2014 E350 - Air Adjustable Seat Bottom Side Bolsters?
 

Hi,

I have the Multicontour Active Ventilated Seats
with these options:
401 Heated and Active Ventilated Front Seats
432 Active Mutilcontour Driver Seat w. Massage


In the manual on Page 53 & 54 (see attached) it shows an adjustment for the Seat Side Bolsters (Not the Backrest side bolsters) via an Air Bladder.

My vehicle does not have this option. Is there anyone that has this option on their 2014 E350 with the Multicontour Seats?

In talking with Mercedes USA Customer Service the person I spoke with claims that he has the exact same model car with the same seats and he is able to adjust his Seat Side Bolsters via Air (Not the Backrest Side Bolsters).

Is it possible that Mercedes has changed the seat design part way through 2014 production and some seats have this and some don't?

I ask because the left side bolster on my seat is too firm and is noticeably different from the right side bolster. If this was air adjustable then perhaps I could fix the seat discomfort I am experiencing by replacing the seat?

I have had the dynamic seats in my 2004 E500 and now my 2010 E550 and neither had the ability to adjust the seat bottom side bolsters. The only air bladder button that controls my seat bottom at all only adjusts the height of the seat cushion to supposedly give you more leg room by raising your ass, I suppose. Not sure why they would even have a seat bottom adjustment like that unless someone with a skinny butt needed more lateral support. I hope you figure this out as it sounds annoying if the seat bottom is pinching in on you.

I have 2014 E550 (3/14 build) with the same 432 option. My seat has identical adjustments as you described your seat does - it does not have Seat Side Bolsters nor Balance (heat distribution) adjustments. It makes no sense to me that US cars have "different" seats, so I assume its for non-US cars (Canadian maybe).

Separately, 2014 E #432 adjustments are through the screen not the buttons like prior years/models of E (or even 2014 C218 CLS). IMO, screen offers much more precise adjustments (I have both and prefer the one through the screen much more).

The lower seat bladders are available in the S-Class/CL and SL, not in the E-Class.

Is that an E-Class manual? It looks like an SL manual based on the ability to balance the seat heater between the seat bottom and the backrest.

The E manual that comes with the car does not come with this detail as is actually pretty basic. Not sure about the Disc that comes with the car. This manual was downloaded from the Mercedes Owner's Portal for E350 2014. The manual is a catch all for a bunch of different models of vehicles.

Sounds like the MB service rep you had was clueless then. Obviously, the seat bladder control is not part of the E class dynamic seats.

Yep I would have to agree with you. Appreciate all the replies from everyone!!

Yeah, I had the same options as OP in my white 2014, no where did I see the adjusting seat side bolsters or even the balance functionality.

I'm more curious now how you have the misbalanced seat bolsters. I looked at my seats and the outside bolsters(nearest the door) on both seats are more firmly supported by the seat carcass. The plastic is higher on the outside bolster area and consequently provides more resistance to the bolster's movements. I think you are just experiencing the oddity of this design and not much you can do to correct it unless you want to start removing material. I had an 2008 Infiniti G37S Coupe that had a similar situation with very narrow seat bolsters. The car was so uncomfortable on any drive over an hour that I traded it back to the dealer after 18 months. I feel your pain.

I like you description of misbalanced seat bolsters and that is the best way to describe what is going on. When the seat is all the way down (flat) the left side bolster is an 8-9 hardness on a scale of 1-10 whereas the right side is a 3.

If I tilt the front of the seat up it raises the cushion off the plastic siding on the left side bolster and it it is probably like a 5-6 on hardness.

Seems to me they have too much going on with these seats with airbags, ventilation, massage, etc that they have to make design compromises to the comfort of the seat. If they made the plastic piece lower on the left side of this seat it would definitely help. However, this might mean they have more than one piece for the different versions of seats which effects costs and profitability.

Not sure how Mercedes can justify having the bolsters so misbalanced. If they were equally as hard or even similar then it would be hard to complain.

I've attached a couple of pics for reference.