W212 Uncomfortable Seats...

oliveau

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As the title says really...

I’m absolutely loving my E, apart from still not being able to get a comfortable driving position.

I’m thinking of finding an upholstery specialist who can modify the seat base to stiffen the centre section and soften the bolsters; has anyone else done this or have another suggestion?


I too have the same problem. Not only numb bum, but also mid to lower back pain even with the lumbar support fully forward.

I took the car the Wessex Trimming in Southampton. Told that not really enough seat covering material to be able to pad underneath.

Bought a 'Supportiback' Lumbar Support Cushion from Amazon and coupled with sitting on a 'Posture Cushion' also from Amazon. Now I can drive in comfort, just when I was thinking I'd have to get rid of the car.

With what MB charge for the car, one would think they could get the seating right. Message to Stuttgart - take a lesson from SAAB!
 
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cubbyq

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Hi all,

I think I’m getting a bit closer to getting a comfortable position, but after popping into MB yesterday and sitting in a few different cars while waiting for a couple of parts, I can say that in my personal opinion, the 212’s seats are a pretty poor design.

Everything I sat in had a firmer and more supportive base, along with the side bolsters feeling softer and lower...instantly felt the bolster pushing into my hip and thigh when i got back in mine.

I really don’t want to sit on an aftermarket cushion, so will look at getting the centre section re-upholstered with denser foam.

It feels like the centre ‘ribbed’ sections of the seat are too soft, and compress on top of the actual base foam, which then sinks, while the bolsters stay firm...if I lift my bum slightly, so just just putting light pressure on the seat base, it feels ‘right’.

Will persevere, and thanks for all the comments and links so far.

Nick
 
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cubbyq

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So, I did a little more investigation today, and I’ve found why the seat feels like it has no support in the middle; it pretty much doesn’t!

I partially removed the seat base this afternoon and can quite clearly see about an inch gap between the springs that the foam sits on and the bottom of the frame. This void is only around the back half of the base, but the full width of the centre section.

Pushing on it by hand showed that there is a lot of movement in the centre section, but the side bolsters are sat on the frame, so don’t move at all!

I had an old foam knee pad, which I cut into lengths and slid through the holes in the base across the full width of the void, and it’s instantly more supportive

I only have heated seats, so I guess the void is there for extra bits like ventilated seat fans?

It’s not perfect, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.

D3639AF8-9D85-40F7-AB7E-66FD5902C6F9.jpeg
D17669F5-C2BD-4D7B-93B9-9439C4EE8545.jpeg

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I’ll monitor it over the next couple of weeks, as I think if this works, then I’ll get it done properly with some proper dense seat foam cut to shape.

I took a couple of pics, as you only need to remove the seat front pocket/bin, and then two more bolts behind it to left the base.

I do think that if you were to jack the seat up to it’s highest level, you could probably access the holes from the rear footwell to put some foam in there without having to remove the base

Although the pics aren’t great, they might give you a bit of an idea what’s going on under there.

Cheers,

Nick
 

Jkh112

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If the springs were sat on the seat base (I.e. no gap) then the springs would not do anything as there would be no room for them to spring (I couldn’t think of a better word!). I remember on my old 190 that the springs were the underside of the seat, there was no metal base underneath.
It is actually lucky that there is a gap between the spring and the seat base as this has enabled you to,put in the extra foam to provide support. Of course you should not have to mess about like this as Mercedes could have done a better job on the seats from new, although if they did nobody would pay for the upgraded seats!
Thanks for posting the details.
 
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cubbyq

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If the springs were sat on the seat base (I.e. no gap) then the springs would not do anything as there would be no room for them to spring (I couldn’t think of a better word!). I remember on my old 190 that the springs were the underside of the seat, there was no metal base underneath.
It is actually lucky that there is a gap between the spring and the seat base as this has enabled you to,put in the extra foam to provide support. Of course you should not have to mess about like this as Mercedes could have done a better job on the seats from new, although if they did nobody would pay for the upgraded seats!
Thanks for posting the details.

You’re absolutely correct that there should be space for the springs to spring (perfect way to describe it!).

However, in my opinion, they’ve got the balance between the springiness of the centre section, and firmness of the bolsters completely wrong...and from what I’ve found on an American forum, there are metal bars or part of the frame protruding up into the bolster, which I think is then where the weight of your hips sit.

If the seat base was an inch wider, the centre was firmer, and the bolsters weren’t so pronounced, It would be alright...hmm, like all those cars I sat in the other day.

Again, it’s only my opinion, but I don’t know how they could have got this so wrong, as I’ve never owned a car with seats as uncomfortable as this, so never had to resort to modifying it to correct it!

Will persevere some more, as getting the seat put right would be far cheaper than the losses incurred in selling it...
 
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cubbyq

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OK, so the foam inserts didn't work, and in fact because I'd not done a great job they started causing some pain in my right bum cheek where they (the inserts!) weren't evenly positioned.

I was able to remove them simply by raising the seat to it's maximum position and reaching underneath to remove them.

And now we're back to square one! I've done a little over 400 miles this week, in frankly horrendous traffic (including 5 hours/30 miles around London yesterday), got home a couple of hours ago and almost fell out of the car.

I've had a colleague with me this week, and when I mentioned the seat not being too comfortable, he said he'd also been struggling to get comfy all week in the passenger seat and felt that there was something digging into his hips too, and that he he was sitting on the bolsters, rather than the seat, and that the seats are just too small...and while neither of us are the height of fitness, we're not massively overweight! Reassuring, in a way, that it's not just me.

So, the plan is to find an upholstery place to see if something can be done, as to be honest, I'm in quite some discomfort now and have been limping a bit for the past couple of days - both thighs, hips, and pelvis are all feeling it right now!

I did find the thread below that I mentioned previously, as the guy's gone to quite some effort to fix the same problem, so I reckon it can be done without too much cost/effort:

https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w212/673106-seat-pain.html

In the meantime, I'm going to be using the Fiesta for the next few days, as I really can't face getting back into the Merc right now :(

Will let you know how I get on.

Have a great weekend all!

Nick
 

Monday

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And now we're back to square one! I've done a little over 400 miles this week, in frankly horrendous traffic (including 5 hours/30 miles around London yesterday), got home a couple of hours ago and almost fell out of the car.

Nick, do you have "sports seats" or the standard ones? It has always been a beef of mine that if you stay with the standard Artico (plastic) upholstery on the W212 E Class, you got sports seats. If you specified leather, you reverted to "standard seats". I think these are less "bolstered" and hence have a wider, flatter seat base. I have these (in leather) and find them very comfortable.

To change them would be an extreme solution (as you would probably have to change the whole interior to get a match). But next time you change cars, maybe watch out for the non-sports seats! But probably all changed with the W213. I tried an S Class AMG at a dealer "dream day" last year with inflatable bolsters that pumped up and down as you cornered - I think they would drive me crazy over an extended period.
 
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cubbyq

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Hi Monday,

Thanks for the reply, and I do have the standard seats with leather...the brief experience I had with the sports seats was even worse...

On Friday afternoon the discomfort was easing, however I had to nip out on Friday night and as soon as I sat in the car, the discomfort came back instantly.

I agree changing the seats is extreme, and there isn’t a more comfortable option...

It has hopefully been resolved though, I took a Volvo XC70 SE Lux out for a test drive on Sunday, and the comfort was a revelation.

A deal has been done, and in a way I’m gutted, not least due to the financial hit I’m taking, but I truly love the Merc experience...apart from those seats...

Cheers,

Nick
 

John Laidlaw

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A real shame, but seat comfort is paramount!
Volvo seats are by far the best IMO and have been for some time
 
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cubbyq

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Hi John,

You're absolutely right, and I wish I could have made it work, but the fact that we discussed me having to flit between using the Fiesta to allow the discomfort to go away was ridiculous.

I'm sure it'll be a great car for someone (especially with the excellent work Avante-Garde have just done), so hope it goes to someone who appreciates it, and doesn't suffer the same problems as I have!

Arguably it's not as prestigious, but yep, Volvos are renowned for their comfy seats, so hope it serves me well until I can afford a current MB.

Cheers,

Nick
 

Jkh112

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I tried an S Class AMG at a dealer "dream day" last year with inflatable bolsters that pumped up and down as you cornered - I think they would drive me crazy over an extended period.
I have the inflatable bolsters in my E class. Weird at first but great once used to them although they can be switched off if required. These seats also have massage functions mmmmm.
 


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