Seat bolsters & lumbar popping every few min?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 490
Likes: 205
From: Lowcountry, GA
'25 S580
Seat bolsters & lumbar popping every few min?
Does anyone notice the side bolsters or the lumbar keeps popping every few minutes?
It's as if the supports sort of lose the air pressure and once it falls below certain threshold it keeps refilling the air rather abruptly.
Not a major annoyance but it's noticeable enough to keep someone from falling asleep. (i.e, passenger)
Anyone?
It's as if the supports sort of lose the air pressure and once it falls below certain threshold it keeps refilling the air rather abruptly.
Not a major annoyance but it's noticeable enough to keep someone from falling asleep. (i.e, passenger)
Anyone?
Member
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 203
Likes: 78
From: York, Pa.
2021 S580 4MATIC with Rear Executive Seating Pkg. 4D Entertartainment Rear Screens Pkg.
Does anyone notice the side bolsters or the lumbar keeps popping every few minutes?
It's as if the supports sort of lose the air pressure and once it falls below certain threshold it keeps refilling the air rather abruptly.
Not a major annoyance but it's noticeable enough to keep someone from falling asleep. (i.e, passenger)
Anyone?
It's as if the supports sort of lose the air pressure and once it falls below certain threshold it keeps refilling the air rather abruptly.
Not a major annoyance but it's noticeable enough to keep someone from falling asleep. (i.e, passenger)
Anyone?
Member
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 203
Likes: 78
From: York, Pa.
2021 S580 4MATIC with Rear Executive Seating Pkg. 4D Entertartainment Rear Screens Pkg.
You could also have a small leak in the system (due to a pin hole or faulty tubing seal). You’d manage better by hitting the “stealership”
Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 96
Likes: 50
From: Boston area, MA
2021 S580
Does anyone notice the side bolsters or the lumbar keeps popping every few minutes?
It's as if the supports sort of lose the air pressure and once it falls below certain threshold it keeps refilling the air rather abruptly.
Not a major annoyance but it's noticeable enough to keep someone from falling asleep. (i.e, passenger)
Anyone?
It's as if the supports sort of lose the air pressure and once it falls below certain threshold it keeps refilling the air rather abruptly.
Not a major annoyance but it's noticeable enough to keep someone from falling asleep. (i.e, passenger)
Anyone?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 490
Likes: 205
From: Lowcountry, GA
'25 S580
It happens when I’m driving dead straight as well.
The idea of trying to demonstrate the symptom sounds like a nightmare.
‘Test driving to replicate issue’ equals joy rides which will eventually conclude in ‘cannot replicate issue’.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 490
Likes: 205
From: Lowcountry, GA
'25 S580
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2008
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Supercharged CLK500,ML500,S580
No it’s not the dynamic contour feature. I have it turned off.
It happens when I’m driving dead straight as well.
The idea of trying to demonstrate the symptom sounds like a nightmare.
‘Test driving to replicate issue’ equals joy rides which will eventually conclude in ‘cannot replicate issue’.
It happens when I’m driving dead straight as well.
The idea of trying to demonstrate the symptom sounds like a nightmare.
‘Test driving to replicate issue’ equals joy rides which will eventually conclude in ‘cannot replicate issue’.
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Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 490
Likes: 205
From: Lowcountry, GA
'25 S580
This happens only when the bolsters and lumbar setting is set above 0... obviously.
I haven't noticed any movement when I had everything set at 0, but as soon as I had it set (+5 for bolsters, +2 for lumbar) I started noticing the popping.
I don't understand why the bladders can't hold a pressure...
I'm wondering if the multi-contour seats use a different design to adjust the contour than conventional seats?
Thanks for sharing this.
What year is your S580?
I haven't noticed any movement when I had everything set at 0, but as soon as I had it set (+5 for bolsters, +2 for lumbar) I started noticing the popping.
I don't understand why the bladders can't hold a pressure...
I'm wondering if the multi-contour seats use a different design to adjust the contour than conventional seats?
What year is your S580?
Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 96
Likes: 50
From: Boston area, MA
2021 S580
This happens only when the bolsters and lumbar setting is set above 0... obviously.
I haven't noticed any movement when I had everything set at 0, but as soon as I had it set (+5 for bolsters, +2 for lumbar) I started noticing the popping.
I don't understand why the bladders can't hold a pressure...
I'm wondering if the multi-contour seats use a different design to adjust the contour than conventional seats?
Thanks for sharing this.
What year is your S580?
I haven't noticed any movement when I had everything set at 0, but as soon as I had it set (+5 for bolsters, +2 for lumbar) I started noticing the popping.
I don't understand why the bladders can't hold a pressure...
I'm wondering if the multi-contour seats use a different design to adjust the contour than conventional seats?
Thanks for sharing this.
What year is your S580?
Temperature will have an impact on the air in the bladders as well, especially if you get into a hot car and crank the A/C and maybe blast the seat vents.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 490
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From: Lowcountry, GA
'25 S580
Could it be the seats monitoring the pressure of the bladders and constantly compensating for the temperature change?
Maybe.
But I feel like this is less likely because this kept on happening when i was driving for 4.5 hours straight, non-stop, even towards the end of the road trip when the interior temperature was at a steady 68-70 degrees.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2019
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From: Costco
2025 AMG GT 63
I don’t have dynamic seating turned on and my lumbar will inflate and deflate at random. I complained about this in an earlier post a long time ago, and for me it doesn’t seem to remember the lumbar setting. I’ll check the position in the screen and it’s where I originally placed it but it’s certainly not properly inflated. I’ll move the position around a little and it will re-inflate.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
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23 S580 Executive
Mine didn't do this, sounds abnormal to me. Can't say a lot of people have complained about it on here, at least as I recall. If it was common, normal, it would be one of those regularly scheduled threads you see on various issues with the car. The behavior I had was that it would go active on uneven pavement, potholes, speed bumps, and/or when cornering, but was otherwise inactive. No random stuff, you knew when it was going to go active, and why.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 490
Likes: 205
From: Lowcountry, GA
'25 S580
Mine didn't do this, sounds abnormal to me. Can't say a lot of people have complained about it on here, at least as I recall. If it was common, normal, it would be one of those regularly scheduled threads you see on various issues with the car. The behavior I had was that it would go active on uneven pavement, potholes, speed bumps, and/or when cornering, but was otherwise inactive. No random stuff, you knew when it was going to go active, and why.
What’s ‘activated’ on less than ideal surfaces?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
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23 S580 Executive
On bumpy surfaces, mine would activate, usually closing both sides somewhat. The type of surface that seemed to guarantee it was one that created a side to side jiggle. Potholes could do it, crossing speed bumps at an angle. That sort of thing.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 490
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From: Lowcountry, GA
'25 S580
What’s the feature name in MBUX?
or is this something that can’t be selected and functions as default?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,296
Likes: 1,481
23 S580 Executive
Active multicontour seats. That I know of, the active part is the car using lateral acceleration, yaw rate, steering angle, and vehicle speed to, quickly adjust the bolsters dynamically. My guess is there are more inputs it considers when adjusting the bolsters I'm unaware of, but I remember encountering those in my reading. It's seldom talked about, but it is also employed differently when the car detects a collision, to help hold the occupants in their seats.
Edit: My bad, I I meant to say it but spaced, the active seating itself does have some small adjustability in MBUX, so you may want to menu dive for that one, and see what you see.
Edit: My bad, I I meant to say it but spaced, the active seating itself does have some small adjustability in MBUX, so you may want to menu dive for that one, and see what you see.
Last edited by crabman; Jul 17, 2025 at 12:14 AM.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 490
Likes: 205
From: Lowcountry, GA
'25 S580
Thank you for the feedback, guys.
So I take it that only small number of owners are experiencing this.
I don't have the dynamic contour function turned on, so I'm guessing it could be something like the seats randomly losing position memory.
I'll play around with the seat settings more this weekend and see how it behaves.
So I take it that only small number of owners are experiencing this.
I don't have the dynamic contour function turned on, so I'm guessing it could be something like the seats randomly losing position memory.
I'll play around with the seat settings more this weekend and see how it behaves.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 2,315
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From: Baltimore County, MD
'13 s212 63 p30. '06 LX470
Thank you for the feedback, guys.
So I take it that only small number of owners are experiencing this.
I don't have the dynamic contour function turned on, so I'm guessing it could be something like the seats randomly losing position memory.
I'll play around with the seat settings more this weekend and see how it behaves.
So I take it that only small number of owners are experiencing this.
I don't have the dynamic contour function turned on, so I'm guessing it could be something like the seats randomly losing position memory.
I'll play around with the seat settings more this weekend and see how it behaves.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 490
Likes: 205
From: Lowcountry, GA
'25 S580
see if it happens just sitting in your driveway. Turn all dynamic features off and pump up the bolsters that you think are giving you the issue. When a bladder is leaking, it does exactly as you are describing. I have fixed multiple bladders on multiple dynamic seats (not this model).. dealer or use of xentry can pressure test the system so no need for joy rides.
I'll do that and observe the behavior.
As for the repair, is it something that can be replaced easily in the garage, or did you have to take out the whole seat and disassemble a lot of parts?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2017
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From: Baltimore County, MD
'13 s212 63 p30. '06 LX470
it depends which airbag but when you take off the back of the seat, you can slide the airbags out. Depending, you might have to remove a screw or a spring in the seat for access once in there. The bolsters in the bottom seat cushion are the ones that are difficult. Even the seat back that has multiple airbags in it you don’t have to remove the whole frame because you can slide the airbag out..
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 490
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From: Lowcountry, GA
'25 S580
The ones popping are all in the back seat. (I don't think the W223 multi-contour seat has seat bottom bolster adjuster)
So hopefully it's an easy fix if it turns out to be a leaky bag.
So hopefully it's an easy fix if it turns out to be a leaky bag.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2008
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Supercharged CLK500,ML500,S580
I wanted to do some troubleshooting so I tried adjusting the lumbar again and played with the settings. I noted that when I specified the max level of 10 on the X axis, it had problems maintaining that setting after a few seconds, but when I moved it to level 8, it held steady for longer. I've been using the 8 setting since and I found that it doesn't readjust nearly as often so I'll be keeping it there for now.
