hoffyvortex

My drive dynamic seats have a soft "clicking" sound that repeats every second or so, alternating between left and right seats. At first couldnt tell where it was coming from, but then i put my head between the seats and discovered that the sound is eminating in the seats. It sounds like a soft relay. Is this normal? If so, what are they doing? I also noticed that the seats will periodically make an adjustment on their own - I will feel the thigh bolster fill up, or the lumbar support change, even when the DD function is turned off. Is it possible that the bladders leak slightly and the car is trying to refill them?

MBAMGPWR

Don't have that problem. Take it to the dealership if it's really annoying you.

luxury1

We talked about this before and a few people have the problem. Let us know if your dealership does anything for you.

sl561

I also have the clicking sound alternating between seats, but had not intepreted it as a problem. I assumed that something in the seats was constantly checking/measuring air volume or something of that nature. But, if others don't have it, than I will mention it to the dealer the next time I'm there. On the other hand, my seats do not readjust on their own.

ems211

I have an 04 e320 and brought my car to the San Diego MD Dealership Re: that problem... They first sensed a leak in the seats and said they needed to replace some parts... after i got the car back... the problem persisted and I brought the car in again... The head mechanic told me that's what the seats are supposed to do.. and left it at that... I really honestly don't think that's the way the seats are supposed to act... So i called MB and logged a complaint... they said somebody would call me back but never did... and to this day I'm still waiting... waiting to see if this problem will ever be fixed... It's kind of annoying to feel the seats inflate and deflate every so often..

pa28pilot

I have been wondering about the lumbar support with a mind of its own for a while now. It doesn't seem to inflate more than I've set it to, but it does appear to deflate, and then top itself off at some random point.

I am about due for my "first checkup visit" or whatever they call it, but I doubt they'll be patient enough to drive it so long that this problem reproduces itself.

Kenny55

I have the same problem and it drives me nuts. I imagine the seats was not designed to emit that noise when periodically measuring/adjusting. The car is at MBSD and the service rep told me that the vehicle is 100% normal doing this. I feel otherwise. If I would have known about the problem, then I would have opted not to buy that option. Lets all complain so they will finally do something about it.

ems211

I already complained to Mercedes Benz... Hopefully if they get enough complaints they will do something about it...

Alex Veksler

Here are my 2 cents on the subject:
I got 2004 320E with premium package (with dynamic seats) in Aug. 2004. Ever since the seats are clicking. Granted, you can hear it while at idle speed only, as road noise masks clicks.
I took the car to dealer in San Jose CA (Smythe European) with 60 or so miles on the odometer (this was in addition to the need of balance front tires and perform alignment, as car was pulling to the right). No comments here.

Advisor called shop foreman, both sat in my car and verified the clicking. They admitted that this is the first complaint (?)

At the end of the day I was told that clicks coming from seats air valves and this is normal for seat operation and that is how it is designed. Interesting enough, they did not record complaint on the work order- I noticed this only after getting the car back.

I emailed Service Director as dissatisfied with the service, he hooked me with the same shop foreman. Always voice message, NEVER anything in writing. Foreman faxed me few pages from the manual (GF91.2S-P-2105-01T, quality of fax is poor, scan would not be legible) with theory of oprations, etc. NOTHING states that clicks would be heard, although there is a statement that ... "barely noticable for the customer, the lumbar support is controlled within the specified time frame such than the mean value of the actual pressure during such a time frame adjusts to the specified nominal pressure within the scope of repeatability".... Can anyone make sence of it? Define "barely" for me.
Bottom line, I was told: clicking is normal, and some pressure changes also can take place.
I called MBZ NA and they refered me back to the dealership, to the Customer relations manager, who , again told me that he spoke to the foreman and convinced that everything is the way it should be - which I still do not believe. I did not try another dealership in the area, and settled for mediocrity. Once you turn the radio on - you can not hear clicks. What a compromise!
I've been driving MBZ for 20 years, mostly S class; I know what it was and what it is: cost reduction manifest itself in reduced quality.

I only put 4K miles in 6 months, and so far that is my experience. Nothing catastrofic, but not a flawless experience, as I expected base on my previous experience.

Would be happy if anyone will advise specifically what is the "recorded complaint " as I may persue that.

Cheers,
Alex

spongebob

Same thing here with the clicking sound.
I haven't got a chance to talk to the dealer yet, but i 'll have the first 1k service appointment next week, i will bring this up to the their attention...

sl561

btw.....I neglected to mention that my seats click even when the car is off and has been sitting for quite some time. I noticed this one night when I went to the garage to get something out of the car. It had been parked for at least 4 hours. On the other hand, as someone else mentioned, it is not noticeable when actually driving the car because of road and engine noise. I doesn't really bother me. I've gotten used to it I guess.

saffrontiger

Well, today my DDS stopped working. I don't know why. I hope this is not a an ominous sign of things to come with such complex seating system. Any input/ I will be calling my SA today.

jkv11503

Sorry for reviving such an old thread, but after 30 minutes of searching through the forum this is the only one that I could find that discusses the problem I am having with the "clicking noise".

Has anybody been able to determine what is causing the mysterious clicking noises? I'm preparing to visit my local service department in the next week or two and was hoping that I could have some information to take with me.

gnma

I too was told this is normal on my '05 E500. I don't bel. MB would make such a product. Ck. out:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...seats+clicking

Post #9.

Try mentioning that when you take your car in. Good luck and let us know!

jkv11503

Well, my SA (Kimberly at Lokey Mercedes in Clearwater, FL) basically told me that it is normal for the seats to click. She said that the clciking is a result of the sensors that are constantly checking the seat settings. I got the impression that she didn't know what she was talking about. By the way...she is the same SA that told me that all of my software (COMAND and NAV) was up-to-date when in fact it was not. I'll be requesting a new SA during my next visit. In the meantime, I guess I'll just turn on the radio so I don't have to listen to the clicking seats.

Barry45RPM

God, I hate empty headed placating "Service Advisors". Dealership HR people who hire such sh**heads don't realize that real problems never get fixed by the service department that way, and all they manage to do is push the simple minded customers thru the service department's funnel.

Ask the parts department counter guy "off the record" who he thinks is a real "Car Guy" for you to choose as an SA... Someone who knows what you are talking about, and someone who knows the vehicles they sell because he has a genuine interest in the product.

Sad to say, it sounds like your dealership has hired a "Chick" that is there to just push people thru. Once I have found the right SA, no one else will do. If you have the impression that she doesn't know what she is talking about, she probably doesn't. An SA should inspire confidence in the Dealership's Service Department. Not doubt.

konigstiger

Without “burning any bridges”, alternatively you can call service and ask to speak to the shop foreman for an opinion and possibly schedule a road test and comparison with a comparably equipped vehicle if time permits on your part.