Got Electric Sports Seats Question

[MPDano]

I am stumped why my electric seats will only go in 1 direction unless I reverse polarity at the connector.

Here's the breakdown:

Seat only goes forward, same with backrest.

Up/Down of seat rear or front is inoperatative

Ok, reverse polarity at connector:

Seat only goes backwards, same with backreset

Up/Down of seat rear or front inoperative still


I jumped all the motors and they work fine, I cleaned the switches internally and they both look great.

All the wires, i removed from the motors, crimped the plugs a little for a snugger fit but no changes.

Any suggestions? Should I just run new wire from the switches to the motors?

Stumped

[rhjames]

sounds like the switches are bad......or the wiring from the switches to the motors is bad.

did you run a jumper wire from the switch to the motor--bypassing the OEM wiring? does this help?











--Russ

[Danglerb]

Use clips and measure voltages at the motors while working the switches.

I'm wondering if the connection to the car wiring might be wrong?

[rhjames]

Mike,

unless Leo changed the wiring connector from the main harness to the seat harness, there's only one way to connect it. the connector is shaped in a "T" when looking at the plug.

where's Alan (in Phoenix) when you need him.....? He could tell you much better than I.






--Russ

[Alan in AZ]

Sounds like the switches are not configured correctly... they should do the polarity reversing to the motor for you. Are you sure you have the right switches installed?

Now you say sports seats - are they really? as I understand it sports seats only have electric front/rear height adjustments while seat back angle & fore/aft position were manual only...?

Also on an 81 I'm not sure I've ever seen electric sports seat wiring configurations - are these from a later model retrofitted or stock to the vehicle?

Alan

[MPDano]

Hi Russ and Alan,

Actually, I removed the stock connector. In the connector was 2 browns and 2 other same colors. I just put the 2 likes together and crimped a connector on them. I have them connected to a 12v/ground that is in the seat area (T). I am starting to suspect the wiring from the switches to motors as suggested.

The seats were used Sport Seats from another car. I already resolved the reason it wasn't reclining, PO drilled a hole in the reclining mechanism and put a screw to block the pivoting. I removed the screw by drilling it out since the heads were shaved off. I re-greased the pivoting mechanism and it works fine now.

I am now trying to resolve the switching mechanism. Upon inspection of the wires behind the switches. It looks as if someone was also trying to troubleshoot the problem, by stripping small areas of insulation on each wire. Probably jumping them in order to find out why the switches aren't working correctly. I took apart one of the switches to see if the levers and bearings were in the correct position and I cleaned it up with contact cleaner. They still do nothing even when jumped from inside the switch. This is why I am leaning towards the physical wires. This is the point I am now.

[MPDano]

The switches are 2 4-way switches and round in design. I am not home, but I can take pictures when I get home later tonight.

[MPDano]

I actually have a pic from my website. This is a pic of the Drivers seat, but I am trying to troubleshoot the passenger seat. This will show what Sport Seat and Switches are on there.

[Dean_Fuller]

What year model did the seats come out of???? Those don't look like my 82 model sport seats at all....???

[Dean_Fuller]

The bolsters look more like comfort seats than Sport. I watching this close because my son's 80 is acting the same way and I have done all you have sounds like to resolve.

[Alan in AZ]

These are comfort seat (not sports seats) - that's why they are 8 way seats - as I noted before sports seats are only 4 way height adjustable. On sports seats the fore/aft and backrest angle adjustments are manual only... (per the other pictures).

Are these memory seats? If yes there may be more connections - do you have a photo of the underside...?

Alan

[MPDano]

Hi Alan, I thought they were called Sport, but I am mistaken. I will take pics of the underside for you.

[MPDano]

Here are some pics of the underside.

[Alan in AZ]

OK so non-memory seats - it should be as straight-forward as your connections - just power & ground. Since it isn't working I'd suspect someone rewired the switches

At the switch: Brown is Gnd, Red is power, Grey & Black goes to one motor, Black/Green & Black/Violet goes to the other motor.

When no switch is pressed all these wires should be grounded. When any direction is pressed - just the wire associated with that direction should go to +12v - this effectively reverses polarity from one switch plane direction to the other.

Test to see if you have this behaviour correct... it could be a lack of switching to power or a lack of the default grounding

Alan

[rhjames]

Alan---

Glad to see your assisitance.

I too, have seat issues (no not my butt--the car!)

I have S4 seats going into my 80 Euro.

the car's connector is two pin, and the seats have a 12 pin and 8 pin, driver's and passenger respectively.

Am I missing another piece of a harness to make this work? OR, do I have to cut and whack the car's (or the seat's) harness to adapt to the S4 seats???


Help!!!!!!


P.s. I can post pictures this weekend if that will help.


thanks--Russ

[MPDano]

Thanks Alan,

I got the day off so I think I will test those connections at the switch. They look stock, but will take a closer look. Just to make sure I put the switch back together correctly, the ball bearing is directly under the spring, correct? 4 bearings 4 springs

[MPDano]

Originally Posted by rhjames

Alan---

Glad to see your assisitance.

I too, have seat issues (no not my butt--the car!)

I have S4 seats going into my 80 Euro.

the car's connector is two pin, and the seats have a 12 pin and 8 pin, driver's and passenger respectively.

Am I missing another piece of a harness to make this work? OR, do I have to cut and whack the car's (or the seat's) harness to adapt to the S4 seats???


Help!!!!!!


P.s. I can post pictures this weekend if that will help.


thanks--Russ

Yeah, that's what I had on my seats too. I believe each side of the seats connector is either pos or neg. I hacked it up to create a single pos and a single neg. then crimped a couple spades and connected it to the T connector that way.

[MPDano]

Ok, took pics of the back of the switch. Can someone tell me if the wiring is correct? Sorry for the bad pics, wife has my nice cam today. Pics are from my pda.

[MPDano]

A little update. I unsoldered the pairs to motors and used clips to connect the pairs not working with switch to the known working 1-way. Walla, the motor works. I am pretty confident both those 4-way switches are bad.

[Alan in AZ]

Russ - 8 way connector is used for the standard S4 comfort seat with 8 way adjustment & heat. Usually seats do not have a 12 way connector - is it perhaps a 14 way connector? - this is used on the memory seats (there is large module under the seat for these). Its quite common to have a memory seat only on the drivers side...

In any case you will need to modify the seat side to adapt to the car. The car side just has power & ground - this is fine for the regular movement - but for heating to be functional you will also need to add an ignition switched connection (doesn't currently exist to the seat area).

On the 8 way seat connector pins 4, 6 & 8 are all power (30) (Red) connect them all together & pins 1,3,5 & 7 are all grounds (31) (brown) connect them all together. Pin 2 (Red) needs to connect to an ignition switched supply (15) (15A fuse - for seat heating) or leave disconnected for no heating.

If the drivers seat in fact has a 14 pin connector for memory seats then you only need to wire to Pins 1, 2 & 4. (memory will not work of course - it needs much more wiring + control panel - very difficult to retrofit).

Pin 1 (Brown) = Ground (31)
Pin 2 (Red/Green) = Power (30) (10A Fuse)
Pin 4 (Black) = Ignition Switched (15) (20A Fuse)

Alan