. As for leaving my windows down, car thieves in my area don't mess with cars that have security systems unless the windows are down. Plus I don't want my tools stolen from my trunk and no, I am not going to take them out. If my car breaks down I want to be able to get it into semi-working order so I can drive it to a safe location.
No shop in the area will even tint a windshield. And I know many MPD officers will ticket and attempt to search cars with tinted windshields. Plus tinting a windshield is absurd. Why would you want to make yourself a liability. If you get into an accident and an insurance company or the police find out that you have a tinted windshield it is your fault. You purposefully impaired your vision, even if it is just 50% tints, thus the insurance companies will place the blame on you.
New Avalons have cooled seats in the top of the line trim.
You say 6 inches of "springs and foam". The springs are open, and the padding isn't really too thick. I suggest you pull the seat and examine it upside down, If buckets, they're about 5 minutes per seat to take out, without an air ratchet.
I didn't know the spring to foam ratio. I've taken bucket seats out of cars before. It's just 4 bolts and unplugging the power for the motors and heating element.
I wouldn't cut through my seat belts just to be more comfortable. I also wouldn't tint my windshield to block heat. Its a: illegal, b: a safety hazard and c: an insurance liability. They are both around for safety and there is no reason to reduce the safety they provide us. Sure it reduces interior heat but the danger, cost, and liability involve severely outweigh the convenience.
that would not look good.....more like a sign of ....my crappy old Toyota has no AC....
ac cooled seats are kick as idea, even heated are ok.......my xls has a heated seat option...but no heated seats.....then again is Florida......I love your idea though......
my solution is.....a cheapo remote start (on both cars...) whenever I will have time and some extra 100-200 fro both to spend.....to kinda help with the sweat issue
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