300E seat motor

I have a friend with a problem seat back rest. It will lean back but will not come forward when the switch is pressed. The seat itself will move either back or forward with no problems.

I would have no problem assessing the state of the motor, once I can get at it. Can anyone tell me how the motors are accessed? I removed the two screws that fix the front of the seat to the floor and then moved the seat forward to look for the rear two screws but I can't get at them.

Anyone know the secret of getting at the motors?

Comments much appreciated.

TIA

RF

Reply to
RedFox
Loading thread data ...

We get at the motor from the rear end of the seat... with seat raised up as high as possible. If you hear motor whirring as you try to tilt forward, then it is most likely that you need to shorten the sleeve so the rod will engage... very common problem.

Reply to
Tiger

Thanks for the information Tiger.

The front of the seat is bolted down and is very easy to get at. The rear is quite different. I see no bolts that fix the seat to the floor. It seems that a bracket is welded to the floor on each side of the seat and there are hinges on top of the brackets both sides to which the back support fixed.

There is also a black plastiic cover very firmly fixed at the back of the two brackets that is difficult to pull off. I don't want to break off the lugs forcing them. Can you tell me how to remove them? If they come off I may then be able to remove the pin or bolt that is at the hinge. Is that the route you had in mind?

Thanks again.

RF

Reply to
RedFox

Let me look at mine before I tell you how to do it... I repaired the seat without removing the seat.

Reply to
Tiger

THHHHHHAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKK YOU :-) TIGER

It would be helpful if the part we sit on is removable. It's a far more complicated seat than my 240D has, and that one was DELIBERATELY closen for simple mechanical motor-less controls :-)

TIA

RF

Reply to
RedFox

I took a look at mine... the bolt is there in the rear... it is not all the way rear... look at it... and then to the side and a bit toward the front... on the side...

You also will have to remove the bolt for that big black rod against the driveshaft tunnel/hump.

Reply to
Tiger

Many thanks Tiger.

I finally managed to get the rear two bolts out of their crevices. The seat is now loose. Looking underneath from the front I can see three silver colored canisters - the motors? They have black cables about 1/4" diameter attached and some of these have bends. All three are on the left side of the drivers seat. I don't see anything else that resembles a motor. If I could identify the motor that controls the back of the seat I could check the voltage when the switch is pressed forward. From the rear I can see very little.

As I mentioned before, the back of the seat will go back but not forward. There is no motor noise when the switch is pressed forward. Is it possible that the switch is faulty? Do you know how to remove those plastic covers that are in that area. Unless one knows how to remove them, they are a pain to work with because it's so easy to tear off the lugs. I have already wrecked the large cover on the door side of the seat.

I didn't need to remove any bolt of a black rod. I just removed the four bolts and the seat is now connected only by the electrical cables.

Enjoy the weekend :-)

TIA

RF

Reply to
RedFox

Good... keep the electric connected... otherwise you wouldn't be able to figure out which motor is what...

Turn on the key and flip the switch to see which motor is moving and does what...

Like I said before, it is a common problem that you just need to shorten that black sheathing so the flexible rod can connect to the sockets at the motor and gear. For some reason these sheathing swells due to grease and lengthen.

Reply to
Tiger

Right :-)

I tried to figure out which motor was for the back rest by pressing the switch forward and placing my hand the motors, but there was no vibration from any motor and no sound at all.

I managed to get the seat free of that black bar that attaches to the tunnel and I have it well propped up. There seems to be no cables near the left hinge of that back rest. On the right there is a plastic conduit that goes from the base of the seat up alongside the hinge into the back of that back rest. I removed the two screws from the lower edge of the back panel of the back rest but have trouble getting any further. It's very tight. Do you have any idea how to pry it loose? I was able to see up into the corner near the right hinge and can see a silver colored canister - about 2" - 2 1/2" diameter near the end of that plastic conduit. I need to get that rear panel off before I can get a closer look . If this was my car I'd have the set of manuals, as I have for my 240D. But is't not.

Thanks again T for your support.

RF

Reply to
RedFox

This problem was due to a bad electrical connection. I pulled apart the connections to the seat and to the switch, then vaselined them and replaced all. Worked fine then.

Just think of it. A mechanic could have charged $400 for that job, pretending it was a motor burned out :-(

RF

Reply to
RedFox

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.