DIY: Crystal Mod (seat mod)

[eclimax13]

heres the entire mod to get rid of the lumbar and get better holding seats...

start off from behind the seat and pry the back off....there are three clips at the top and then pull up





make sure your lumbar is all the way down and back and disconnect the cable that activates the lumbar, pushing the lumbar piece helps




now disconnect the middle spring, again pushing or compressing the black lumbar support is helpful




now the lumbar support should slide to the left and unclip at all 4 corners



before you can remove it..disconnect the second cable



to get it out..turn it sideways and remove




now you can stop here and be happy or take it a couple of steps further to get back in the seat more...your choice...heres the next step

the two bars going up can be disconnected and brought back...these go straight up and where they connect, they curve back and then up again...a little tricky to get them out...you have to reach up, push forward and pull down...you'll also want to pull the black plastic piece in front of you to allow clearance for the new position...once the two wires are disconnected pull down and slide into the two slots near the headrest holes..you'll feel these holes when you pull back the plastic piece





now tuck the lumbar wires off to the sides, they fit nicely and then you'll have the finished product




last step:...put your seat back on again and enjoy your new sportier seats...


this is what you should have left over...should take you no more than 30 minutes a seat


enjoy..and i guess i should put: im not responsible for damage to the car or your back from you doing this..do this at your own risk

[jon102034050]

hmm, interesting looking

[ProJect_*A4*]

quick question... by removing these things what do you gain? (better holding seats?)

and is it worth it?

[ehfour]

Interesting

Wish a had done this. Instead of buying Non Lumbar seats!

[eclimax13]

quick question... by removing these things what do you gain? (better holding seats?)

and is it worth it?

hell yes...you sit more in the seat enabling the sides to hug you more..if i had to describe the difference..it would be like going from stock to stage 1+...its a huge difference..
best thing to do if you want to try it is do it to one seat and sit between the two...you'll feel the difference, but you'll notice it the most when you drive...its very easy to do

0h..and i named the mod after my gf

[EUROaleksey]

sweet dude!!!!!!!!!... im doin it!!!!!.. and im gettin a helmet!!!! ill be like a schumacherrrrr!!!!!!!!! !! in my 170 hp audiaa!!!! FAK!!!!!!

[F16HTON]

You will also get a bar on the bottom of the seat back jamming you in the ass

[SeKKeY]

im going to try this...my lumbar support doesnt do much for me anyway

[eclimax13]

You will also get a bar on the bottom of the seat back jamming you in the ass

no problems with this at all...seat if much more comfortable..what bar are you talking about?

[F16HTON]

There is a bar that runs along the base of the seat frame, you will start feeing it, trust me.

[eclimax13]

There is a bar that runs along the base of the seat frame, you will start feeing it, trust me.

so you've done this before...

[F16HTON]

Not by choice, the lumbar support broke, so I removed it. I do not like the feel of the bar jabbing me in the tailbone.

[eclimax13]

if you removed it, then im still not sure which bar you are talking about..are you talking about the bar in the square

[F16HTON]

No, I am talking about the seat frame itself. When you remove the lumbar support, it allows you to sit further back in the seat, bringing your ass closer to the hard steel.

[eclimax13]

hmmm, maybe by leaving the lumbar frame installed is the reason i dont feel this...ive done both front seats and pushed myself back and no problems with either...the wire frame still offers some support when sitting back which is why i didnt want to remove it completely

[dougyfresh]

I drove my car with the broken lumbar (same feeling as removing the lumbar) and had absolutely no support for my back. It felt like I was sitting against a black hole.

The top of the seat was pressing into my neck (since it doesn't move) and my lower back was in the back seat (not literally, but pretty damn far from the upper seat).

Drove 2.5hours like that and my back was fucked for a week. Just like when I get in a GM, Ford or Chrysler rental....

Guess my lower back is just very sensitive from all pinched nerves over the years.



Now, the Recaros I had in my MKII GLI were the bomb. Lumbar support, side bolsters and thigh bolsters. You didn't move once you started throwing that car through turns. I had someone offer me $3k for those seats (in 2003).

[eclimax13]

^^^once again...you leave in the lumbar frame so this does not happen

[AvanTTix]

heres the entire mod to get rid of the lumbar and get better holding seats...

here's my mods to get better holding seats and it goes for me and all my passengers...

Stage 2 - S-line seats...







Stage 3 - Recaro seats...







...

[a4wd]

^^
Doesn't get better than that. I sat in that interior and its so immaculate and OEM. Best interior hands down!!!

[dirtybrd]

Not to mention it's bad for your back.

[eclimax13]

Not to mention it's bad for your back.

i guess it depends on your body shape..my lumbar was hurting my back

[QuattroRocket]

As usual one of tyhe nicest A4's around.

After years of patience I may be getting my payoff ... apparently a buddy's friend is gettin an RS4 from the US and intends on ordering the Euro S4 seats and has "no use" for the RS4 Recaros so I may get REAL lucky and pick em up for close to nothing !!! Heres hoping !!!

here's my mods to get better holding seats and it goes for me and all my passengers...

Stage 2 - S-line seats...







Stage 3 - Recaro seats...







...

[johnouellette]

where's a good place to source s-line seats, and S4/RS4 seats?

[diagnosticator]

No, I am talking about the seat frame itself. When you remove the lumbar support, it allows you to sit further back in the seat, bringing your ass closer to the hard steel.

Note item "3", that installs instead of the adjustable lumbar support, "4".

[PhunkFX]

what happened to the pics? Booo.

[eclimax13]

oh shit..i didnt know when you delete them from photobucket it gets deleted here...sorry bout that...im still very happy with how this turned out...been about 3 weeks, no problems whatsoever, no poking...and they hold much better than before

[eclimax13]

all fixed

[PhunkFX]

ah thank you