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- 2014 & 2019 CX-5 Touring(s)
I've only had my CX-5 for a week, but was disappointed with the maximum support available when the lumbar doohickey (a technical term) was set to it's firmest setting.
On another car I'd added an inflatable lumbar pillow behind the seat, so today I delved into the back of the CX-5's seat to see if there was an easy way to do the same thing. Instead I found that the range of the existing adjuster was actually quite good, it's just that it starts WAY back and there's actually a gap between the 'push' plate and the back of the seat cushion at the 'lowest' settiing. So I cut a piece of foam and inserted it between the plate and the cushion and it has increased the maximum support beautifully! No inflatable pillow needed.
OK, so the way the Touring's manual lumbar support works is this: there's a rectangular nylon 'push' plate roughly 5 by 9 inches that is clipped onto horizontal bar. When you adjust the lever, the bar moves toward the seat back and pushes the nylon plate against the back cushion. Simple! I would assume the GT lumbar adjuster works the same way - just motorized - and if so, this same mod would work for GT owners too.
OK, the 'how-to' is easy (sorry, no photos, but you really don't need them):
1) I took some 2-inch-thick stiff packing foam (regular foam, NOT the polystyrene stuff!) and cut out a rectangle 10 inches by 7 inches (and 2" thick), and then beveled the edges a bit around one side. To cut the foam I just used one of those dollar-store slide-out knives - the type where you break off segments whenever the tip gets blunt. I extended it out to the fullest and cut carefully, so it didn't snap and cause an accident!
2) Then you need to get in the back seat of the car and untuck the back bottom of the seat fabric to expose the zipper tabs, unzip both sides to the top. (No need to unclip the lower edge of the seat fabric, though you can if you want.)
3) With the lumbar adjuster all the way 'released' slide the foam in between the 'push' plate and the seatback cushion, beveled edges toward the cushion. If you use 2" thick foam as I did, that's thicker than the gap and should stay wedged in place. If you have thinner foam you could glue or velcro it in place to stop it falling out.
4) Before zipping everything up, test the seat for placement and comfort. I have my foam's bottom edge level with the bottom of the plate and overlapping about 2 inches at the top to raise the support point higher up my back.
5) Once placed, tested and fine, zip the seat fabric back down and tuck the ends back in. Done!
Much more support, and very easy to do (provided you can find some stiff foam) it only took me about 20 minutes . As I said, mine's just wedged in there for now, but if I find it moves I'll have to attach it more firmly and will report back
Good luck!
On another car I'd added an inflatable lumbar pillow behind the seat, so today I delved into the back of the CX-5's seat to see if there was an easy way to do the same thing. Instead I found that the range of the existing adjuster was actually quite good, it's just that it starts WAY back and there's actually a gap between the 'push' plate and the back of the seat cushion at the 'lowest' settiing. So I cut a piece of foam and inserted it between the plate and the cushion and it has increased the maximum support beautifully! No inflatable pillow needed.
OK, so the way the Touring's manual lumbar support works is this: there's a rectangular nylon 'push' plate roughly 5 by 9 inches that is clipped onto horizontal bar. When you adjust the lever, the bar moves toward the seat back and pushes the nylon plate against the back cushion. Simple! I would assume the GT lumbar adjuster works the same way - just motorized - and if so, this same mod would work for GT owners too.
OK, the 'how-to' is easy (sorry, no photos, but you really don't need them):
1) I took some 2-inch-thick stiff packing foam (regular foam, NOT the polystyrene stuff!) and cut out a rectangle 10 inches by 7 inches (and 2" thick), and then beveled the edges a bit around one side. To cut the foam I just used one of those dollar-store slide-out knives - the type where you break off segments whenever the tip gets blunt. I extended it out to the fullest and cut carefully, so it didn't snap and cause an accident!
2) Then you need to get in the back seat of the car and untuck the back bottom of the seat fabric to expose the zipper tabs, unzip both sides to the top. (No need to unclip the lower edge of the seat fabric, though you can if you want.)
3) With the lumbar adjuster all the way 'released' slide the foam in between the 'push' plate and the seatback cushion, beveled edges toward the cushion. If you use 2" thick foam as I did, that's thicker than the gap and should stay wedged in place. If you have thinner foam you could glue or velcro it in place to stop it falling out.
4) Before zipping everything up, test the seat for placement and comfort. I have my foam's bottom edge level with the bottom of the plate and overlapping about 2 inches at the top to raise the support point higher up my back.
5) Once placed, tested and fine, zip the seat fabric back down and tuck the ends back in. Done!
Much more support, and very easy to do (provided you can find some stiff foam) it only took me about 20 minutes . As I said, mine's just wedged in there for now, but if I find it moves I'll have to attach it more firmly and will report back
Good luck!