JackStraw

On several occasions in which I have driven my SL600 for more than 90 minutes at a stretch, my right leg has gone a little numb.

I have adjusted the seat position numerous times aiming to solve this, but I have not had any luck thus far.

I have never experienced this before in other vehicles even when driving for several hours at a time.

Has anyone experienced this phenomenon? If so how did you resolve it? With the seats being as adjustable as they are, there has to be a way.

tiggerfink

As I aged I experience it a lot on the airplane. Doctor told me it is common as you get older. I experienced the same numbness when I drive my Yukon Denial, SLK320, and SL500.

The best advice my doctor told me is to stop at each rest area and stretch. I also must stretch every hour on the plane when I travel to Taiwan or Europe.

LovinMercedes

It saddens me at 52 to say that I have had something like this. Not numb but a little uncomfortable. Doesn't happen all the time and as I am losing weight believe it or not, it is happening less. I mean, I am 6'2 inches and 200 lbs. but recently had to lose the ole 20 lbs and it did make a difference.

Not sure how old you are Jack but it may be age my friend. I have found if you raise the front of the seat, it helps.

At this point I have gotten it to where it almost never happens but it wasn't numb, just a little uncomfortable.

Ahhh....age, can be good, can be a little hastle. Try raising the front of the seat, maybe that will help.

vraa

Don't worry, it is due to old age.. BUT
if it makes you feel any better, my dad also experiences this and he's around 45. Whenever we go to Austin or Dallas, we have to switch drivers half way there because he just cannot continue and in the passenger seat, he has the ability to move the positions however he pleases without disturbing the car.

Do you do any type of exercises or yoga or physical nurturing of any type? Before track meets, we used to have to sit in one position for hours at a time and we used to do various streches to prevent the blood in our bodies from pooling into whichever part of our body was angled the wrong way.

blueSL

It's age; try setting the cruise control and then flex both your feet in a circular motion and fold each leg at the knee to stimulate circulation.

Lexino

yea Jack as soon as i read the first four words i remember my dad complains about the same thing. its because of age, excersie that particular leg more often

JackStraw

I am not ready to concede that this is an aging-related issue. The SL is the first roadster I have owned and the driver's seat positioning relative to the steering wheel and gas pedal is markedly different than anything else I have driven. I continue to believe it is a matter of proper seat/ steering wheel positioning.

I don't have any problem with my left leg going numb, so it is not a matter of sitting for long stretches at a time without activity. Also, I can drive 4-5 hours straight in other lesser vehicles without this occurring.

Was wondering if anyone who drives a couple of different vehicles (say a sedan and the R230) on a regular basis experiences this numbness with the SL only and if they were able to resolve it through seat adjustment.

LovinMercedes

My dear friend Jack. It is age related. I have had Mercedes for years and it comes with age. I drive 4 other cars and do not have this problem so I do agree that seat positioning matters. But then again, in my 2004 Navigator, you are sitting so high up, your leg is in a different position completely.

I did have this problem when I drove the Aston Martin DB9 for an extented period.

I was fighting age too, but I am there. I give up. Like I said, I am 6'2" and 200 lbs and recently lost 20 lbs. That seemed to help a huge amount.

My two cents. Have a great day.

A-Train

In the 600 Sport with the massaging and ventilated seats, after about 45-60 minutes, I find my bottom end beginning to ache a bit and I end up shifting my body around in my seat every few minutes until I get to where I'm going. The seat bottom is just too firm. I think it is more a function of seat design than age or body type (early 30's, slim body). No numbness here but the point is that a generally flawed seat design can lead to different types of people getting different types of discomfort. I've found some hard core sports cars (the SL is not in that group by a long shot; it is a luxo-cruiser) to be quite comfortable on longer drives and have found some cushier cars (the latest RR in particular, and the prev gen R129 SL to a lesser extent) to have seats ranging from woeful to mediocre.

- A-Train

raymond g-

Could be a manifestation of something as simple as the seat cushion impinging on a muscle/nerve etc. Could be also causal effect of bulging disk in lower lumbar vertebre, ergo sciatica...further amplified by the seating position. You can try various densities and shapes in seat cushions, as well as small pillows in lower back to see if this subsides. I even tried one of these doo hickey seat cushions with built in lumbar lump but I missed the heated seat. :-) Fortunately for me, it subsided but I don't know why. I did take one ibuprof/day for the last month and maybe whatever inflamation etc subsided.

Anecdotal: have driven same truck for 20+ yrs and ridden m/cycle without any problems. But as soon as I got in the E320, it really became apparent. I could feel this problem on various seated positions already though. So something with the Benz's seat wasn't just right....in my case, the lumbar support was really helpful so currently have a small leather pillow to lean back on when needed (not much now, knock-knock).

tiggerfink

In my case, it is age.

I experienced the numbness on long trips and eating at Japanese restaurants. My wife's parents did not understand for the longest time why I have to sit at a table with a chair.

I noticed problems from my feet to my lower back when I used to fly about 90% of the time in my old job. It was hard for me to get out of airplane seats. Doctor told me that I am old and have to stretch. Hemm, I was 31 years and he thought I was old. I also hated to drive from Memphis to Nashville in my Yukon Denali. The time I got to Nashville my legs were numb. So I got me a SLK and experience the same problem. Then I got married and had the same problem in my wife's Honda Accord. I did noticed that when I sat in the passenger seat, I never had any problems from my lower back to my toes. So we got a SL500 and drove from Memphis to Atlanta. I felt the pain and numbness in one leg, but it was not as bad as before.

Now we stop at every rest area and stretch. The stretching makes traveling a whole lot more enjoyable. I just wished I took my Doctor’s advice 7 years ago. My Doctor even had a name for my seating to long in one spot problem. Just for the sake of being on the safe side, go see your Doctor about your dumbness or pain that you experiance when you drive.

v8plus4

I experience dumbness several times per day.

raymond g-

It's migrating upwards

vraa

Speak for yall selves

On stop lights, this is what I have taught some of my uncles to do:

Change the knee support all the way up, and then all the way down a few times. It gets the blood flowing again.

blueSL

Looking at the recent 3 ways review of the SL55, 600, 65, the seats in the 55/65 are the same but the SL600 is different. Personally, I find the SL55 seat to be far more comfortable than, for example, that of my old SL600 or indeed any other car. It's a tough job, though, to design a seat which fits anyone in the 5 - 95 percentile of adult drivers. Migh be though that the SL600 design is not as successful.

jasab

I dont think this is all about age. the sl is a sports car
i love the sl but wouldn't frequently travel 200+ miles as i do in the ls430.
does anyone think the sl is designed for long drivng periods.
take more driving breaks let bystanders admire the car!

tiggerfink

According to my secretary I do experience dumbness several times a day. My secretary wonders how I made it this far by typing, writing, and spelling bad.

vraa

I don't know that many youngin's with SL
I think the SL was designed for long driving periods, that's what a GT is for correct?

WIldcat465

I'm 38 and have both a 500 and a 600. Both have the massage seats and Nappa leather which helps relieve fatigue that I sometimes feel. I find them both to be the most comfortable cars I've ever driven.

tiggerfink

Gee, you are two months older than me.

Marks SL

Just wondering if you carry you wallet in your back pocket? If I forget to take mine out on a long drive the same thing happens to me.

jasab

three years older than me. still wouldn't like to drive the SL frequently long distance.
the SL is a comfortable car but does not come close to the comfort of a sit up and beg car.
i've driven lexus ls400 and 430's for 8 + years, ultra comfortable driving but unfair to compare with a sports car with relatively stiff suspension

raymond g-

In one of the Seinfeld episodes, George was complaining about back pain. While
sitting in the cafe, he pulls out his wallet to pay the check and it was about 4"
thick. Realizing that it was probably the root cause of his discomfort, Jerry
pointed that out that he should lessen the amount of garbage he carried in the
wallet. George considers it, but then opted to grab a 4" wad of paper napkins
and sticks it in his other back pocket ...to even out the imbalance in his spine.

Oh.....well, maybe you had to see the show.

vraa

You and tiggerfink are freakishly old
I'm 16.
Marks SL: I started putting my wallet in the armrest compartment once I learned how to drive for the exact same reason. No matter how comfortable seats you can have, a wallet always messes up the balance.

jasab: Nothing can compare to the LS430/400 in terms of comfort. It is an unfair competition

raymond g-: Haha, I saw that episode. Who can resist free napkins!