Recline and Thigh seat adjustments not working

[Silver]

[Ronnie]

Welcome to the forum Silver !! Glad you joined the forum. That's a nice looking Reatta you have.

 

I just have the standard seats in my Reatta so I can't offer much help in answering your questions about the seats. I'm sure someone will come along shortly that will offer assistance with your problem. It does sound like you have something sticking that keeps the seat from moving.

[Ronnie]

... When switches are pressed, appropriate portion of seat produces a bump, but nothing further happens.  Each switch behaves in same manner in either of their positions.  Almost as though the motor tries to turn, but there is something stuck in a gear, or in a screw drive.

 

 

Since the motors for the seats just produce a bump, I wonder if the circuit breaker is bad and kicks out as soon as you hit the switch. There are different motors that move the seat position so I doubt all motors are bad. There is a circuit breaker in fuse box, breaker #23, a 30 amp breaker, that supplies power to all the motors. I would change it to rule out it as being the source of the problem. However the service manual says each motor has a circuit breaker, I assume it's built into the motor, that automatically resets as well. I would start with replacing circuit breaker #23 and go from there with troubleshooting your problem.

[DAVES89]

I have the same issue you in the 'vert but the seats are in a good position for me [actually for my wife]. The incline is right and neither of us use the thigh bolster. We just reset the seats using the controls on the door.

I never pursued it but will take a look at breaker #23.

[Silver]

I have the same issue you in the 'vert but the seats are in a good position for me [actually for my wife]. The incline is right and neither of us use the thigh bolster. We just reset the seats using the controls on the door.

I never pursued it but will take a look at breaker #23.

 

Dave:

Thanks, I'm glad to know that I'm not alone.  Unfortunately, this seatback is basically at 90 degrees from the seat cushion just not as comfortable as it can be.

[jglawnyc]

Hey all:  I have the same recline problem in my '91 with both driver and passenger seats, both are luckily in a good position.  Both make a normal "motor operating" sound when I activate the switch in either direction.  My brief exploration on the driver's seat showed a cable under the seat that was turning and seemed to fit correctly into a connection under the inner side, but yet the seat back didn't adjust.  Never explored the passenger seat.  I imagine there is a loose or broken connection in the turning cable.  Surprise suprise....at the beginning of this summer the driver's seat recline started working again!!!  I set it perfectly for me once and then again a week later and haven't touched it again.  Don't look a gift horse .... etc.  I would try gently moving around that cable (it is horizontal near the back of the seat bottom and placed laterally from outer (door side) to inner (console side) on the driver's seat and see if that leads you anywhere.

 

Additionally as we're on the subject, the motor also seems to work for the lumbar bladder but when I reached under the seat back I found a loose plastic connection which obviously came off of the inflation bladder.  Before I contort my hand around in there, does anyone know where the junction is to connect the line to the bladder?  Good luck Silver.

[Silver]

I may have found the answer to my question last evening, but stupidly didn't bookmark the URL. What was said was that on Bonneville with the same problem, it was found that it was a lubrication problem of the screw drives. Individual indicated that he took the seat out, turned it upside down, and lubicated the drives with something along the lines of white lithium grease. Said that it got the recline working. It seems that GM didn't lubricate these devices, and lack of use may lead to corrosion on them.

 

I'd think that applying a little ATF, or something of the sort that will really penetrate, on the captured nut in which the screwdriver runs might free it. Get it to move, and then lubricate that area.

 

It's likely that it will be a while before I can attack mine due to some other projects that I've got going at the moment. If someone gives this a try and it does, or does not solve the problem, I'd really appreciate their posting their finding.

 

Silver

[Ronnie]

.... Additionally as we're on the subject, the motor also seems to work for the lumbar bladder but when I reached under the seat back I found a loose plastic connection which obviously came off of the inflation bladder.  Before I contort my hand around in there, does anyone know where the junction is to connect the line to the bladder? 

 

You might find the how-to guide usefull: Lumber Support Bladder Replacement.

[Silver]

Recline problem solved, at least on my Reatta.

 

Dissimilar metals and lack of lubrication on the vertical recline drive screws was the problem.  Easy, quick fix.

 

1.  Move seat as far forward as possible and remove the 2" plastic trim panel at base of seat back.  There is a Phillips head screw in each.

 

2.  You will find a 90 degree screwdriver at the bottom corner of each seat.  These drives are connected via a horizontal flex drive cable.

 

3. Squirt some lubricant, I used WD-40 Silicone, on the vertical screw shafts and at the top and bottom of the drive mechanism.  Also, apply some to the part of the screw extending below the drive.

 

4.  Using a pair of channel locks, turn each of the bright metal collars at the ends of the vertical shafts just enough to free the corrosion from inside the metals.

 

5.  Test the system by raising and lowering the back of the seat.

 

That's what I found on my vehicle, and what I did.  It worked on mine.  

 

I just got curious, and figured that since I could hear the motor attempting to turn, something had to be keeping the mechanical drive from moving.

 

wcr

[Ronnie]

Good for you!! Glad to hear you got if fixed.

[Ronnie]

What about the thigh adjustment?

[Silver]

What about the thigh adjustment?

 

Ronnie,

 

Sorry for not responding earlier.

 

I really can't give you an answer on the thigh adjustment. I've got rather short legs, and the fully retracted position was appropriate for my use. I suspect, however, that the mechanism is the same, and noises were the same. If so, same repair might be applicable. 

 

wcr

[Ohjai]

I know this is an old thread, but I have an answer for the thigh adjustment.

 

The motor , drive cables, and worm gear are all in the part that moves out from the seat.  The same process that I used for the recliner worked  on the thigh adjustment.

 

Clean the threads of the stationary bolt the worm gear rides on.  I kept spraying it with KROIL penetrating lubricant. Then I kept working the motor back and forth to start getting movement, a little at a time and finally it started working.  No disassembly, no parts removal, just a bit of time spraying the moving parts and time.

 

Jim

[Ronnie]

13 minutes ago, Ohjai said:

I know this is an old thread, but I have an answer for the thigh adjustment.

Thanks for sharing. I'm sure this will help someone else down the road.