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I have a small problem with my car. I got in on a hot day, leaned to my right and heard what sounded like a fart from the right-side driver's seat bolster. I originally thought it had popped but now the multi-contour seat, dynamic seat and the pulse for both front seats have stopped working although both rear seat lumbar bladders are filling with air. In a word, I'm cornfused. Any thoughts?
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Originally Posted by CICBarkeep
I have a small problem with my car. I got in on a hot day, leaned to my right and heard what sounded like a fart from the right-side driver's seat bolster. I originally thought it had popped but now the multi-contour seat, dynamic seat and the pulse for both front seats have stopped working although both rear seat lumbar bladders are filling with air. In a word, I'm cornfused. Any thoughts?
Sounds like a line going to the front seats. Gonna have to disassemble and get into it unfortunately.
Sounds like a line going to the front seats. Gonna have to disassemble and get into it unfortunately.
maw
Truth is the only one I really miss is the lower lumbar support and while not the preferred option by any stretch, an external support would most likely do the trick. Who knows, maybe I'll find one that could be installed under the seat back leather and secured to the frame. Time will tell.
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Originally Posted by CICBarkeep
Truth is the only one I really miss is the lower lumbar support and while not the preferred option by any stretch, an external support would most likely do the trick. Who knows, maybe I'll find one that could be installed under the seat back leather and secured to the frame. Time will tell.
Poke around on YT first... plenty of people have dealt with it... might be a light to medium lift.
maw
EDIT... but I agree, that system doesn't do much for lower lumbar support. More lateral support is its main achievement. That said, I've done plenty of long drives in mine and come out feeling refreshed, so yours may have been underperforming your whole ownership.
Poke around on YT first... plenty of people have dealt with it... might be a light to medium lift.
maw
EDIT... but I agree, that system doesn't do much for lower lumbar support. More lateral support is its main achievement. That said, I've done plenty of long drives in mine and come out feeling refreshed, so yours may have been underperforming your whole ownership.
It will come as no surprise to you that my view is, if you touch it at all you may as well bring it back to factory spec.
If it's a once in your ownership fix (which it likely is), who cares? If you need to do it repeatedly for other seats, you'll know how.
These workarounds strike me as false economy.
But they always do.
maw
As you know we share that view, but I can't see any economic upside to completely replacing (or chasing parts for) a twenty-year-old pneumatic system that's reaching the end of its service life. I'll fit the new component as described on both front seats and leave all that for the next guy.
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Originally Posted by CICBarkeep
As you know we share that view, but I can't see any economic upside to completely replacing (or chasing parts for) a twenty-year-old pneumatic system that's reaching the end of its service life. I'll fit the new component as described on both front seats and leave all that for the next guy.
I do... from all of my reading over they years it's the lines and pumps that go, not so much "everything"... if it's just a bladder or just a line, do that and keep moving down the road, would be my view. But your car, your money, your experience.
Do we know where the pump is located specifically for the seats by chance? or even the fuse? Mine have never worked, the dynamic function nor the Lumbar support, however the Red Dynamic button will light up when pressed.
Ive always wanted to dive into this but always looked at it as a daunting task.
I did see in the past a gentleman upgrade the "Cooling fans" in the seat to move more air, which i thought was pretty neat considering they really don't "Cool" even on the highest setting, but if i decide to dive that far in i would like to get them working properly first.
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Joe the pump is back in the "money corner" of the trunk. Available on eBay everywhere. I use autohubshop, and just bought one and told my guys to put it in. The pump cost less than any diagnostic headache. I'm not a "throw parts at it" guy but that was an easy one.
The Dynamic light would come on, then after 15 or so minutes I would get the Dynamic Seat Deactivated message. The pump shuts off after a while if it's not building pressure. On the replacement used pump I've had no issue. If that one goes, then I'll dive into the seat and see WHY it's not happy. So I would just start with a used PSE pump in your case. Fuse and everything else *might* be fine.
Do we know where the pump is located specifically for the seats by chance? or even the fuse? Mine have never worked, the dynamic function nor the Lumbar support, however the Red Dynamic button will light up when pressed.
Ive always wanted to dive into this but always looked at it as a daunting task.
I did see in the past a gentleman upgrade the "Cooling fans" in the seat to move more air, which i thought was pretty neat considering they really don't "Cool" even on the highest setting, but if i decide to dive that far in i would like to get them working properly first.
- Joe
The dynamic seat(s) air pump is aft of the PSE pump nestled down near the taillight assembly with the air reservoir located above it. The fuse is a 30 amp that's located in the box below the passenger side rear seat. It's number f63 on fuse diagram found here: Fuses - W220 S-Class Encyclopedia
Pulled the dynamic seat pump for a look and it seems to be working. Whirring sound seemed normal with no grinding, groaning, or excess heat and it's an easy DIY. Runs for about 30 seconds (I'm assuming it takes about that long to fill the air reservoir) shuts down for a couple minutes, then repeatedly tries to refill the reservoir every two minutes or so which takes about 20 seconds. Pretty obvious the issue I'm having is downstream of the reservoir, but I have no idea why opening the car doors would cause it to kick on in the middle of one of those two-minute cycles. Trying to return the settings back to where they were when the ignition was shut off? Anyway, next step is finding the leak(s). I've got a bad feeling one is from the driver's side right hand bolster bag which seems unobtainable, and possibly the lumbar support.
'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
I wouldn't be surprised if all of those autohubshop units have the bladders in tact. They might even test them for you, in which case you're just swapping the seat back. Problem for you @CICBarkeep is yours is a Designo car, which is not the regular Charcoal color the rest of us blokes have. But the seat backs are cheap enough that if only for DIY parts it might make sense.
You think about it and instantly realize these parts yards have zero incentive to disassemble seat backs to remove or otherwise even touch the bladders or connections. Their incentive is directly the opposite, to carefully remove the seat doing the least damage possible (and no more).
The door opening thing is normal "readiness" functioning for the car I believe. Notice your rear seat bladder stiffness control (the 0-5 roller) also works with the doors open but no key power.
I wouldn't be surprised if all of those autohubshop units have the bladders in tact. They might even test them for you, in which case you're just swapping the seat back. Problem for you @CICBarkeep is yours is a Designo car, which is not the regular Charcoal color the rest of us blokes have. But the seat backs are cheap enough that if only for DIY parts it might make sense.
You think about it and instantly realize these parts yards have zero incentive to disassemble seat backs to remove or otherwise even touch the bladders or connections. Their incentive is directly the opposite, to carefully remove the seat doing the least damage possible (and no more).
The door opening thing is normal "readiness" functioning for the car I believe. Notice your rear seat bladder stiffness control (the 0-5 roller) also works with the doors open but no key power.
maw
The readiness idea occurred to me while I was typing so I appreciate the confirmation, and the seat back for parts idea is growing on me. New front lumbar supports are more than the seats and if they come with a functioning driver's side RH bladder that's extra gravy. Thanks!
I had the same issue. You have a leak in one of the bladders, and when that happens, all bladders/lines connected to that portion of the system shut down to prevent damage and further over-inflation of other bladders. The pump would continue to run and eventually burn out. You'll need to go into the seats and replace the punctured bladders.
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