Power Seat Failure
 

My drivers seat has picked up a new habit. It refuses to go forward. It moves backwards fast as can be and all the tilt functions work just fine but its temperamental when it comes to going forward. Once this week it refused to go forward. i'm only 5 ft 1 so the seat moving forward is a must! Unfortunately the seat gets moved back at least twice a week so i cant just set in one spot and leave it there forever.

Does anyone know what is causing its issue? There is some stuff that maybe in the track but it seems to me that would affect it going backward too. I would clean it but that involves moving the seat and who knows if it will decide to move where i need it! Any possible causes that wouldnt cost me a bundle to fix? If its expensive i may just buy a seat from the local junk yard but i dont want to scrap my seat that is in good condition for one that is in less than ok condition if i could fix my own!

I searched and i must either be the only person with this issue or i'm the only short person here! :o

My driver's seat has a similar issue. My tilt forward function does not usually work when I am sitting on the seat. If I take my weight off the bottom cushion, my tilt for my seatback funstions normally. I believe it to be a short in the wires, possibly kinked in a bad place or something. I dont really worry about it too much.

my drivers seat will not move forward or backwards either. The tilt works fine though. I dunno what it is but its annoying becase i really wanna move my seat back a little.

I imagine one motor moves the seat forward and back so it must just be the connection in the switch?
There is a lot of history of condensation getting under our seats and messing with electronics.

condensation...
i wouldn't have imagined that one.
i would have thought something like that would be more of a short or bad wire kind of problem

I have the solution!!!

Buy my old L model seats

J/k. probly a short or loose connection. this may seem obvious, but try making sure the plugs under the seat are securly fastened together

The forward/reverse is a single motor with two leads going to a switch and two power leads coming into it. The switch reverses the flow in one direction and straight through in the other. If it goes one direction fine, the problem will be in the switch itself, not any wiring.

Here is how the seat switch is designed
http://www.1728.com/dpdt.gif

The switch itself probably has a broken part inside or a corrosion problem. The switch is a pricey thing at $170 (64225PA811MD) but chances are a good disassembly, cleaning and re-greasing (with dielectric grease) will bring it back to life.

Doug

strange - never heard of anyone having a problem with the power seats before and now multiple people speak up on it. I always thought they were flawless. I guess that will be the next thing to go on mine :eek:

Maybe Mechanical
 

There have been several posts in the past including by me. Sometimes the problem is not electrical at all. Some of the apparatus under the seat gets bent upward and actualy wedges in the mechanism and keeps the seat from moving forward. You can either try to reach under there and bent things back down or unbolt the seat and start to take it out, but before removing it--try the switch again with the seat lifted upward slightly. I am betting that it is a mechanical obstruction.

Lee

No, you're not... I'm only 5'0" even.... and now I'm never letting anyone move my seat..............

Add me to the list! I am having the same problems, the seat itself wasn't in the best of shape costmetically so i bought a used one in a bit better condition, hopefully the power switch works on this one!! BTW its very uncomfortable driving with the seat all the way back, being only 5'11''!

Oh yay! I'm not the shortest person on the site! I havent had a chance to look into the issue this weekend (shame it was great weather) Hopefully next weekend i will have time (if i get off my butt and write my research paper!)

I'm guessing alot of your cars were/are only driven by one person. Mine was originally owned by a couple who switched daily so the seat got moved alot for the first 10 years, then it went to a car lot where it was a popular test drive car so the seat got moved alot, then i bought it and my dad drives it every 3 or 4 days so we move it alot. Thats alot of wear on it compared to those lucky cars that get one owner who never lets anyone else drive it.

hey
 

Sorry to hear about your driver seats going bad. But i have a spare driver side seat with a good working motor... If you are interested let me know. :cool:

That's odd. I'm just under 5'11'' and I would like to go back a little farther than the seat will allow sometimes.

Different sort of power seat problem
 

The power seat in the new pearlie goes forward and back just fine and tilts fore and aft as it was designed to.

But the seat back itself has limited travel. It goes from almost vertical back only about 20 degrees (where the seat back usually) is and then stops. It refuses to recline any further.

My first pearlie, as well as my 96 driver's seat, will recline back as far as the rear seat will allow. Anything I should check for?

Obviously, the seat has power and it shouldn't be a track issue, like the seat bottom movement. What could be obstructing the seat back?

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