Multicontour seats lumbar adjustments

[micky.]

I’ve had my car a few weeks now. It had to go back to the dealer because the multicontour seat lumbar adjustments had failed on both sides. The dealer replaced the pump last week, and I’m pretty sure when I collected the car that the adjustments were working. Now they don’t seem to be. I’ve rang the service dept and the head mechanic told me the pump for these seats doesn’t run continuously. He said you are supposed to set them once, at the start of your journey, and then once you start driving they turn off. I’ve just been out into the drive but I can’t get them to function. Even when I turn off the radio and the A/C, I can’t hear any noises inside the seat when I twiddle the four adjustments buttons. Before I head back to the dealer, can anyone tell me if I’m missing something?

 

[Botus]

air leak not the pump ?


my experience is they prick the air pipe … the pump takes a few months to suffer under the strain of working too hard (so you don't connect the dots), the pump eventually trips out, the dealer fixes the pin prick and charges you for a new pump.

to me it would seem they forgot they instigated the leak and didn't cut the 1/2 inch off they had made fail.... of course the cars could just be made of cheap parts that "wore out".

 

[McDonald]

air leak not the pump ?


my experience is they prick the air pipe … the pump takes a few months to suffer under the strain of working too hard (so you don't connect the dots), the pump eventually trips out, the dealer fixes the pin prick and charges you for a new pump.

to me it would seem they forgot they instigated the leak and didn't cut the 1/2 inch off they had made fail.... of course the cars could just be made of cheap parts that "wore out".

That's a serious allegation. I find it hard to believe that MB dealers do this kind of stuff. You may have encountered a rogue.

 

[CJD]

It's been a while since I sold my Coupe with multi contour seats.
But I'm pretty sure they held pressure Ok, I certainly didn't have to reset them every trip.

 

[micky.]

It's been a while since I sold my Coupe with multi contour seats.
But I'm pretty sure they held pressure Ok, I certainly didn't have to reset them every trip.

No, I don’t think he meant that. He meant to set them at the start of your first journey, then leave them alone. He didn’t mean reset them for every journey, just that they don’t function if you start to fiddle with them once you've started driving.

 

[Srdl]

I had multi-contour seats on my C207 and I could definitely change the setting at will while I was driving along. Never any problem doing that so they are telling you BS. Do the other adjustments work for the side bolsters on the back and seat?

 

[micky.]

I had multi-contour seats on my C207 and I could definitely change the setting at will while I was driving along. Never any problem doing that so they are telling you BS. Do the other adjustments work for the side bolsters on the back and seat?

No. None of the adjustments seem to be working, on either side. The mechanic at the dealer said he used to have a (C63?). The very fast C class. And that with his, he could only ever make adjustments for a certain time period, until the pump powered down. It does sound like balls doesn’t it? I’ll take it back again.

 

[LostKiwi]

Have multi contour seats on our SL and I can adjust them at any time.

 

[Botus]

It's been a while since I sold my Coupe with multi contour seats.
But I'm pretty sure they held pressure Ok, I certainly didn't have to reset them every trip.

listening to mine it pumps them up as you unlock the car... when you take the key out about 5 mins later it releases some but not all the pressure (I guess to reduce strain)

the pump once it had a big enough leak tripped killing all 4 seats... fixed the pin prick in the pipe and its all back to normal

 

[dry run]

Wow. a range of views. On my C207 the seats remain set at the settings between trips. I don't have to reset them every time. I assume this is what is normal??? If I'm driving I can alter the settings and when I next get in the car they are the same. I'm inclinrd to think you have a leak/problem

 

[micky.]

Wow. a range of views. On my C207 the seats remain set at the settings between trips. I don't have to reset them every time. I assume this is what is normal??? If I'm driving I can alter the settings and when I next get in the car they are the same. I'm inclinrd to think you have a leak/problem

Thanks, and just to clarify, mine don’t need to be set every time I make a journey. The mechanic said that if I wanted to adjust them, I should only do so at the start of my journey, because the pump switches off soon after setting off. But as has been pointed out, that sounds like nonsense. I’m back at the dealer next week to let them have another look. It’s already had a new pump fitted, so hopefully it'll be sorted once and for all next week.

 

[Wearsafoxhat]

All of ours, 211, 246 and 447 retain the position last set and all can be adjusted at any point on the journey.


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[LostKiwi]

Ask to check it out on another car....

 

[Botus]

there are clearly pressure sensors somewhere... the pump runs till the setpoint is reached and stops... with a leak it will keep topping it up, once the leak is big enough it will keep trying until the pump reaches high temp then cuts out and stays out till fixed. I cleared the codes but it wouldn't wake up....

it came to life when I knelt on the rear seat to try and test all the fuses in the rear SAM, I guess that got past a certain threshold to tell the system it had some pressure (or its on a thermal reset - but i think not as it was out of action for 2 months prior to me playing). Having got the pump running again it kept cutting in and out every two minutes or so.... I found the pin prick in the pipe by the PSE pump, fixed that and all went back to normal...

And as I said - never knew before, but if you take the key out and carrying on doing something in the car you here a valve pop open as the car goes to sleep and bleeds pressure out - but you don't feel the seat change shape during this event

 

[micky.]

At last, the lumbar support adjusters in my multi contour seats now work. They're brilliant! I was surprised at just what a difference they made during my 12 mile drive home, and I suspect once I start making long journeys again these are going to make a real difference. And yes, they do definitely work while driving. The mechanic found a piece of pipe, I think under the passenger seat, which had become distorted. It was a five minute fix once he found the problem. Fingers crossed I won't need to return to the dealer again (apart from to get my stone damaged grille replaced next week).

 

[LostKiwi]

Well done pushing the dealer and not just accepting the "They all do that sir" excuse.

 

[micky.]

Yet more aggravation with these seats. I was out last night picking my son up from work. While I was waiting for him with my engine running, I could hear the lumbar adjustment motor activating every five seconds or so. I switched everything else off and could hear this clear as anything, coming from the rear nearside corner. So this morning I tested the system properly, operating each of the eight adjusters one by one and listening to see if the pump had to keep continually re-inflating the seat. Seven of the adjusters are fine, once the pressure in the seat has stabilised the pump doesn't activate. But when the eighth adjustment is inflated, the pump just keeps repeating over and over again. I presume this means it has a leak, and I guess this is why the last pump burned out.

I'm going to ring the dealer shortly to book it in again, but does anyone have an opinion on whether I should ask them just to replace the one leaking adjuster, or should I insist all the airlines and bladders are replaced? (The pump is brand new).

 

[LostKiwi]

They almost certainly won't change them all as there is only one failed.
Failure of one doesn't necessarily mean others will fail.

 

[micky.]

They almost certainly won't change them all as there is only one failed.
Failure of one doesn't necessarily mean others will fail.

Ok thanks. I spoke to the mechanic and he is pretty sure this is a defective O ring rather than a leaking pipe. He's already had the system stripped back once so he's familiar with its general condition. Hopefully he's right. I'm booked in for next week and hopefully this niggly little problem will finally be fixed.

 

[Botus]

failed air bags inside the seats are common and the repair price is about the same an a new car from other brands