Heated front passenger seat blower makes noise when heated seats turned on

[Markymark]

Is this normal? My driver's side seat does not make an air whoosing noise when either heating or cooling is on, but passenger side makes blower noise when heat is on. I searched the forums and only one thread makes reference to it.

By the way, using a thermoelectric element to heat/cool the ventilated air - genius!

 

[Alfer]

My seats make slight "whooshing" sounds when turned on, especially on high.

 

[EdP]

Is this normal? My driver's side seat does not make an air whoosing noise when either heating or cooling is on, but passenger side makes blower noise when heat is on. I searched the forums and only one thread makes reference to it.

By the way, using a thermoelectric element to heat/cool the ventilated air - genius!

It means the radio is not turned up loud enough.

I've never heard a noise from seats on either of mine. I'd get it checked out while under warranty.

 

[Mr. Incredible]

the heated seats don't blow air.. they are a heating element like a heating pad.. should not be making any type of whooshing sound.

the ventilated seats are fans, they do make noise.

 

[skipgen]

the heated seats don't blow air.. they are a heating element like a heating pad.. should not be making any type of whooshing sound.

the ventilated seats are fans, they do make noise.

I've never actually heard mine - but I always have the radio on.

 

[kocyk123]

I noticed that the fan turns on when I turn the seat heating on. And because of that, the seat seem to take little bit longer to warm up when your are seating on it. If you turn the seat heating on and don't seat on it right away, it warms up very quickly. I can sometimes smell the inside of the seat when the heater is on as it blows out the smells from the inside.

 

[EdP]

I noticed that the fan turns on when I turn the seat heating on. And because of that, the seat seem to take little bit longer to warm up when your are seating on it. If you turn the seat heating on and don't seat on it right away, it warms up very quickly. I can sometimes smell the inside of the seat when the heater is on as it blows out the smells from the inside.

Still in warranty? If so, I'd have the dealer sniff your seat too. Sounds expensive.

 

[kocyk123]

Only powertrain is left on mine.... Passenger seat works the same way. Rear seats warm up normally without the fans. Obviously because they are not vented.

It would be nice if more users could test it (only ones equipped with ventilated front seats). Turn everything off in your car and turn on the seat heater to max and listen for the fans.

 

[Suburbazine]

The cars that have TED-equipped seats will turn the fans on for either heating or cooling. They just reverse phase on the TEDs for heating instead of cooling. If you don't have cooled seats you don't have TED. If you have rear passengers with restless feet (kids) it's possible they disconnected the seatback feed hose at the bottom of the seat panel. If you reach in the center of the seatback bottom you can feel a silicone tube where it connects to the seatback piping.

TED: Thermo-Electric-Device. Also around $300 a pop if one fails, two per seat.

 

[kocyk123]

Thanks for the confirmation

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[RollingStone]

Reviving this thread out of a curiosity — one perhaps answered here.

My relatively new-to-me 2013 3.8 has the heated/cooled driver's seat. (It seems back in the Gen-1 days that the copilot wasn't worthy a butt-fridge.)

Recently while driving, I'd begun hearing the super slight "bzzzz" (vibration noise) coming from the dash area. One so slight — yet at a pitch that still cuts through the radio. The classic super annoying and equally impossible to locate sound that leads one to push panel joints or lean dangerously to listen while driving in hopes of finding it.

It was driving me nuts for the past couple of weeks. Then tonight, while driving home enjoying the pesky "bzzzz," I decided my butt was warm enough and so turned off the heated seat…

And the "bzzzz"-vibration sound stopped…… "What the?"

I turned the seat heater back on — and "bzzzz"started again… Tapped 3-times to off… And the "bzzzz" stopped…

Turned on the cooler out of curiosity… Heard a fan like whoosh, then the "bzzzz." Turned it off… Silence.

Interestingly, the sound seems to come from within the dash, low and behind the console (like behind where the slide tray and ashtray are.) Or at first I though up where the windshield vents are.

So is this simply the dynamic of the type of heat/cool device for the seat? I though perhaps it was a relay or something electric.

 

[beachrob]

Is this normal? My driver's side seat does not make an air whoosing noise when either heating or cooling is on, but passenger side makes blower noise when heat is on. I searched the forums and only one thread makes reference to it.

By the way, using a thermoelectric element to heat/cool the ventilated air - genius!

If it's very noticeable - no, it's not normal. Mine was not noticeable at all and then one day I noticed a noise when I turned it on (definitely not loud, but noticeable). I took it to the dealership and they replaced the motor/fan. This rectified the problem.