Improving w123 seats, any hope? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

BoostnBenz · #1 10-08-2003, 11:58 PM

Hi all,
I still have an extra passenger side seat from my 84 300d so I figure tomorrow I'm going to try and shim certain areas behind the spring to see if I can get the backrest more comfortable. I would say my 300D rides nice but the seats are just blah, my Talon rides horrible but my seats are awesome. They just wrap around the driver and while they are manual they are still very adjustable in every direction. Why can't I have both in one?

I believe my springs are fine as I don't feel any difference in the 6 seats I've sat in (ok my 84 had one that leaned). What can be improved upon? If I get the backrest a little more supportive can I just attach a heated seat element to the horsehair pad? Anybody try anything before? Anyone swap some later model seats in before?

sixto · #2 10-09-2003, 12:51 AM

I think every US model since the W123 had power front seats.

Sixto
95 S420
91 300SE
87 300SDL
83 300SD

pj67coll · #3 10-09-2003, 01:30 AM

This may sound crazy. But if it were me I think I'd be trying to swap in seats from older cars. Either the first 123 seats, or seats from the 114/115 models. I prefer the firmer springing of the older seats.

- Peter.

leathermang · #4 10-09-2003, 07:33 AM

"attach a heated seat element to the horsehair pad? " NOW THAT SHOULD SMELL GOOD....

Have you checked to see if MB has ' orthopedic springs' available for your car seats ? They do for the 123 seats....you can find it on a search.... has been discussed here...

BoostnBenz · #5 10-09-2003, 10:04 AM

If I have to retrofit power seats then so be it. That does sound sort of crazy to go older, but that is most of the problem the springs are just to soft in this seat. Aren't the horsehair pads covered in plastic or something? I've never seen green horses before.

However I was sort of thinking it could kill the pads and the cords which make the pleats in the seat. Thanks, I'll look into that.

Peyton300TD · #6 10-09-2003, 10:23 AM

seat heaters are cake. really not hard at all. ive not done them yet, but im going to in the next week or so and ive heard it won't be hard. it involves getting the covers off and putting in an aftermarket heater.

in regards to your backrest. take off that rear seat panel - easy - one screw and slide it down, you can roll up a small hand towel and put it in between the springs and the padding to give you better back support. made a difference for me and cost me... well.. a hand towel.

let us know what you do

R Leo · #7 10-09-2003, 10:42 AM

The new seat pads aren't real horsehair. Nowadays, it's some sort of rubberized excelsior glop.

BoostnBenz · #8 10-09-2003, 10:53 AM

I presume you're doing this on your 300TD? Where do you plan on putting the switches? I just started emailing a guy yesterday about the installation he implied it should be sewn onto the seat upholestry, which I replied asking whether it'd be fine to sew it to the pad behind it. Let me know how it works out if you would.

Thanks for the suggestion I was thinking of either doing that and/or compressing the spring and leaving it that way (so it would in a way wrap around better and be firmer) but didn't want to risk screwing up my 83's seat for the moment since I already have a seat to experiment on. It'll also be my practice for taking the seat covers off.

Ok, well that is a good thing because I think I had one with real horsehair and it was always falling apart on the floor mat behind the driver, made quite a nice little mess.

Peyton300TD · #9 10-09-2003, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BoostnBenz
I presume you're doing this on your 300TD? Where do you plan on putting the switches?

Yea it's for my TD. Switches. THAT, I have not made a definite decision on. For some reason my console has a window lock on each set of window switches. I am thinking about wiring the heaters into those instead of the lock. Who uses that lock really anyways? I don't. I've also thought about getting a carpenter to cut holes where the factory switches went, then putting factory switches in. That seems to be expensive and risky. If I were to purchase a new peice of wood, precut for the heaters that would be $450. no sir.

ill check into what's involved in sewing the heaters in. ive not heard of this but it may be a good idea..

ill also be purchasing a new spring set. my springs are fine but i think the one performance products sells for $150 is an improved design.

eric

BoostnBenz · #10 10-09-2003, 12:10 PM

This would work but then you'd either have only high, only low, or only one side with a heated element. Somebody must have just swapped in the master switch on both sides. I wonder how hard is it to find a console with the factory switch on it, I know they are very rare but there are still some out there. Even if they could be found does the factory switch have a high and a low for both sides?

I would think they'd have to be available somewhere, I guess that is just a byproduct of having such a rare car.

BoostnBenz · #11 10-09-2003, 12:19 PM

I just thought of a pretty good place to mount the heated seats switches, in the panel of switches by the moonroof. They can be replaced cheaply, are normally faded anyways, easy way to experiment with and leave the switches between the front two seats. After all this is nearly the same spot the later models put it. Hmm, and I already have an extra one of these laying around, tempting....

Peyton300TD · #12 10-09-2003, 02:40 PM

Do people actually use their high and low on heated seats? I mean... maybe it is because ive never had heated seats but i would think that ON or OFF would be sufficient.

I also did some investigating. The recommendation is that you sew the heater into the rubberized horsehair padding.

Where would you buy your heaters?

The switches i hear, are not hard to find. I wouldn't even really imagine that you need to get 123 heater switches. 126 and 124's would probably work as well if you know aboaut electronics.

eric

BoostnBenz · #13 10-09-2003, 07:03 PM

I've been in many vehicles with heated seats and I would say that they shouldn't just be low or high they should also include the backrest individual of the bottom. That is the most comfortable way, IMO. The newer GM vehicles now have medium as well as the bottom indivdual. I only use high to warm the seat up real quick (normally before getting in, or in the winter time), most of the time I only use low. In every single vehicle I've been in hot was just that, to hot for comfort.

I was searching for the orthopedic pads and found this. In that thread it is implied that they can't just set between the pad and the cover. I just contacted Mike, hopefully he can enlighten us as to why this is.

MikeTangas · #14 10-09-2003, 07:51 PM

I just replied to your email. Here is a little more info.

The heater units are very thin material, basically felt with the element inside. The sits next to the leather and is covered by individual pieces of thick felt pad, one piece in each pleat. The whole kaboodle is then sandwhiched between the leather and a piece of heavy muslin. Each pleat is then sewn to keep all of the indiviual pieces from moving around under the seat cover.

Non heated seats have a single large thick pad rather than the individual felt slats.

Originally I though it would be a simply open, swap, close job, turned out to be a several day affair. A lot of work swapping the heaters into the new seats, but worth it.

You would need the replay for the heaters too. You want to have high/low function. Sometime you just start out low because it really isn't cold, but when it is you'll want to start out high. The seats heat up fairly quick, and will start to cook your butt, then automatically drop to low. A nice touch, almost theraputic especially if you suffer any back pain. It is like having a sauna on wheels.

BoostnBenz · #15 10-16-2003, 11:10 PM

Thanks for the reply Mike! I've been contacting a few different people regarding this among other things. An upholestry shop claimed that it should be sewn directly the pad, maybe it is that easy, maybe it isn't. No matter what the case is I'm very interested in doing this as in the end the labor put into it will be easily forgotten. I'm thinking I can get 8 pads, enough for 4 seats, with 4 switches all for ~$45 shipped (I'll only install 2). I'm not positive what the price will be as of yet as I'm still trying to find how many people are interested in buying it, I've already contacted a very reputable seller about this and he is interested in selling them at a better price than any one buyer can get. Would anybody be interested in trying this? I'm sure we'll be able to get it to work but whether it is a two hour or two day task I can't say yet. Feel free to email or PM me if your interested, I'm going to contact him tomorrow (friday) night with the results. Sorry for the short notice, but I want to get this ball rolling!