Spaceme17
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***This is not a HOW-TO. And if you disassemble your seat, it is your responsibility for your safety and putting it back together. If you hurt yourself or screw something up, its not my problem.***
So call me crazy, but I dug into my driver's side front seat today. I removed the inflatable bladders that you can adjust to increase the pressure on your sides from the side bolsters. I never used them and most of the time they never really bother me. But on occasion, I find that the bolsters touching my sides can be a little irritating.
Turns out taking apart the seat and removing the side bolster adjusters was much easier than I thought. I used some schematics I found here: Kia Stinger: Body (Interior and Exterior) / Front Seat
I removed the seat from my car (4x14mm bolts). I removed the seat-back cover (hardest part of the operation was figuring out how to remove the cover; you need to insert a screwdriver and push on some metal clips near the top). Then it was just a matter of pulling the leather cover and foam off which was extremely easy. (This is a very complicated seat but everything is extremely well thought out and put together).
The side bolster adjustments are just made of two plastic flaps attached with a hinge with an air bladder between them. They are held onto the seat frame with 4 screws. Each bladder then connects to a central air distribution block with rubber hoses to inflate or deflate the bladders. (The air hoses have long springs in them to prevent collapsing of the hose; very well engineered).
I disconnected the hoses from the distribution block, capped the ports, removed the bladder assemblies (the side closest to the door has two bolts to unscrew to get the airbag module out the way), and re-assembled the seat. (The hoses are color coded which again is extremely well engineered).
With the bolster adjuster removed, there is more give in the bolsters and they feel much better with significantly less pressure on the sides.
And this is completely reversible with no permanent changes.
Pictures:








So call me crazy, but I dug into my driver's side front seat today. I removed the inflatable bladders that you can adjust to increase the pressure on your sides from the side bolsters. I never used them and most of the time they never really bother me. But on occasion, I find that the bolsters touching my sides can be a little irritating.
Turns out taking apart the seat and removing the side bolster adjusters was much easier than I thought. I used some schematics I found here: Kia Stinger: Body (Interior and Exterior) / Front Seat
I removed the seat from my car (4x14mm bolts). I removed the seat-back cover (hardest part of the operation was figuring out how to remove the cover; you need to insert a screwdriver and push on some metal clips near the top). Then it was just a matter of pulling the leather cover and foam off which was extremely easy. (This is a very complicated seat but everything is extremely well thought out and put together).
The side bolster adjustments are just made of two plastic flaps attached with a hinge with an air bladder between them. They are held onto the seat frame with 4 screws. Each bladder then connects to a central air distribution block with rubber hoses to inflate or deflate the bladders. (The air hoses have long springs in them to prevent collapsing of the hose; very well engineered).
I disconnected the hoses from the distribution block, capped the ports, removed the bladder assemblies (the side closest to the door has two bolts to unscrew to get the airbag module out the way), and re-assembled the seat. (The hoses are color coded which again is extremely well engineered).
With the bolster adjuster removed, there is more give in the bolsters and they feel much better with significantly less pressure on the sides.
And this is completely reversible with no permanent changes.
Pictures:







