Seat Gone BAck and Cant GO BAck UP =( - BMW Forum

chexicanone · 09-18-2005, 03:07 PM

You guys gotta help me on this one. I put my drivers seat down all the way as far as it could go back to take a rest. When i tried to put it back up only the right side of the seat seems to move. The left side remains in the down position. I can hear some motors struggling and moving but it remains down. Now i have to drive with the right side partially up and i use a pillow to support my back since i have stick. The car is a 1995 540i sport and the seats are memory seats. Thanks for your help

dyami · 09-18-2005, 05:23 PM

its the motors in the seat that are going bad. mine are the same way

chexicanone · 09-19-2005, 07:10 PM

Is there a way to make the seat go back up? I wont touch it again ever again if i fix it

bimmer3214 · 09-19-2005, 07:56 PM

same thing happen to mine and i have to use a pillow also. but i have a 1994 3 series.

CosmosBlack · 09-20-2005, 01:31 AM

Nope, it's NOT the motor!
It's the cables at the back of the seat that reclines the seatback.
Open up the back cover and you will see that one of the cables has snapped or come loose.

superdeadman · 09-20-2005, 01:51 AM

you all got schooled by cosmos

afxjzs · 09-20-2005, 04:54 PM

actually, the seat can twist with out the cables looking broken or loose or anything. the way the seat works is there are cables with square end pieces that deliver the torque from the motor to the worm gear that moves the seat back. as you use the cables over the years, they get shorter, much like when you twist a rope it gets shorter.

here is the fix: Headrest Fix (exact same fix as with seat twist.)

dyami · 09-25-2005, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmosBlack

Nope, it's NOT the motor!
It's the cables at the back of the seat that reclines the seatback.
Open up the back cover and you will see that one of the cables has snapped or come loose.

actually, it can be the motors. the brushes inside them and the gears connecting the cables do go bad over time.

dyami · 09-25-2005, 01:29 AM

afxjzs is right =)

Nitrosport2000 · 10-13-2005, 08:16 PM

I agree with cosmos. I had the same issue in my 94 525i. When I took the seat out, I found that one of the cables was slightly loose where it goes into the motor. I pushed it back in and the seat started working again. If this doesnt work, you can always attach a drill to the cable and use that to move the seat up to where its comfortable for you.

6andhis5 · 11-18-2005, 10:26 AM

I had the same problem with my seats. Do the seat motors sound like they work but the seats don't move? A common problem with the seats is failure of the FLEX SHAFTS that go between the motors and the seat adjusters. These parts cost around 20-25 dollars at the dealer and each seat has several of them of various lenghts. I replaced mine in about four hours, but i had to remove and dismantle the seats to do so. If you are mechanically inclined, it's worth saving the 200 dollars that a mechanic will charge. It's not exectly easy and almost impossible to do without completely removing the seat from the car. If the cables are good and the motor is burned out, replacing the motors is much easier but more expensive. Chech BMW parts yards for better prices on used seat motors. SPECIAL NOTE: If the seat switch is not working (they break too) don't waste money on used ones. If you try to open them up, make sure the terminal side is facing up or the internal components of the switch will go everywhere. Good luck.