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Help on Purchase 08 STS - Ventilated / Cooled Seats - How to Identify

6K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  trackbait 
#1 ·
I am narrowing my search for an 08 STS V8 / Nav etc..

The biggest problem in looking at all the car sites is they all seem to use 'generic' stock wording in the description and it's hard to tell which have ventilated / cooled seats and which ones dont.

Are there any identifying knobs or buttons on the dash or center stack to indiacate the presence of the cooled seat options?? The seatcover is sort of tell-tale, but the pics on a lot of these cars I am looking at are hard to see.

If someone could tell me what to look for and where on these cars it would be greatly appreciated. A bonus would be a PIC of one with and one without for comparison.

Thanks!

Itching bad to buy one this week but sure want to be able to compare apples to apples.
 
#2 ·
Hello,

Here is a Pic of my 2008 STS Climate Control Center.

Note the toggle switches on the extreme right and left next to the temperature knobs respectively.
Press up (x1, x2, x3, low, med, high) = cool seats; press down (x1, x2, x3, low, med, high) = heated seats.

You should also have a heated steering wheel, if you have the above as denoted by a press on press off switch (the right side of 3) on the left spoke of the steering wheel. A yellow light comes on when engaged.

Hope this Helps.

BTW - 08' STS is great, I love mine!

Pete
 

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#4 ·
Thank you so much --- I think I started to figure it out by looking at those 2 rocker switches.

So, from what I have been able to find so far, it doesn't look like there are a lot of 08 Grey on Grey with the V8 engine with cooled seats.:hmm: Looks like a lot of V6's have them...

Do I want to compromise the cooled seats (hot here in TX) for the V6? That's a lot of ponies to give up... And, I've already earmarked my budget for Corsa Cat Back exhaust. :cool2: (coming out of a C5 Vette for last 5years..still gotta have something that sounds nice!)

So, not sure if I want to sacrifice the V8 in favor of the V6 with cooled seats.


Advice / Comments??? Are the cooled seats really that neat?
 
#7 ·
Thank you so much --- I think I started to figure it out by looking at those 2 rocker switches.

So, from what I have been able to find so far, :hmm: Looks like a lot of V6's have them...

Do I want to compromise the cooled seats (hot here in TX) for the V6? That's a lot of ponies to give up... And, I've already earmarked my budget for Corsa Cat Back exhaust. :cool2: (coming out of a C5 Vette for last 5years..still gotta have something that sounds nice!)

So, not sure if I want to sacrifice the V8 in favor of the V6 with cooled seats.


Advice / Comments??? Are the cooled seats really that neat?
I wouldn't give up a V8 for nothin'!!!...
 
#5 ·
Be aware that the cooled seats are really just ventilated rather than actual cooling (refrigeration) as in the XLR. You may not find them that much of a 'deal breaker'.

On the other hand, before purchasing, I joined the forum & used the CTS-V area's VIN-check thread to get a build sheet. If this is that important to you, look for KB6 - HEATED/VENTILATED FRONT SEATS instead of KA1 - HEATED FRONT SEATS.

Membership is cheap.:thumbsup:
 
#8 ·
The STS and CTS ventilated seats use a fan to pull cabin air into the holes in the seat. The DTS, XLR, and Escalade cooled seats use a Peltier system and blows cooled air out of the seat. The STS seat cooling is much more subtle than on the DTS. The DTS system, like on my MKZ, can feel quite cold. I seldom turn it on beyond the lowest setting.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forum...2010/118548-ventilated-seats.html#post1230439
 
#14 ·
I had the Peltier seats in my Lincoln LS. Almost froze the family jewels. And, in that car it was automatic. Set the seats to both heat and cool and the seat temp would adjust based on the ambient temp. I was always comfortable. The STS is cool, but it is from a noisy fan and fails to handle really hot days. Also the seat is slow to heat up, but comfortable when it does. The heated steering wheel is a must-always -have option. Love this one. :bouncy::bouncy:
 
#9 ·
WillySTS - I'm with you. No question at all when buying used; N* is a great value (more horses, torque & with the 2.73 gear, excellent fuel economy). The wife's 1SE gets 25MPG at 80 MPH. But no cooled seats. :(

BaTu - I'm no authority but EWill3rd noted it on some thread I read a couple months ago.
 
#16 ·
BaTu - I'm no authority but EWill3rd noted it on some thread I read a couple months ago.
Well, apparently I'm no authority either ;) After reading the link above I had to look under my seats and, you're right, I don't see any connection (that I guess I, just assumed was, there).

What I am absolutely sure of is that when I turn my cooled seats on HI, I feel much cooler air on my butt than on my face (yea, I know easily confused..... ;) ).

I guess, like your living room, the coldest "dense" air is on the floor and it's That air it's blowing on you.....

The most enlightening fact in that link was the "water-cooled" alternator! I had a '97 STS and I don't think it had such a thing... Anybody ever seen Cadillacs with one?
 
#15 ·
Very frustrating......After spending almost a full day looking, for some reason, there are very few - actually NO 08's with cooled/ventilated seats on cars^com, autotrader, or vehix in the grey exterior I'm looking for.

Why is that? So I go down a year model to the 07's. Only one found in the Grey. The sealership idiot didn't know up from down about the car...said is was $8000 under priced. Didn't know about 1/2 the options. Blah Blah.

I ask if he has the NAV DVD's. Says Nope - last owner lost them. OK.. well, it's an 07, so you, being a Cadillac dealer, should be able to get the Nav discs, yes? Says Nope, we can't get them - but I can to to the auction site and grab one for $100 or so. I say OK.. are they generic or specific to that car. He says - nah - any Caddy Nav disk will work. Hum??:confused:

It is no dang wonder GM is going Bankrupt. With crappy sales folks that don't know anything it's almost crazy. I ask him...so you say this car is "loaded", ey? Yep sure is..every option you can get on it. (07 STS). So, does it have HUD? He says "A What?" I say HUD- Head Up Display. He says, "none of the Cadillac's have that option. Don't know where you came up with that"

I say.. thanks for your time. I can clearly see I need to look elsewhere.

So now, again, the hunt is on - thought I had it nailed down. Drats.
 
#17 ·
My 2006 seats heat up slower than the wife's 2007, but not too bad.

All disks are not created equal. I think the STS & Corvette may be the same but the GM Nav Disk Center asks for a VIN for a reason. Members often give good deals when they upgade. I don't see that the newest are much better than older versions.
 
#18 ·
Well, now another question has come up. I am scratching my head on this one.

One guy says the car has DVD NAV, but not the DVD player? Huh? Do they make two different versions of the Nav - one that is just Nav only or one that is Nav and DVD (movies, etc)....and do all have the aux inputs in the center console?

In other words, if it does not have Aux A/V inputs does that mean it doesn't have a DVD player compatibility - on the 07 or 08 ?

Are there different RPO codes if in fact there IS a difference.

Geeesh - my Vette has one of 2 or maybe 3 options and that was it. It either did or didn't have this or that - why is the STS so damn confusing?
 
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