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1 Series Lumbar Support Retro Fit

37K views 40 replies 28 participants last post by  matty0752 
#1 ·
I have had lumbar support on a few cars and personally I do think its a worthwhile addition to any car, especially if you get out aching after a longish drive. This isn't a complete cure to the soft seat backs in the M-sport seats, as the seats wire frame is still pretty soft. However it helps to add another level of support to make the seat feel more firm in the lower back area and a worthwhile mod imo. I don't know if all 1 Series have the same seat backs or configuration for removal, so just in case this is for a 2010 E87 M sport seats.

My last car didn't have it so I bought this from Corbeau " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and pinched it back out of the car before i sold it. :wink:

All you need is 1 lumbar support.
Some trim removal tools and pliers.
Cable ties.

See pics below.

Corbeau Lumbar support



The seat back is held in with 2x3cm long plastic trim studs/pins at the base which are very secure. So i used trim tools and pliers.





Once you remove the Studs/pins the hard seat backs pull down and away. Again this requires a little force to pull away at the mid point, and then the seat back simply slides down to allow the upper retaining tabs to come free from the seat back. So away at the base, pull away in the middle with some force, then slide it down to clear the 2 large top tabs.



You can see the pipe work for the side bolsters which are operated via the seat switch.



On the right I unclipped a portion of the seat liner so I could neatly thread the lumbar bag into place behind the wire supportive frame. I loosely cable tied the support into place so it can move and expand..







Cable ties in place and finally clipped the liner back in place. The hard seat back fitting is reverse of what you did at the start. I didn't break the 3cm studs but they aren't exspensive from BMW i'm sure/hope...





Finished and lumbar support neatly in the gap by the driver. JD
 
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#4 ·
As a back-ache sufferer due to an acute ankle injury and a change in gait this is a very inventive and helpful thread, I will look into this further.
Thank you for taking the time to embellish your retro fit with editorial comments and images of the job in hand.
Well Done!
Regards
C
 
#6 ·
Did the lumbar mod on my 09 Cooper S with sport seats many years ago, wonderful improvement. This is something I will be doing! Many thanks on the write up, I was wondering if it was possable.

:headbanger:
 
#7 ·
**Revised**

I have had this fitted for a few weeks now and moved the inflatable pad about to achieve the optimum fit. I would say that in general the pics above would show it in a usable position, but for me I moved it down 3-5cm. To do this without producing a kink in the black flexible pipe, I simply flipped it so the pipe feeds the air bag from the top and then pushed it down further. I also attached some strengthening to the wire frame via cable ties to help transfer the air support further into the seat cushion.

Its a good idea to not refit the seat back fully, it will hold in place without the replaced or usable fixing studs in the base, this will allow you to tailor the lumbar support over a few weeks.

Anyway hope this helps some in the future
 
#9 ·
lol

Yeah i pretty much butchered mine getting them out too, if only BMW had used such engineering on other parts to secure things properly.

I still haven't replaced mine after a month or so but the seat backing hasn't moved, I just went to Europe and made some final adjustments after a 6 hour drive to Germany. The seat backing never moved at all so god only knows why they thought they needed to secure them so tightly.

Anyway glad the thread helped a little.
 
#10 ·
This thread is a god send, thank you for posting it.

Ordered mine today and can't wait to fit it and get outta pain.
 
#13 ·
Stealth328Ci said:
Hi

This might be a silly question but what if your seats have heating, can this still work??
Sure will, I did the mod a few weeks back and haven't had any issues.
 
#16 ·
Sonic1506 said:
Just a question, but with this, can it not be used with the original button that puffs the sides up? Sorry if it sounds stupid
With this kit I would think it's possible yes, however the factory lumbar support is more adjustable. Glad mine was spec'd with it :)

 
#17 ·
Very interesting, thanks to the OP! This is something i'd really want to do on my 130i but the thing is, i live in France, i asked Corbeau how much it'd cost to send the item here, and they replied with a whopping 68£ :eek2: At first i thought "ok, that could be worse for the item & shipping"... But it turns out it's just for shipping :redface:
I looked all over ebay, amazon and the lot, but i can't find something similar to this... :cry:
 
#19 ·
Tooks said:
Just want to add my thanks to the original thread starter, I did this mod to my F20 this morning and it's a great improvement to the standard seat.

I might do the passenger seat next!
Typical me rushing through the options forgot to spec this as thought it was standard! did you fit this exact kit? My F20 arrives in a few weeks and I'd really like this

Cheers

Jay
 
#20 ·
J444AYF said:
Tooks said:
Just want to add my thanks to the original thread starter, I did this mod to my F20 this morning and it's a great improvement to the standard seat.

I might do the passenger seat next!
Typical me rushing through the options forgot to spec this as thought it was standard! did you fit this exact kit? My F20 arrives in a few weeks and I'd really like this

Cheers

Jay
Yes, fitted this exact one, and followed the instructions earlier in the thread too, it's the same process, including the removal of the seat back.

I've ordered a second one for the passenger seat, after travelling as a passenger in my car the other day, I really missed the lumbar support.
 
#21 ·
Tooks said:
Yes, fitted this exact one, and followed the instructions earlier in the thread too, it's the same process, including the removal of the seat back.

I've ordered a second one for the passenger seat, after travelling as a passenger in my car the other day, I really missed the lumbar support.
Thanks Tooks, great stuff! I'll definitely be doing this then. I'll probably wait a month or so see if it annoys me without it, and then do the mod.

I think it's more critical to get the seat in the right position first, this will take a few weeks to do

Cheers

Jay
 
#22 ·
Tooks said:
Yes, fitted this exact one, and followed the instructions earlier in the thread too, it's the same process, including the removal of the seat back.

I've ordered a second one for the passenger seat, after travelling as a passenger in my car the other day, I really missed the lumbar support.
It appears mine has this as standard?! or am I confusing this with the 'sides of the seat' that can be adjusted with a little switch on the side of the seat (not electric seats)

Cheers

Jay
 
#23 ·
Mine has the electric side bolsters, that can be inflated or deflated to squeeze you tighter in the seat at the ribs etc.

Lumbar support is the inflatable cushion that pushes into the small of your back, which is what this retrofit is.

I've had it fitted a while now, and think it's great. It really makes a difference to comfort on long journeys, for me anyway.
 
#25 ·
Just ordered mine and will fit soon and post results.

My sport model has the electric side bolsters so glad I've seen someone else install the retro fit lumbar support without issues.
Personally I find the electric side bolsters pointless. When I was at the BMW dealer recently I asked how many people actually ask to make sure the electric side bolsters are fitted and they said none! Goes to show that BMW are on to a winner here by removing lumbar support as standard and charging it as an optional extra. 1st car I have had without lumbar support as standard so I've learnt the hard way!
 
#26 ·
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