jroach

My Father-in-law has a 2007 E350 Wagon. He went to put the seats down to create the expanded cargo are for the rear. The front passenger seat moved forward...this is normal operation to allow for the rear seat bottom to be folded forward and the back of the rear seat to lay flat.

Problem is the passenger seat doesn't move back enough for a person to sit in the front seat anymore. He took it to the dealer where they compared it to a new wagon and it did the same thing. My 2004 Wagon allows for the seat to be moved backward and provides amble (while slightly reduced) room for the passenger. Is this normal? I would be curious of other wagon owners experiences.

Thanks.

Diesel Benz

I don't have a wagon but I know this can be tuned with star to allow more room for the front passenger. You should find more info from old posts.

gavingray

The best way I've found to defeat this is to use a screw-driver and "trip" the latch in the seat back on the passenger side once you've folded it down. You push down on the actual latch until it moves enough to trip the computer into thinking it's actually in the upright, "locked" position. When you push the latch far enough, you'll hear a beep from the instrument cluster as if you'd lifted and latched the seat in the normal fashion. This will then allow the front seat to move normally. Just remember to pull the latch release handle on the seat before you push the seat back up and into it's normal position.

jroach

Diesel Benz, he took it the dealer and asked them to adjust it...they said it was operating the way it was suppose too. I also would have thought that the limits could be set but he was told they could not.

Gavingray, is that workaround need to be done every-time the seat is folded down? If so, I don't think it will work for him. I can do it for him once but on a regular basis I don't think he would feel comfortable tripping the latch.

gavingray

Yes, every time. Another option is to very quickly push one of the front seat adjustment buttons when the rear seatback is unlatched, which will cause the front seat to stop moving forward. However, the seat can't be adjusted back with this method when the rear seat is down, and you either need a helper or you have to be real quick to get to the front seat controls before it's too late.

The screwdriver trick is really easy...

Diesel Benz

I understand the seat is operating as it should but that is not the same as it could not be adjusted. Did the shop specifically state that they cannot adjust it or that they don't want to do it (because of liability bla bla bla...)?

Just checked my DAS simulator, with US settings and it clearly gives me the option to adjust the setting between values from 130 mm to 290 mm. An up-to-date DAS might behave differently (developer mode should help) or the seat control unit is different from the one my computer knows.

jroach

Gavingray - Thanks...problem is he is not the type of person that is comfortable with any new process' or tricks. They only use navigation on presets we have provided.

Diesel Benz - I'll take the car in. I wasn't there and while I asked him to get the limits checked using the computer the info might have been lost in the translation. Too often the dealer uses 'it's the way it suppose to work' and more so on the elderly. Dealer should have seen this as a liability problem ie: if you make the passengers sit so close to the airbag that it increases injury then maybe we shouldn't allow people to sit in it or allow the user to set it further back. Maybe MB could issue a recall that provided some yellow tape to be stretched across the front seat when using the rear seat for cargo (smile).
You gave the needed words to use and I'll let you know how it goes.

jroach

Diesel, curious...how much does it cost to get a DAS simulator?

Diesel Benz

$50 for an old computer and a life where you gain friends with the appropriate knowledge...

I figured out there are actually several different seat control module options and it could be that the settings are not the same for all. I can only confirm that the seat travel range is adjustable on some cars (S211 models), not sure either way about others.

jroach

Diesel,
I went to the dealer. They stated (of course) it is normal operation. Suggested the setting you described but they would not make any changes. They also agreed that an average size person can not sit in that seat 'comfortably'. Called 800 FOR MERC and cust service rep stated that as long as you could put on your seat belt it was safe. He transfered me to a technician who confirmed it was normal operation. He explained that the SRS has changed and the newer models don't let the seat go back. I always thought the further back from the airbag the better....hmmm, this operation seems to illustrate a change in thinking. I have asked them to escalate on the grounds that it is either unsafe or that the owners manual or dealer don't tell you that it is a one person car when you lower the back seat.

jroach

I would be interested in other 07 or later wagon owners and their seat distance/experience when in cargo mode.

NorseWagon

I have a similar issue: Being 6'2" (186 cm) tall I find the driving position with the rear seat folded slightly less comfortable than normal, but was able to adjust using height/tilt etc to make it okay for a few hours on the freeway. Much prefer the rear-seats in the upright position, therefore the doggie is stuck in a smaller cargo-space back there..Sorry doggie...

Long Islander

We put our cross-country skis in the wagon today and set out to do some skiing, when I noticed this same issue. When you fold down the right side rear seat, the front passenger seat automatically moves very far forward, and you can't move it back. It moves so far forward that even my wife found it to be uncomfortable, but at least we only had a 10 minute drive to the golf course where we skied.

After we came back, I read this post and tried the screw driver trick. You can actually do it with your finger by moving the small piece of metal in the seat back. It's very easy to do, but I really question why they ever designed the seat to work in this fashion. Clearly, if the rear seatback is folded down, there's only so far back the front seat can go, and you'll stop it when it gets there. Why do you need the computer to keep you from doing something stupid? Also, there's no mention of this idiot-proofing design in the manual.