Driver seat recline stuck

[silky28]

Hello all,

Yesterday my son jumped in the driver seat and started playing with buttons and switches and when I went to drive I found the driver seat to be reclined almost fully. When I tried to move it back to normal I could hear the motor running but the seat does not move; the motor runs for about 7 or 8 seconds in each direction before stopping but the seat does not budge.

Is there a quick fix to this?

 

[SnowDrifter]

Did it walk itself out of the adjustment gear? Pop the seat out and take a peek underneath. Found something similar when I got mine. Motor to adjust sear height had walked its way off the worm screw. Took it off, threaded it in, been fine ever since

 

[drakon543]

possibly an easier fix than what my daughter did in my 97. looking at herself in the visor mirror when she was done she back court slapped it shut. broke the mirror cover right off and now i have a zip tie jammed in the switch to keep it off.

 

[silky28]

Ok, so once I popped the seat cushion up the problem became quite obvious...the shaft that connects the recline motor to the recline mechanism has snapped. I am not sure what these parts are called but it is a small flexible shaft that is spun by the motor. The end which goes into the motor seems to have frayed and eventually snapped...my son's playing was probably the last straw.


Now I have to figure out whether I can get this part or if I need a whole new seat track assembly.

 

[drakon543]

the whole seat track assembly doesn't seem too bad off ebay and such.

 

[silky28]

So I managed to bring it up. I got to it by unbolting the seat from the car and tilting the seat backwards. I found a Robinson tip (square head) screw driver but that fit in the hole. I put a socket on the bit and spun it with an air ratchet...slowly the seat started lifting. I am going to leave it until I can find the piece I need.