Please explain the Lumbar Support switch to me!

[ratsbew]

I've had my Model 3 since July 2018 and for the life of me I can't figure out what the four directions of the lumbar support switch do (the circular four way switch on the side of the seat). To me, it seems like three of the switches kind of inflate it maybe or move it upward? One of the positions seems like a reset, but the up/down switches don't seem to be opposites of each other....in other words, pushing the up button has some kind of effect, but the down button isn't the reverse of the up button. The forward button just kind of puts this hard bulge in my spine.

Also, it seems like the driver profile memory doesn't remember the lumbar setting.

It it just me or are these particular controls not intuitive? I've messed with it dozens of times and can't correlate the button with what I'm feeling.

 

[Type1]

I also have no idea, very curious.

 

[wingnutsglory]

Same. It's not explained in the manual...

 

[Chewbach]

Ditto. But I just googled and found this...

 

[odingrey]

There's an upper and a lower lumbar support. Pushing the forward button inflates both, bottom button inflates the bottom and deflates the top, top button inflates the top and deflates the bottom, back button deflates both.

 

[ratsbew]

There's an upper and a lower lumbar support. Pushing the forward button inflates both, bottom button inflates the bottom and deflates the top, top button inflates the top and deflates the bottom, back button deflates both.

Awesome. I'll try this out!

 

[640k]

There's an upper and a lower lumbar support. Pushing the forward button inflates both, bottom button inflates the bottom and deflates the top, top button inflates the top and deflates the bottom, back button deflates both.

are you sure this is correct? i'm struggling to understand why people are having a hard time with the lumbar control. it's the same as any other ive driven with a similar button.

up/down controls the position of the lumbar. left/right controls the in/out (inflate/deflate) of the lumbar itself. i have not noticed that there are two separate lumbars. are you guys sure it's just not moving down and you're not pushing down/inflate at the same time??

i think the biggest problem is because it's a multi-directional pad instead of just a traditional four-point pad.

 

[cdub]

I have yet to find a setting that makes me comfortable. Sigh. I'll keep trying.

 

[kpanda17]

2023 no lumbar support

 

[cdub]

2023 no lumbar support

? Certainly has lumbar support. Passenger doesn't though.

I'm not a big fan of the lumbar support so far honestly. Uncomfortable.

 

[kpanda17]

Knowing how cheap my RWD is was I thought I had no lumbar support

 

[LiamPope]

are you sure this is correct? i'm struggling to understand why people are having a hard time with the lumbar control. it's the same as any other ive driven with a similar button.

up/down controls the position of the lumbar. left/right controls the in/out (inflate/deflate) of the lumbar itself. i have not noticed that there are two separate lumbars. are you guys sure it's just not moving down and you're not pushing down/inflate at the same time??

i think the biggest problem is because it's a multi-directional pad instead of just a traditional four-point pad.

It's absolutely how he described it. And same for any other manufacturer that I've physically seen the parts of. Here's the Tesla lumbar unit...

It's two airbags that overlap somewhat. The overlap makes it feel like one single cushion, and varying the balance of inflation/deflation of the two bags is how they achieve the effect of moving the support up and down - so the up/down buttons inflate one bag while deflating the other, forward and back buttons inflate or deflate both together. If you think from a production point of view, that's much simpler than some sliding mechanism in the seat. That's also why the up/down sensation can feel a little vague, because it's not really moving something up/down, but rather trying to approximate that. So not surprising some people can struggle to really feel what is going on!