Removed Drivers Side Seat Bolster Bladders for More Comfort.

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:

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You, are a mad man. Hah. And very brave. :D
 
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cool post. I love my bolsters and would never do this, but it's interesting seeing he inner workings of the seat.

Did you disable the bolster adjustment switch? I wonder if you turn the dial if it will blow the caps off.
 
That’s cool. Love mine though.
 
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
cool post. I love my bolsters and would never do this, but it's interesting seeing he inner workings of the seat.

Did you disable the bolster adjustment switch? I wonder if you turn the dial if it will blow the caps off.

I did not disable the switch. I didn't see any way to do this. I just capped off the hose barbs. I don't think they will blow off. Even if they do, I don't think it will cause a problem.

It is amazing just how complicated the seats.

While it is a cool feature, I never use it. And it has made the seats more comfortable for me. I am not a big guy at all but I find that even light pressure on my sides can be annoying.

Much more comfortable this way for me. And there is no indication on the outside of the seats at all. Everything else still functions just fine. Even the lumbar support which are also just a set of 3 separate bladders also controlled by the air distribution block.
 
Well, this thread has certainly been revealing, literally. I had imagined some kind of "rollers" as the lumbar support adjustment. Now I know better. :P
 
Reviving an old thread.
I've only had my car for a week, but those side bolsters are extremely uncomfortable for me.
I have not been able to find that perfect seat setting yet. I'm constantly squirming in my seat.
Even with the side bolsters completely deflated, they still put to much pressure on my sides. I'm not a heavy guy either (6'2", 180lbs), but these bolsters just don't retract enough for me. Oh, and forget the sport mode setting. They close in and I just about cracked a rib (I have disabled that feature since). It's ridiculous.
Any other suggestions, other than pulling this seat apart? Is it worth talking to the dealer about this?
Thanks for any responses.
 
wait, are you asking how to disable the bolsters and saying you disabled 'that feature'? confusing.
When you put it in Sport mode, the seat bolsters move inward, squeezing your upper body and holding you tighter in your seat.
That's the default setup for Sport mode.
I disabled that particular "feature" in the settings so that the sides of the seat don't move when I use Sport mode.
I can still adjust them via the rotary switch on the side of the seat. I just have them set as wide as possible and leave them like that.
Unfortunately, they are not wide enough, and I still feel them squeezing me in my rib cage. That's my beef at the moment.
I'm thinking maybe they'll soften up a bit with time, or maybe I can remove some padding, but I just don't know at this stage.
 
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From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
^^^I've always assumed that lower trims without the moving bolsters had them positioned where the gt2 bolsters are at their widest apart. but your beef is making me wonder if the added 'stuff' to make them move in and out also results in bolsters that are closer together in a static, widest apart setting. have you tried sitting in stingers that are not gt2 to compare?
 
^^^I've always assumed that lower trims without the moving bolsters had them positioned where the gt2 bolsters are at their widest apart. but your beef is making me wonder if the added 'stuff' to make them move in and out also results in bolsters that are closer together in a static, widest apart setting. have you tried sitting in stingers that are not gt2 to compare?
That's a very valid point to consider. I never thought of that.
I am going back to the dealer on Wednesday morning to get my windows tinted (that was part of the purchase deal), and I believe they have two used Stingers in their inventory. I'll ask to see them and compare.
Thanks for the tip.
 
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