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For anyone who has the luxury leather ventilated/dynamic seats like I do (2014 wagon), I was able to solve the seat problem by having an upholstery shop remove the wires and add padding to the center section. The seat looks the same, retains all functions and feels a lot better, well worth the $150. I'd recommend trying to find the upholstery shop that does work for your local Mercedes dealer.
For anyone who has the luxury leather ventilated/dynamic seats like I do (2014 wagon), I was able to solve the seat problem by having an upholstery shop remove the wires and add padding to the center section. The seat looks the same, retains all functions and feels a lot better, well worth the $150. I'd recommend trying to find the upholstery shop that does work for your local Mercedes dealer.
2020 GLS450 / 2024 Ford Bronco / (former) W212 4-matic 350 sport package
Originally Posted by Darel
Scroll back through this thread and find where we discuss the support wires at great length.
agree, you’ll see it. For my contributions to the thread, start at post #56 and #67 for photos, with 67 being “the wire” that is likely your cause.
it’s been almost 5 years now, and mine is still perfect. I’ve had a few technicians ask me after servicing the car if I did something to the seat, as it feels much better to them too when compared to other 212’s they work on. I tend to show them those photos to illustrate.
The added support springs in post 56 will make it a more flat seat bottom all across. On mine, the difference between the two front seats (I didn’t do this to the passenger seat) is that one wants to sink you into the seat bottom by pushing your buttons cheeks together, and the other (modified) let’s you slide across the entire seat surface. The added towels for support are really just bolsters here and there to get it just right for you. I’ve done 18+ hour drives in mine with absolutely zero cramps or pains.
But key element regardless if you want more support or not - the wire in post 67 within the seat bottom pad itself. That’s your pain point issue in general. Easily fixed as well with a hammer on the back corners, and maybe half a rag wrapped around the side bolster piece. Should take out the pressure point…
Great thread with solutions to make the W212 driver seat pain-free.
I had my driver seat fixed in the first month after picking up the car. Dealer payed the upholstery shop to rework the pain out.
The result is a seat noticeably flat in the rear support section. It was such a pain to drive before that now I don't mind sliding side to side driving around town. I miss my well designed Acura seat. I measured the center section to compare both cars... MB seating area is actually narrower by 1.5Inch and of has the side spring rods in complement of the 3 tinny springs.
no side support but pain free
It's still unclear how to bend the thick surround spring rod? My first thought was, why not simply cut it out because it is not supporting any weight...
Great thread with solutions to make the W212 driver seat pain-free.
I had my driver seat fixed in the first month after picking up the car. Dealer payed the upholstery shop to rework the pain out.
The result is a seat noticeably flat in the rear support section. It was such a pain to drive before that now I don't mind sliding side to side driving around town. I miss my well designed Acura seat. I measured the center section to compare both cars... MB seating area is actually narrower by 1.5Inch and of has the side spring rods in complement of the 3 tinny springs.
no side support but pain free
It's still unclear how to bend the thick surround spring rod? My first thought was, why not simply cut it out because it is not supporting any weight...
So what did the upholstery shop do to your seat? Did they remove the side spring that everyone feels or did they add additional center springs? Im ready to fix both front seats.
So what did the upholstery shop do to your seat?
Did they remove the side spring that everyone feels or did they add additional center springs?
Im ready to fix both front seats. Thanks!! Chris
As far as I understand car seats... the car upholstery shop payed by MB dealer only tied the 3 springs together with additional clips and added more center padding foam. The result is a flater seating area that keeps the driver's butt up above the painful bucket under the hip bones... Ouch!
In this thread ppl get to the same result by doubling the spring count, adding center padding and bending the side spring up/down.
Great now the side pain is gone but the driver's bottom is no longer held during side turns. Forget about sharp cornerings driving around city blocks! Sliding side to side is another type of discomfort I was used to in my old Chevy. It had a front bench for 3 ppl... the weak springs under the driver area had caved in all right!!
> The good without the bad:
I feel there may be room for improvement while still keeping the bucket design.
I am pretty sure seat experts are familiar with how proper seats are built. This one is about 1.5 Inch too narrow... so the best fix may be to only widen the surrounding spring rod by 1 or 2 inches.
You want the torture spring to be wider than your hip bones such that there will never be any weight/pressure resting on top this surounding spring. I believe the spring is what defines the bucket outer edge... just make its sides wider to match what Japanese Honda/Toyota have learned long time ago. standard Acura perforated leather, pain-free bucket.
I don't know what shape this edge spring is built as: a U shape or a square. I would start right there to figure how to get the pressure points away: wider + lower.
* disconnect your batteries before disconnecting the seat SRS airbags, occupant sensors and all.
🤞
Last edited by CaliBenzDriver; 04-20-2022 at 02:44 PM.
Reminds me of old Benz but the problem with the old one's, horse hair tends to sag and the spring pierces through the leather. Cant imagine if Benz would still be using horse hair for the AMGs!
i have this same issue on my 14 e250 amg sport i believe mine has "sport seat" has anyone done this. really uncomfortable can anyone list what they bought to do this job foam grade ect and where to put it mine feels like there is 2 egg shapes just where my hip/sit bones sit. does this affect seat heating? mine is the half leather seat
cheers in advance
2020 GLS450 / 2024 Ford Bronco / (former) W212 4-matic 350 sport package
Just look back through this thread for the answers. Look at the pictures, you'll see it. it's a pretty simple tweak to make. What you're feeling is the 90 degree bends in the cushion wire at the back of the seat cushion near the lower part of the seat back. You may not have to replace the cushion (I did not, still the same one from the factory). It won't impact the heated seat option, you'll see in the pictures where the heated seat blanket still sits directly under the seat cover. It may however reduce the cooling seat option if you have that on your car (which is really just a small fan in the bottom of the seat frame). I've sat in mine for 18+ hours several times now with zero discomfort or fatigue. Most comfortable seat I've ever had in a car before, but wasn't that way at first. I couldn't make it more than 30 minutes before it felt like someone was playing Free Bird with my sciatic nerve.
just look back through this thread for the answers and instructions. it's an easy tweak to make.
Just look back through this thread for the answers. Look at the pictures, you'll see it. it's a pretty simple tweak to make. What you're feeling is the 90 degree bends in the cushion wire at the back of the seat cushion near the lower part of the seat back. You may not have to replace the cushion (I did not, still the same one from the factory). It won't impact the heated seat option, you'll see in the pictures where the heated seat blanket still sits directly under the seat cover. It may however reduce the cooling seat option if you have that on your car (which is really just a small fan in the bottom of the seat frame). I've sat in mine for 18+ hours several times now with zero discomfort or fatigue. Most comfortable seat I've ever had in a car before, but wasn't that way at first. I couldn't make it more than 30 minutes before it felt like someone was playing Free Bird with my sciatic nerve.
just look back through this thread for the answers and instructions. it's an easy tweak to make.
Brilliant cheers will definitely be having a look as it's playing havoc with my sciatica ever since I got the car just don't want to ***** anything up. So basically what I have read you need some soft foam which is placed on top or the springs in the seat base to push up the seat ?
well i have done the modification but with a twist i have tied together the 3 serpintine springs in the base with plastic serpintine ties to save putting the extra springs in and making the seat too firm. i have placed 1" of soft foam placed ontop of the serpintine springs and ontop of that i have glued some micro pocket coil springs these are used in jaguars and also in rolls royce seats aswell as in mattresses the seat is now comfy as you would expect a mercedes to be they are just like my dads cls seats are unfortunatly i didnt take any photos i got all the foam and springs from where i work i work in a mattress factory thanks for all the advice
2020 GLS450 / 2024 Ford Bronco / (former) W212 4-matic 350 sport package
Very nice, and you're fast! Hopefully that'll do the trick for you too for many years. Good idea to strap the springs together instead of buying another frame bucket like I did just for the 3 springs. Now that you've done it, you know how easy it is to do and can "tweak" it for just the right spot for you. I ended up adding another towel towards the very back where it tucks under the seat back after I did mine initially, and put a rag right on that side wire where the foam slit was. That hit the spot 100%, a little padding right on my tailbone, and lifted me up just ever so slightly to take the weight off the side wire. I've never had a problem ever since.
I thought I was going to have to do it again to my wife GLS when we got as a new car, but it has softened up and formed well, doesn't bother me. It did at first, but has stopped since.
The only other seat I've had that was as equally comfortable to me was over 20 years ago with my 2001 Nissan Maxima. I like Nissan's seats - they're long and get right up behind my knees.
I rode in the passenger seat of mine the other day (wife was following as we took her GLS to the shop for new rear tires) and it was ok (not messed with), but I can definitely tell the difference between the two seats. I think whomever owned my car initially must've been a pretty big person and the padding got smushed down pretty hard.
10-18-2020, 09:04 PM
