Ventilated Seats

[marsh1n]

Hi. I have a Late 2016 Model X (AP2.0, MCU1). The car came with ventilated seats that worked well the past few years.

Tesla replaced my drivers seat last week and now the ventilated seat does not do anything. It still works on the passenger seat. Does anyone know if they installed the seat wrong, of does the new seat they installed not come with it? (since new cars don't have this option).

 

[csugar21]

Does the seat look different?

 

[marsh1n]

No. The seat looks the same as it did before. Only a lot cleaner.

 

[BigMskiman]

I have them, but never looked deep into the plumbing. Maybe you can probe around and see a difference between your two seats.

You could also ask the SC to confirm what they installed. Also, does the MCU displays cooling same both sides?

 

[Qbenjamin]

No. The seat looks the same as it did before. Only a lot cleaner.

Your seats should have perforations in them to allow the air to flow through. It may be something as simple as them not connecting the right harness back together.

 

[Fellsteruk]

Check the underneath of the seat and make sure none of the connections are loose or removed, there is a blower unit in the seat you should hear it when on if your parked up and you listen.

Does the MCU tell you it’s on and working? Also does the seat heat as normally or is both heat and sucking/ cooling off?

 

[Brahane]

Best bet is they didn't hook up the wiring right

 

[Happy Kappy]

They either forgot to connect the harness underneath (check all your plugs) or they forgot to do a redeploy of the new module. Either way it is an easy fix so no need to stress. Call service on it if you don't see wires disconnected (two plugs under carpet...don't touch the yellow one...or the three plugs that go into module). They can often push a redeploy down over wifi.

 

[marsh1n]

I took at look under both seats and the wiring looks the same on both. I've sent a message to the service center. I'll report back when I hear their response.

 

[marsh1n]

To follow up on this. The SC pushed a software update which fixed the issue, so I'm all good.

Also, I have to say that the overall service experience has gotten much better in the past few months. I like scheduling the appointment and describing the issue through the app. My SC (Rockville, MD) sends multiple texts to me to help with the issue before the actual appointment.

 

[Happy Kappy]

Good to hear.

 

[davezforce]

Can someone take a picture of the harness that the ventilated blower motor plugs into under the seat?

 

[Pacernow]

Curious as to which models and years did Tesla have ventilated seats? Were the ventilated seats part of a particular package? Thanks in advance.

 

[Art VandeIay]

Curious as to which models and years did Tesla have ventilated seats?

To answer your question, I'm going to cross-post here and quote myself from another thread were a guy thought his seats were synthetic vegan leather but they were actual leather:

The Tesla Premium seats with ventilation were introduced with the Model X and discontinued in mid January 2017. Tesla took a stab at ventilated seats again starting with May 2018 builds with a new Gen2 ventilation system, and since they were made post July 2017, regardless of their color, they are all made of synthetic "vegan" leather. Gen2 ventilated seats were again discontinued on late May 2019.

All Tan and Black Premium Seats with Gen1 ventilation system, for both Model S and Model X, are full leather.
The only color of Tesla Premium seats, with or without the ventilation feature, that didn't have real leather were the Ultra White seats.

As you know, ventilated seats are back for their third attempt with Model S and Model X Palladiums, starting with February 2021 builds.

 

[Pacernow]

To answer your question, I'm going to cross-post here and quote myself from another thread were a guy thought his seats were synthetic vegan leather but they were actual leather:


As you know, ventilated seats are back for their third attempt with Model S and Model X Palladiums, starting with February 2021 builds.

Thank you for your response to my question about ventilated seats. I guess look for an X up to January 2017 or 2018 X after May 2018. 2019 Model X is not in my budget. Does the Model X also have to be the Performance model. Thank you again for this information.

 

[Art VandeIay]

Does the Model X also have to be the Performance model.

Depends on the generation of the seats. Gen1 ventilated seats came with Performance and non Performance vehicles, but Gen2's were exclusive to the Performance versions.

Also, Textile Seats never had the ventilation feature, it was just for the leather and faux vegan leather options.

It might be good to add that the ventilated seats on both generations really really suck... figuratively and literally, as they don't blow air but suck air, and they are abismal.

I have the Gen1's on my 2017 Model S, and my wife has the Gen2's on her 2019 Performance Raven Model X, and you can bearly feel them working during a mildly hot day. The Gen2's where a really pathetic improvement attempt, as they are as bad as the Gen1's IMO. The Gen1's are usually real leather (except the white ones) and since they are perforated, they easily tear and crack due to the structural compromise the perforations cause.

Gen2's are faux vegan leather and therefore much much better in terms of creases and tearing, but the ventilated aspect is simply a joke compared to other car brands, and they have to be vacuumed frequently as the perforations usually get filled with small dust and fabric particles, which complicates the situation due to the system sucking and not blowing the debris out.

From what I've read here on TMC, the new Palladium ventilated seats a much much better, but I haven't tried them myself.

 

[davezforce]

Depends on the generation of the seats. Gen1 ventilated seats came with Performance and non Performance vehicles, but Gen2's were exclusive to the Performance versions.

Also, Textile Seats never had the ventilation feature, it was just for the leather and faux vegan leather options.

It might be good to add that the ventilated seats on both generations really really suck... figuratively and literally, as they don't blow air but suck air, and they are abismal.

I have the Gen1's on my 2017 Model S, and my wife has the Gen2's on her 2019 Performance Raven Model X, and you can bearly feel them working during a mildly hot day. The Gen2's where a really pathetic improvement attempt, as they are as bad as the Gen1's IMO. The Gen1's are usually real leather (except the white ones) and since they are perforated, they easily tear and crack due to the structural compromise the perforations cause.

Gen2's are faux vegan leather and therefore much much better in terms of creases and tearing, but the ventilated aspect is simply a joke compared to other car brands, and they have to be vacuumed frequently as the perforations usually get filled with small dust and fabric particles, which complicates the situation due to the system sucking and not blowing the debris out.

From what I've read here on TMC, the new Palladium ventilated seats a much much better, but I haven't tried them myself.

your wife's raven has them? lucky. i have a 19' (6/19) performance raven x and they did not come in mine

 

[Art VandeIay]

your wife's raven has them? lucky.

I'm not sure if we feel lucky about having them but yes, we ordered a Model X on April 2019, and then changed our order to a Raven when they were announced. We payed the price difference, and up untill the day we took delivery of the X, we found out that since nothing on our configuration changed in terms of selectable options, all the parts for the original configuration were already sourced and ready to go into production, so we got some of the very few Ravens with ventilated seats. TBH, we don't actually use them that much, as they are not very functional and a pain to keep clean.

I would be happy to take a look at the wiring harness for you, and take a few pictures if I can of any non-connected cables, if available.

 

[davezforce]

I'm not sure if we feel lucky about having them but yes, we ordered a Model X on April 2019, and then changed our order to a Raven when they were announced. We payed the price difference, and up untill the day we took delivery of the X, we found out that since nothing on our configuration changed in terms of selectable options, all the parts for the original configuration were already sourced and ready to go into production, so we got some of the very few Ravens with ventilated seats. TBH, we don't actually use them that much, as they are not very functional and a pain to keep clean.

I would be happy to take a look at the wiring harness for you, and take a few pictures if I can of any non-connected cables, if available.

Thanks that would help a lot! I have a unused grey connector like this under each of my front seats. I’m trying to verify that this will plug into the ventilated. I am in the process of ordering two ventilated seats, before I do I’m just trying to make sure that they didn’t remove the harness. I would assume they did not being some slipped thru in early models like yours.

 

[Pacernow]

Art,
Thank you for the information that you have provided. It is extremely helpful.