Fixing driver side seat

[Deleted member 20330]

Regarding a 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII base model.

A long time ago, I had the floor carpet replaced by an upholstery shop that was used by the dealership.

The carpet was replaced because after repeated cleanings, it looked too dingy.

Before putting in the new carpet, the technician applied 2 layers of Dynamat EX.

While the driver seat motor works (you can hear it), it seems like the gears are not meshing together properly and the seat will not move forward or backward. The other adjustments, lumbar, up / down and tilt work.

If I remove the driver seat, will it be easy to correct this ?

 

[Spree]

http://www.lincolnsofdistinction.org...highlight=seat

 

[My Great 8]

Find another driver's side seat track. I have one if interested.

 

[Scallywag]

I have the exact same problem with my driver's seat as well. All functions remain operable except for the forward/backward. Oh!, and heated seat...

There were a couple times before it stopped F/B movement altogether where it was real sluggish or wouldn't move at all unless I gave it a nudge with my butt in the direction I would want it to move. Obviously I should've looked into it then...

 

[Deleted member 20330]

Spree,

Thanks for the instructions !

It was easy to remove the seat.

Though my toolbox doesn't contain one of those Harry Potter wands, I'll give it a go as the walkthrough is excellent.

Worst case scenario is that after putting the seat back in, it will continue to not move forward and backwards.

 

[Deleted member 20330]

I did it ! ... and I never want to do it again !

As speculated in the instructions above, the center commutator was so covered with a dark film that the copper color couldn't be seen.

I haven't put the seat back in the car, but I'll update this thread when I do.

Below are comments I would add onto the instructions.

1) Regarding experience, if you've put together a plastic model toy in your greener years, you should have no problem with this procedure. Only basic tools are required.

2) The assembly on the underside of your seat may look different than the one displayed in the picture. On my driver's seat there was a single, black, L-shaped piece of plastic that was under, not over, one of the horizontal bars.

3) Take care to not drop any bolts, screws, nuts or washers into the seat. This could easily add another 30 minutes of "shake and bake" action with an unwieldy 100 pound seat.

4) Mark each item with the same marking as the items connected to it. I used a white out pen. For example, from left to right, mark the sensor and motor case with a 1 and increment for the others. This should make reassembly quicker and less stressful.

5) When cleaning the commutators, push the edge of the cotton swab into the ridges of the commutator. After initially cleaning off just the top of the commutator, I later used three times as many cotton swabs to thoroughly clean the ridge spaces.

6) Be patient. It's better to take a break if the work isn't going smoothly. For the inexperienced, this will be a learning process. That means you should spend more time being cautious and thoughtful as to how the seat is put together.

7) If you won't be using the seat anytime soon, now is the time to consider redying the leather or replacing plastic parts. You don't want to have to remove and reinstall this seat again.

8) If after getting the seat apart, you feel like you won't have time to reinstall it before you need to drive your car, relax. Just drop the seat back into the car and bolt it down again. You won't have all the seat controls, but then again, you didn't have them all before.