Ultimate stuck seat problem

Android356 · Android356's Garage

I read all the blogs about fixing a stuck seat, here and on Rennlist.
I've spent countless time using the bucking bronco technique, using a 2x4 to try to move the seat forward. Both of the seat drive cables are seated firmly and are working. I guess my final attempt will be to remove the top backrest, and disassemble the seat from the top down.

I took the covers off and see four bolts, I see a C clip that holds the shaft that allows the seat to articulate back and forth, but I can't get the shaft out. What to do after that is the question.

Any ideas and help you greatly appreciated.

Andy

Traveller · Traveller's Garage

Andy, are you sure the seat switches are working?

I also had a problem with my seats. It turned out to just be stuck, but the first thing I checked was the wiring and switches. I now do not "park" them at the extremities of any of their travels.

Android356 · Android356's Garage

Switches are working and the motor spins. I had both of the drive shafts out to make sure that one was not stripped. I tried to move one side than another to see if it would help budge it forward but no luck. Pretty frustrating.

If I can take apart the seat from the top I can get to the screw shafts to free up the mechanism.

LouZ · 10-02-2011, 01:58 PM

The seat is just held in by 6 bolts (2 in the front & 4 in the back). As long as the seat isn't at its extreme position, you should be able to just unbolt the entire seat from the rails and remove it from the car.

PNine64 · PNine64's Garage

You can remove the drive shaft and use an extra long allen head to turn mechanism (although it may not have been an allen but one of the four sided heads). I had to do this a couple of years ago when I first got my 964. Hopefully this is enough info to get you heading in the right direction??

EDIT...sorry...saw you couldn't get the shaft out. What seems to be the problem there?

craig722 · 10-02-2011, 05:54 PM

Dude
Read this thread, click on the links for pics of the tools you'll need. You don't have to take the
seats out. Just a few turns in the right direction and what you think is some great lockup will
turn into an easy and quick realignment of the left and right seat runners. Then, never leave
the seat in the nearest of farthest positions again.

No more "rodeo" ! - Rennlist Discussion Forums

Take care,
Craig

PNine64 · PNine64's Garage

Good post Craig. That was the one I used when I "unstuck" mine.

Android356 · Android356's Garage

Thanks for the great lead. I'm off to Sears at lunch to pick up a pair of the screw drivers to give it a try. Might be the "hail Mary pass" I need to fix these things.

Big thanks!

Andy

SouthCoastPhil · 10-08-2011, 10:48 AM

FWIW, the driver's seat in my 964 was stuck this spring. Removed the large bolts that hold the seat to the rail to determine WTF the problem was. A penny had gotten wedged in the assembly when I had earlier slid the seat back. Removed said coin and, whallah, all set.

Now I don't keep change in my pockets when I enter the car.

Phil

PNine64 · PNine64's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthCoastPhil

Now I don't keep change in my pockets when I enter the car.

Yeah...the slippery slope took care of that problem for me. I ain't got nuthin' left.

Android356 · Android356's Garage

Well I hope nobody has to go through what I went through, and believe me I tried everything posted on all websites. So the final solution was to very carefully cut the seams on the "gasp" leather seat. There is a small wire that runs around the leather base that you can undo from the rear to get slack in it, and then bend down the metal tabs to move the leather skirt down. Then you can fold up the center section to get at the four nuts. There are two shinny nuts on the sides that center the seat on its base. After you remove them and have slack in the leather you can push them out so you can remove the seat from the motor portion of the base.

One thing I noticed, there was plastic shim remnants that sit on top of the four bases that allow the seat to articulate back and forth. Mine were gone, so I just liberally greased them up. The drive posts need to be down all the way and the base needs to be square to the seat to have them fall into their receiver to put the nut on. Do not over tighten otherwise the seat will not articulate back and forth.

After pealing the seat foam out I could get to the four nuts that hold the seat to the four posts and I could disconnect the wires (mark them) and lift it out. So the fun part. After buying a new drive shaft, the receiving end stripped out the new one. I tried the 1/8 x 4 on it prior to the surgery, but no turning it.

After I was able to flip it over, the drive shaft screw would still not turn - it was fully locked up. After liberal doses of WD 40 and a few hits with a velvet hammer I got it loose. The upper part of the thread had some "stuff" that had just jammed it for good. So after cleaning the threads, the screw turned by hand freely.

Since I wasn't going to go to my Dealer to get another drive shaft and the receiver, I just tack welded it in on two sides. A trip to the OB Upholstery and put it back in, and it works!

Total: $170 for the two drive shafts and $250 to sew it back up. Bummer, but had no alternatives except let the pros do it for three times as much.

IMPORTANT item: the seat has to go back in square. I noticed when installing it that there can be some play in the four allen bolts and can result in the same problem occurring again, so make sure that the two slides are equal length. Run the seat to the back position and see that they bottom out at the same time.

I hope that nobody else has to do this, but it takes the guess work out of what the last resort is.