Air Conditioned Seats in M3???

[irish_tyrant]

Hey all, is there any way to retrofit air conditioned or ventilated seats into an M3. I want to keep my stock seats and not perforate the leather. I was thinking about a vent where the back and seat meet. Pull air from the rear vents and up under the seats. Ideas?

Thanks,

Irish

[JCtx]

Can't have ventilated seats without perforated leather man. And I hate perforated leather, so in a way I'm happy it does not have that feature. In addition, the A/C is so crappy on this car that I can't imagine having enough cooling capacity to add the seats. Wish the system pumped nearly as much air as the noise it makes .

The short answer is forget it man; not cost effective at all. If it's that important to you, make it a priority next time around.

[corrupt23jj]

Exactly! Max A/C sounds like the car is about to take off, but only provides minimal cool air. I've been in some sedans where you can even run just the fan and set the temp low and still get cooler air than the M3. Guess it's a compromise you have to make when getting this car.

Originally Posted by elp_jc

...In addition, the A/C is so crappy on this car that I can't imagine having enough cooling capacity to add the seats. Wish the system pumped nearly as much air as the noise it makes ...

[1sikbmr]

here's a thought... put down the window and go flying down the highway.

but seriously... the car was made to go fast. I don't think it is worth it to even try and retrofit.

[irish_tyrant]

It was worth a shot. Black leather seats + summer weather = spatula required to get off the seats.

Going fast or having the ac on max still wont cool down the old back.

Since my last BMW is 17 years old, i dont think I'll be selling this car for at least 15 years so its a long time to live with it. Maybe I can put a mesh lawn chair in and a fan in the back seat.

[NYCMCBM3]

is the AC only loud in the M3 or all other BMWs? cuz my i hate the AC in the M3 cuz i have to turn it off just so i can hear on the phone

[osteome]

Just need to boost your AC output:

[Tio///M]

In my 325i dd the a/c is loud too, and it needs to be turned down when I get a call. I think its all BMWs.

[drvai]

Weird that you guys find the BMW A/C to be "weak". Even in Florida, with very high temps and humidity, mine works great (well, does the job). My car is white though. Idon't know if that really helps.

Another thing you guys can try is replacing the A/C filter.

[mexicanmike]

The AC is super weak. I hate the way perforated leather looks, but do agree, cooling the back would be nice. Helps to avoid that swampy ass effect.

[MikeM5]

the M3's A/C feels just fine to me. but i should probably mention i DD a land rover

[Templar]

Depends on the ambient temperature and the inside of your car. Obviously if you have Black Extended inside, your interior will get smoking hot if the sun is beating down on it.

Even the slightest tint on your windows will keep the inside MUCH cooler and your A/C won't have to work as hard to cool the inside. If the inside of your car is extremely hot, it will take a long time to cool down (the leather especially) so it will feel hotter than it actually is. Use a sun-shade on the windshield (since most states don't allow front windshield tint) and have your windows tinted. I guarantee the inside will be way cooler. Window tint does have a few practical uses, not just cosmetics.

[JCtx]

I have black extended here in hot TX, but also tinted windows, and use a sunshield the few minutes my car is ever parked under the elements. The enveloping seats stay hot forever, as expected. And as I've said before, air blows cold, but what's substandard on this car is the VOLUME of air, not to mention the damn noise the fan makes. Tried cooled (not to be confused with ventilated) seats and man, what I've been missing . Hate perforated leather, but would make the sacrifice if they had cooling. It was an Acadia Denali. Damn nice feature .

[Locksmythe]

it cost $4-5k extra to get vented seats in my 550i back in '07 because of the convoluted hidden options required. I used it maybe 5 times in the 2.5 years I drove it. It made more noise than wind. Worthless.

[A1 RDL]

I have cooled seats in my escalade in Florida and they are awesome. Would love them in my M3. Black on Black in Florida = bloody hot!!!

[GT3 Tim]

I don't think even modifying the rear vents to blow on the seats will make a difference....

As far the a/c in my M, it's "ok". My 92 toyota truck's a/c will freeze my ass off......

[bigjae1976]

I don't think climate control has ever been a bmw strong point.

[FVM3]

Originally Posted by corrupt23jj

Exactly! Max A/C sounds like the car is about to take off, but only provides minimal cool air. I've been in some sedans where you can even run just the fan and set the temp low and still get cooler air than the M3. Guess it's a compromise you have to make when getting this car.

+1. The only thing i like about toyota is the a/c.