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when you select to inflate it shows number then drops to zero again instantly. Also massage is not working. This is both seats and have owned car since new. No codes stored per dealer and looking for info on what is a comon issue. Fuse is good and pump works if jumped with 12 volts. Thanks for any help
I had a similar issue in my CLS, it turned out that the hose had disconnected under the seat, in my scenario I was able to hear the air hissing out of the line. I just moved the seat all the way forward and up and then looked underneath for the back, and plugged it back in.
Good luck in your quest, I love the dynamic/multi-contour seats, and worry about all of those S Classes that have been built in the last 12 months that don't have them (due to the chip shortage ) that will be on the used market in 2 years or so.
I never got the dealer write up as I just bought the car then. The dealer I bought it from arrange with Mercedes to get it fixed. All I know was my seat module was at fault.
I had a customer recently have their entire seat replaced by our warranty provider Freedom Warranty when the air-scarf in his S-Class cab went out, it was an approx $3,000 payout at the dealerships.
Just a thought if it was an air leak to a driver seat, the other seat would work right. You would also hear the air as it pump. Mine was the same as you adjust the number setting and immediately goes to 0 to both seats.
The pump likely turned off because of a leak. You can delete the code so the pump starts back up again and listen cabin to trunk for leaks.
There will be codes set if the seats are not working, if you were at an MB dealer you need a new one.
Some of you have commented your massage feature isn’t working (system immediately reverts back to Zero after number selection)….or a faint hissing noise (that sounds like speaker snow) can be heard. Here is how to diagnose. First off, a sure way to provoke the air hissing sound is to move either driver or passenger seat forward or aft and/or in combination recline the seat. This will provoke the air leak where you can hear it. Once you hear the sound then go ahead and isolate…what side? (Passenger or driver). I’m no mechanic but I don’t take my auto’s to dealerships. Have fixed all my difficult problems (that dealerships have been unable to resolve) on my own. The latest issue I had was the GL63 AMG we bought used had the afformentioned hissing noise coming from “behind the driver seat area near the lower left corner”. The first step was rear backrest removal. This is accomplished by removal of two torx fasteners and finagling the upper section in the right way (eventually you’ll
get it). Please try not to damage anything; haha. With the rear backrest off (in my case) I found a blue and black air line (covered in black lo tape) that were degraded brittle and essentially shot. The cause of this is not necessarily age but a combination of age (hose becomes brittle) but cracks especially where the seat “travels” in recline position. In other words simply reclining your seats to vacuum can cause the two lines which route from under the seat to become cracked. The only solution for this is to replace both lines from the back of the seat (now follow along) the side seat panel and “splice in” a 3 foot section of hose (each) at the under seat area. When I say splice in you can source some Dorman hose at oreilly auto parts which (heat up the hose end with a heat gun) and slip it over top the original hose. Use some sealing heat shrink. Note: You’re going to have to replace the entire hose sections as described because, if you attempt to just replace a small section at the offending “leak”… I can guarantee you in a month or two a location along that same path (again the line cracks from reclining the seat combined with brittle nature of hose (age)) you’ll be stuck with inoperative massage seats again. It’s important to note the driver seat (in a way) feeds the passenger so a leak on the driver side will result in both seats being “inop”. I don’t have photos of the repair but (I have the “after”) and some images showing with panels and side seat cover off. Your going to feed two new three foot sections of air line from the seat back through the original line “channel” under the seat and make your connections. The line is NOT brittle where the seat does NOT flex (at the recline joint). You will need to pull the old lines out; there is one zip tie anchor that needs to be yanked out (just a heads up). You can hand guide a pair of new air lines (follow the same path). Again, all you’re doing is replacing the lines exactly where they were. Resist the temptation to use larger 3/8 diameter fuel hose as some have done on here. Professional work needs to last. Use 1/4” air hose and as said you can use a heat gun to soften the tip and it will slip over and also seal once it cools. As an added measure some sealing heatshrink over the joint for added safety.
Hi. I enjoyed your detailed explanation of the fix. I have the same problems and the materials to fix. Do you mind sharing how to detach the silver cover on the side of the seat? Best regards, Lee
Thank you for the good explanation. Having the same issue at the exact same spot on my S600. Already have tubes and self adhesive shrink tubes. Got the back of the seat off to reconfirm the leak is right there where you described it. Next steps: removing the tape around the broken pipes, cutting the bad section out and splicing in new section.
Good to have is a diagnostic tool which can read all the Mercedes modules and can reset the error codes so the pump can be restarted after shutting itself down due to the leak detection. That helped me to diagnose the issue and locate the leak. Almost impossible without it, as the pump will never reset itself once it detects the leak and shuts down.
Hi Thomas, what diagnostic tool did you use?
I checked my air pump manually and I think it’s fine. Unfortunately I’ll need to replace two hoses. I know they are on the right side of the left seat, but no idea how to find the end. I assume I’ll need to remove entire seat?
Hi,
I used the Youcanic tool for around $550. Really like it and super easy on the Mercedes. My main purpose using it was to read the error codes and realizing that it reported an air leak. It also allowed me to clear the error codes and then to turn the massage function back on and it ran for a minute or so before it errored again. Then i cleared the codes again and again until i heard a slight hissing sound coming from the driver seat. Then I knew which seat was the culprit.
I took the back panel off which was fairly easy (you will find some youtube videos about it), just 2 screws at the bottom and then along the sides some bending outwards and pushing the panel down to get them off. I also put the seat in its highest position to get good clearance and access to underneath it. Then I had decent access to the whole air system. My pipe was broken right where it bends from the horizontal seat to the vertical backrest. The tube was wrapped with tape together with some other wires and zip-tied to the seat frame. Taking tape and ties off was a pita, but doable.
Then i generously cut the bad pipe section out and put like a 2 feet long new tube in (see instructions of the other forum member above: heat gun and marine grade shrink tubing needed).
After that i took a corrugated cable protection (the ones which are cut open so you can get them over existing wires) and pushed it over the whole section where i took the tape off and then retaped it as far as i could reach it (also a pita). Just to keep all wires and the new pipe protectred as good as possible.
Final step is to put the back panel back on. Super painful I thought until I found another youtube video where a written comment said: remove the wood trim before you put the panel back on as it allows you to bend it much better and it makes it easier to put it back in place, but man did I hate this part of the job. Once the back cover was on, i pushed the wood trim back in place and everything was good.
I hope this helps you a bit.
Take it slow. I did one step a day, as my hands started to hurt in all these small spaces. But eventually everything works great and still does and it is a doable job.
Thanks so much. I’ll get back on it in the morning. So you’re saying the hoses run to the left side of the left seat? I need to replace the green and yellow hoses. The two clear and one red is fine. Just can’t find the place to snake them.
I see the photo in the thread above. Guess I’ll slowly take off that side panel. Ideally, I replace those hoses like you did. Problem gone!
Interesting the tubes ran on left side when the end on the right under the slider controls. Was it tricky taking off the side bottom panels? I’d like to see a few photos or a tip or two before I break things :-)
I have a 2011 Mercedes Benz E-350 cabriolet, if that matters much. Everything I see is different than my car.
10-20-2022, 04:35 PM
) that will be on the used market in 2 years or so.
