Difficulty Level: 4 Difficulty scale: Adding air to your tires is level one Rebuilding a BMW Motor is level ten
This article is one in a series that have been released in conjunction with Wayne's new book, 101 Performance Projects for Your BMW 3 Series. The book contains 272 pages of full color projects detailing everything from performance mods to timing the camshafts. With more than 650+ full-color glossy photos accompanying extensive step-by-step procedures, this book is required reading in any 3 Series owner's collection. The book was released in August 2006, and is available for ordering now. See The Official Book Website for more details.
Surprisingly, seats present some of the most complicated components on any car. When you start adding bells and whistles to them (like heaters, occupancy sensors, power motors, and air bag sensors), you end up with a complicated device that gets a lot of use and often needs some attention. This project covers three basic repair procedures involving the E36 power seats: seatbelt receptacle replacement, seat occupancy sensor replacement, and power seat switch replacement.
The first step is to remove the front seat, which is a pretty easy task. Unbolt the seat from the chassis floor according to Photo 1. Then disconnect any electrical connections that may be located underneath the seat (Photo 2). Because each seat weighs between 60 and 80 pounds, I suggest that you have a helper assist you in lifting and carrying the seat from your car. You’d hate to lose your balance while lifting and bang your seat against the side of your car.
With the seat removed, you will have relatively easy access to the remainder of the seat components. The belt buckle receptacle can easily be replaced once the seat is removed from the car (see Photo 1). The electrical switch inside this receptacle often fails, resulting in air bag warning lamp error messages (see Project 83). Replacement is as simple as unbolting the old unit, attaching the new unit, and running the wire harness through the seat.
The passenger seat occupancy sensor is used to tell the air bag computer whether or not there is a person sitting in the passenger seat. This avoids a potentially costly deployment of the passenger-side air bag if there isn’t anyone sitting there. This sensor gets lots of use and is responsible for a significant portion of air bag lamp faults. Once you have determined that this sensor is the cause of the problem, replacement is fairly straightforward and costs about $85.
To access the sensor, you need to remove the lower seat pad. This pad is attached at four points, sometimes with screws and sometimes with plastic clips (see Photo 2 for removal instructions). With the pad removed, the sensor becomes visible. It is simply tacked down to the lower seat cup by double-sided tape that comes pre-attached to the sensor. To replace the sensor, simply pull off the old one and stick on the new one. Reroute the wire harness for the sensor underneath the seat. Before buttoning up the seat completely, I would carefully carry it over to your car and plug it into the wire harness to see if the air bag computer still gives an error message (for this, you will need an air bag reset/code reading tool like the one described in Project 83). It’s better to find out now if there is a problem with the assembly than after you have reinstalled the seat.
A note of caution: Do not put the key into the ignition with the seat removed if you are not having trouble with your air bag. If you put the key into the ignition and turn it on with the seat disconnected, the air bag computer will register a fault, and the light will go on. Then you will not be able to reset the light without a code reset tool.
The power seat switch assembly is a complicated electrical piece that often fails after many years of use. To replace the switch, simply remove the bolts that attach the lower seat cup to the assembly (Photo 3). Then flip the seat around and remove the switch retainer from the seat assembly (Photo 4). Finally, the switch should pop out of its connector, once the retaining ring is released (Photo 5).
You may want to check the seat springs before you reinstall. Coating them with some light oil will prevent them from squeaking in the future. Reassembly of the seat is indeed the opposite of assembly. The seats weigh roughly 70 pounds, so you might want to have a helper assist you with the final installation process.
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Figure 1
Removing the seat is easy. Simply slide the seat all the way back, and remove the nut that attaches the seat to the floor (under the black plastic cap). Next, slide the seat all the way forward, and remove the bolts at the rear. The seat should then be able to be tipped upward so you can disconnect any of the electrical connections that attach to it from underneath.
Figure 2
With the seat unbolted from the car, simply disconnect the wire harnesses from underneath. Your particular seat may have a few more or a few less harnesses than the one shown here. The green arrow shows the power connector; the yellow arrow shows the seatbelt receptacle sensor plug; the orange arrow shows the air bag occupancy sensor plug.
Figure 3
The first thing to do when you get your seat onto your workbench is disable the seatbelt pyrotechnic receptacle. This seatbelt device activates in conjunction with the air bags in an accident, and it can accidentally go off while you’re working on it. Using a small screwdriver, turn the small green lever (yellow arrow) until the indicator on the side of the unit turns to red (blue arrow). In this photo, you can also see the bolts that attach this seatbelt assembly to the seat (use a Torx driver). If your assembly has activated accidentally, you can easily replace it now. Remember to turn the seatbelt mechanism back on when you install the seat back into the car.
Figure 4
On the bottom of the seat, you will see the complicated mess that controls all of the seat functions. In order to gain access to the electric seat switches or the passenger seat occupancy sensor, you need to first remove the top cushion. The cushion is held on at four points—on some cars, using four plastic clips; on others, a combination of screws and clips. This particular seat has both. The plastic clips need to be clipped off (blue arrows), and the screws that hold the front of the pad to the seat need to be removed using a Torx driver (yellow arrows).
Figure 5
With the top cushion removed, you can now see the seat occupancy sensor in place. This sensor is a thin, complicated-looking film attached to the top of the seat cup using double-sided tape. A brand-new replacement sensor is shown in the inset photo. Replacement is as easy as peeling back the old sensor and attaching the new one. Also shown here are the Torx bolts that attach the seat cup to the rest of the seat assembly (green arrows). Removal of these bolts is necessary in order to gain access to replace the electrical seat switches.
Figure 6
Shown here are the electrical seat switches. With the lower seat cup removed from the rest of the frame, you can remove the three or four small Torx screws that attach the seat switch retainer to the seat frame. Once this retainer is free, you can easily remove the switch. Begin by prying off the switch knobs with a small screwdriver. Then remove the one Phillips-head screw that attaches the switch to the retainer (red arrow). The switch should then be able to be snapped out of the plastic retainer.
Figure 7
This photo shows the electric seat switch assembly. Remove it from the seat wire harness by pulling back on both ends of the connector retainer (yellow arrows). Pull away from the connector in the direction of the blue arrow, and you should be able to pull the switch assembly from the connector. The front face of a brand-new electrical switch assembly is shown in the photo inset.
Comments: Hello. My passeger seat is stuck in the all the way up position. However, it does move back and forward, as well as the recline. help? thank you
May 24, 2012
Susieq
Comments: 98 328i, driver seat is stuck in recline. The seat DOES move forward and backward but the recline does NOT. Please help!!
May 21, 2012
milt
Comments: hi pelican staff,
my 1991 735i bmw passenger seat would at 1 time would recline,and up or down but not back or forward I removed the switch,and got a spark,now is no power,after replacing switch,where is fuse located.for passenger seat front.thank you.
March 5, 2012
john
Comments: 1993 e32 750il twisted seat back. Is there a guide somewhere on how to straighten twisted seat back by shortening cable drive housing or other fix?? thanks, john g
February 26, 2012
Edward
Comments: 2002 BMW 745i. the front passenger seat is stuck all the way back, when you try to move it forward you hear a grinding noise the seat wont move forward but moves to the left and right. all the other aspects of the seat works fine. Is this a major, costly job to rectify? Thanks' Edward
February 23, 2012
Lou
Comments: I have a 1992 e32 735i and the seatis stuck. I'm trying to move it manually to access mount bolts. What size hex or torx drill bit should I use to move the motor. I tried to power it with a 12v battery pack but no go.
Appreciate any advise.
Thanks
Lou
February 17, 2012
J
Comments: hi pelican, i have a 2003 bmw e46 318ci facelift auto with manual seats, the problem i have is the passenger seat moves back and forward but it has stopped reclining for some reason im not sure why, please help me fix this problem thanks.
January 27, 2012
Pfeller1
Comments: Hello - I hv a 2004 740i- the telescoping steering wheel stopped going up and down after the battery died. It goes back and forth fine. Any idea how to fix it. Also, at the same time the sunroof stopped working. Coincides ? Thank you
December 23, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Hmm, electrical gremlins like these tend to come out indeed after a battery has been dead. I would try disconnecting the battery again for a while from the car and then reconnecting it. It may have something to do with your seat memory - I have a similar issue on my 5-series with the wheel, where the seat memory computer forgets to move it up and down occasionally. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
kris
Comments: I have a 200 bmw 328i and the driver side seat heater has stopped working, what is the best way to troubleshoot this problem
December 12, 2011
sam s
Comments: I have 1994 325 convertible and the passenger set will move up/down and forward but not back. The more its pushed forward the hard it is harder foor people too sit in the seat. What is the problem?
December 3, 2011
Ken S
Comments: To: Ken H - There is a design flaw in pre-2000 Z3's. It is a common problem for all Z3's made in those years. There are four rubber spacing bushings in the power seat mechanism in each seat. Those rubber bushings eventually deteriorate seaviong a gap that causes the seat to slide when you accelerate, down shift or brake. You need to replace the bushings with Doug Whalen's plastic bushings see http://www.whalenshiftmachine.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=8&zenid=8151e2583ae2cfc33db74fd55f260307. Also, here is the first of three how to videos to fix the problem on UTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM4KSnA58EI. Good luck fixing this aggravating problem.
November 29, 2011
matty
Comments: I have a 97 E36 M3 with a power seat that does work at all no noise no nothin, i dont even know what part i would need to fix it. Any help would be greatly appreciated
November 24, 2011
SharovIvan
Comments: îíëàéí a href="http://millioner.kiev.ua"ñàéòû çíàêîìñòâ ñ áîãàòûìè/a èíîñòðàíöàìè
November 21, 2011
KEN .H
Comments: I HAVE A 1999 BMW M ROADSTER. tHE SEAT STOPPED WORKING AND WHEN WE PULLED THE SEAT WE FOUND THAT A COIN HAD LODGED ITSELF IN THE TRACK. AFTER REMOVING THE COIN AND REINSTALLING THE SEAT EVERYTHING SEAM OK UNTIL WE DROVE THE CAR. NOW THE SEAT SLIDES BAK AND FORTH ABOUT 1/2" TO 3/8 OF AN INCH.ANY IDEAS AS TO HOW TO FIX IT OR WHO CAN FIX IT.
November 17, 2011
fred
Comments: Eureka. I found an easy way to adjust the seat when something does not work.
Turn on the power but don't start the engine.
Position yourself on the seat with your feet firmly on the floor and your back firmly on the seat back. Hold the power switch back while pressing like hell with your feet. You will acutally hear the seat drive turning as the seat goes back.
November 11, 2011
GreenT
Comments: Hi Pelican guys - I have a 200 740i and suddenly both the front seat heaters stopped working. I press the button to tuen it on, the three green LEDs light and then they go off in a few seconds. Driver and passenger failed simultaneously. No blown fuses, front or back. Any ideas? Thanks!
November 2, 2011
Tom
Comments: OK, I just replaced the seat gear passenger side in my 1995 325iC. I thought everything went off without a hitch until I reinstalled the seat. Now, it seems the backrest release mechanism is stuck because the seat folds like a cheap suit. I pulled the seat back out and the backrest release cable seems to be functioning properly. But the seat will not stay in place, almost like a spring or something is not activating to lock it back in place. Any ideas?
October 14, 2011
calemonlaw
Comments: Have the same problem....electric motor still works but won't shift back and forth. Only way to move it is to turn the 2 side gears manually from the bottom front
http://www.ca-lemon-law.com/
September 28, 2011
Yasoda
Comments: I have a 1991 750 BMW. I reclined the driver's seat and can't get it back up in position. It has a twist to it; the right side of the back moves to position but the left side is not moving. Recommendations? Help!
August 15, 2011
Dave
Comments: I have a 2001 525 sport wagon. The plastic housing which wraps around the bottom of the driver's side seat and contains the seat controls is broken in the front and the back and periodically jams when you change the seat position. I assume I have to replace the complete housing. Is this something a guy with average repair skills can handle? How would I do it? Thanks for any help.
August 11, 2011
ceebee
Comments: 1999 BMW 328is e36 and passenger seat stuck forward position
Are the fuses located under hood or glove box? Little room between seat and dash. Also front seat bolts covered by seat tracks. Seat will go up but not down or back and forth. The seat back in full recline position. I need suggestion please
August 9, 2011
Bob
Comments: My son has a Z3 and while i was trying to adjust the drivers seat thinking it was manual i pulled the drive wire from the motor to the grey driving mechanism out . How do i put this back ?
August 8, 2011
burk
Comments: my 02 330xi needs new left side horiz.seat motor .how do I replace it?I do have a motor with memory.
July 19, 2011
Wayne
Comments: I have a 1997 BMW Z3, I would like to replace the power switch that controls my passenger side seat. I think I have sport seats but can't seem to find a Picture of the switch that is like the existing seat. I recently purchased on off the internet that was supposed to fit my seat it didn't so before I purchase another I would like to see a picture. supposedly my correct switch part no. is 61318413896,my vin no is 4USCH7326VLE03639. is there anyway you can supply a picture of the correct switch. Thanks
July 3, 2011
GeneO
Comments: There may be too much lumbar support in the 2011 X3 for my wife even with the air bladder completely deflated. Do you have a proceedure to remove the air bladder to let the seat back go flatter? Or can some padding be removed and the air bladder left intact?
June 19, 2011
Nickie
Comments: I have a 2003 330xi and the passenger seat will move forward and backward but will not recline or sit-up What could it be should I replace the Moter I replaced all the fuses and It still won't recline pleas help .
June 4, 2011
Lessismore
Comments: any idea how to get a seat out of a 97 z3 that is frozen in the rearmost position?? i think doofus prior owners left convt open rainstorms or did swamp running. ive managed to get backrest out and all cushions. the front nuts are off and i am dead in the water. Sorry i ever bought this overengineered bratwurst burner. itis passenger seat. driver seat is fine. I am done with this thing. No way to see bolts from underside of vehicle either. stupid design. I will cut the seat out and buy an old one on ebay but cant get to interior tracks......very very frustrating. I might drop match in the tank..... any advice you can give would be appreciated and take me off of the ledge of my building. MDR
June 4, 2011
mannytex
Comments: I have a 2000 Bmw Z3 Roadster and the passenger seat moves forward and backwards fine, but it's stuck in the upright position and when I try the switch on the side of the seat I can hear the motor running but the seat doesn't go down. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
June 4, 2011
bcrdukes
Comments: Hi Pelican Parts Staff,
I have a 1998 BMW M3 sedan 9/97 build date. My passenger occupancy sensor is bad. Is this tutorial applicable to my car/seats? They are not the Vader seats. Thanks!
June 2, 2011
Big Zack
Comments: I have a 2004 BMW 540. The key remote defaults to the#3 seat program position, which is tilted to the right and in the forward-most position.I cannot change the setting on the key remote but can move the seat with #1 and #2 memory buttons or with seat controls. Any suggestions?
May 31, 2011
Mike
Comments: I have a 2001 530i and neither my steering wheel nor my seat will move. When I push the memory buttons I hear something move sounds like something under the hood is going from one position to another when I push one button or another. Visual inspection of the fuses - they all seem ok. Thoughts / help?! And thanks in advance - your site is a wealth of info!
May 13, 2011
mkpackfan
Comments: I have a 98 BMW 328i, the driver's seat will not recline forward, will recline backwards and move forward and backwards. Any suggestions?
April 30, 2011
Jim
Comments: 2006 BMW Z4, roadster 3.0i. Heated power seats with memory. Passenger seat tilt adjustment is frozen in forward position. I found small pieces of the gear that operates the tilt on the floorboard. The motor appears to be operating fine however, the seat back will not move at all. Can I buy the gear or do I have to buy the entire mechanism. Are there instructions on how to remove the mechanism to replace the gear, without ruining the whole mechanism. Is there a manual override to get the seat back tilted back some until I get the unit fixed?
April 28, 2011
407Steve
Comments: The thigh bolster on my 2000 323Ci sport seat does not lock in any position. I can't find a way to remove and diagnose to see what parts I need. Do you have a procedure? A repair kit?
April 22, 2011
PBK
Comments: A quick FYI - the easiest thing to do is to follow the leads from the fore-aft motor, pull the white plug, then apply 12 volts to move the seat. I used somr conduit and a lawn tractor battery with no ill effects. With the rear bolts covered and the motor jammed, it took me 3 hours to pull the passenger seat. There's not much I didn't try, and I finally detached the star bolts holding the gear assembly to the track. The outside one comes easy, the inside one is a SOB. Pull those assemblies out and the seat will then slide forward. I admit to some broken parts, but at least now I can start solving problems instead of creating them.
April 17, 2011
tee
Comments: I HAVE A 1992 535I BMW. THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER SEAT DO NOT WORK,IT STOP WORKING OVER THE BACK BOLT.WHAT DO I NEED TO DO,AND WHATS THE PROBLEM?
April 16, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: It could be one of a few things. Check the fuses, check the relay for proper operation, and finally check the electric switch. The switches fail all the time, we have an article on replacing them in our tech articles section. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Caleb
Comments: My seat was stuck in the recline position and it ended up being a broken seat gear. In the process of replacing the seat gear I lost the piece that connects the motor and turns the gears. I have no idea what this piece is and I was wondering if you guys sold this piece or knew how i could obtain it?
April 13, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: I think that this piece is part of a seat mechanism and is not available separately. However, I could be mistaken - if you have a photo of the missing piece (shot from the other seat), then perhaps our sales dept can assist you in finding it. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
deathangel
Comments: 1990 bmw convertible heated front seats not working and the light for the rocker swithces is out.there is no fuse blown in the fuse box or indicator telling me its even in the fuse box.
April 4, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: These heater elements blow out all the time. I would check the resistance on the element inside the seat - if it's open, then it's probably burned out. I've never had to replace one, but I hear it's not easy. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Kymbr
Comments: The passenger seat is stuck in the highest up position and it won't go up or down, I don't hear the motor running. Is there a manual overide so I can keep the seat in the lower position?
March 20, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: If you remove the seat, then you can manually turn over the motor using a drill or even your hand. Or, you can apply 12V directly to the motor to make it move. More likely, your switch is defective, and you can simply fix the problem by replacing the swtich unit. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Rodo55
Comments: Thanks for the article. My BMW dealership is two hours away so whatever I can do on my own the better. The article gave me the confidence to attempt my E46 seat. It has quite a number of differences however it is much the same and it is mostly looking at the set up and working out what to unscrew and most importantly what to do up again to put it back together. I have completed the task and using a BMW fault tool reset my electrics. Cheers from New Zealand
February 26, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Great! Thanks for the feedback, glad it worked out! - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Jim
Comments: I have a 1990 325i convertible, the seats are manual, no power. On the passenger seat it will not move forward or backward. It has a sliding button or lever that operates the seat. When I move it, it feels like nothing is attached to it.
Any ideas how I can repair this? Thanks
February 26, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: I haven't taken one of those seats apart in the past, but it sounds like a broken lever. You'll have to take the seat out of the car and put it on a workbench to disassemble it and see what the issue is. If you can't get it out of the car, you should be able to reach down under the seat and manually lift the lever with your hand. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
GLCook
Comments: My 2002 M Roadster has power seats. The problem which I hear is common is that when you brake there is a small motion forward, as if the seat is loose on the rail. Do you sell replacement parts for this and is it something I can do myself? Thanks!
February 12, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Hmm, I haven't heard of this issue being a common problem? If it were my car, I would check first to make sure that the seat is bolted down to the chassis properly. If yes, then I would remove the seat and try to replicate the problem with the seat on the bench. It's probably a cog gear or a cable that connects to the motor that may be worn or loose, causing slack in the mechanism. You may be able to fix it for cheap if you can swap parts from the passenger side (which probably doesn't get as much use as the driver's seat). - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Chands
Comments: 1998 BMW Z3. The drivers seat is stuck in the middle and cannot be raised either- i cannot access the front bolts to remove the seat. Appears both the motors ie to raise or to move forward & backwards is burnt out and won't work despite "hot wiring" with an external battery. How do I remove the seat? Help!!
February 7, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: This is a very annoying situation to be in. The seats do have manual overrides so that you can move the motor with a tool when the seat is completely stuck. The best way to see how this works is to remove the passenger seat and look at the mechanism under there. That way, you can work under the driver's seat and feel what you're looking for so that you can move the seat back and remove it from the rails. Also, I doubt that both motors are burned out, you might want to recheck your wiring. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
John
Comments: I need to fix the seat heater in my 1997 328i sedan,,the driver side..the lumbar heats but the seat bottom does not,,do you have a repair procedure for this,,,and do you sell the heat pad,,,thanks..
February 1, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Sorry, I don't have a procedure for this, but I believe that it's pretty straightforward and similar to fixing the seat sensor pad for the passenger side air bag. You need to remove the seat, remove the bottom, and then extract the cushion that is not heating properly. You may want to bench test it before buying a new one, just in case the issue is not with the heating element itself (you can also check the resistance of the element, if it's an open connection, then it's burned out). - Wayne at Pelican Parts
asmithie
Comments: I have a 97 740il and the driver's articulated upper backrest moves very slowly and makes a grinding sound. Any idea what's going on?
January 28, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: These things seem to break over the years. I suspect that one or more of the small plastic gears inside are beginning to fail. My best recommendation is to ignore it, or replace it with a used one from a wrecking yard or eBay. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
stanate
Comments: I have a 2001 740il the srs airbag red light will not reset.
I purchased a reset tool. It resets the other codes but keeps responding "cannot connect". I replaced the computer airbag brian but it still says failed cannot connect.
How do I isolate which sensor is really bad?
Thank you.
January 27, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: You need to make sure that you have a specific SRS airbag tool. I've got an article on this right here: http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techarticles/Mult-Air_Bag_Lamp/Mult-Air_Bag_Lamp.htm If this is the tool that you have and it won't connect, I would contact Peake Research for assistance. If you still can't get it to work, then you'll have to find someone with an AutoLogic computer or a factory computer who can read and reset the codes. On the early cars, sometimes the electronic bus that controls all of these computers can be finicky. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
John
Comments: I have a 97 328i Sedan,,146,000miles,,the seat heater is a 2 part system,I believe,,the seat part heats hardly at all,,but the backrestor lumbar does heat,,,is this possible...and what procedure do you have to fix this..
January 21, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Yes, there should be two coils within the seat, one on the bottom and one on the back. Sounds like the bottom "butt" part is burned out. I think that you can get a new cushion with the coils built-in, but replacing it may require the removal of the seat cover and the complete disassembly of the seat, which is not an easy job. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
tinynena
Comments: i have 92 BMW 535i and the driver's seat is twisted. Please help
January 13, 2011
Followup from the Pelican Staff: It's probably just loose on the rails, I would take a look there. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Rookeworld6
Comments: I have a 2000 323Ci Convertible and the seat bealt warning light constantly flashes not the SRS light. It stays flashing whil i drive and every now and then it will stop. Is this an issue with the seat belt tensioner? and if so, is there a way to determine whether its the drivers side or the passenger side?
December 17, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: I would guess it's the driver's side - try buckling in the passenger side and see if it changes the behavior of the lamp? - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Garey G
Comments: The Z3 seat switch is expensive but there's a good alternate for under $10.00. See www.alliedelec.com, switch number 683-0152. I can send you easy installation instruction and it looks better than the original.
December 14, 2010
t-dub
Comments: i have a 1998 740iland my rear seatbelts are stuck i can't pull and latch them.Help please i need them for my baby seat
November 24, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Those 7-Series belts can be a pain. Other than replacing them, you can try tapping the mechanism with a hammer. There is a pendulum that hangs down inside the mechanism that is used to lock them when the car stops suddenly. Sometimes this can get stuck. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
zman
Comments: I have a 2000 BMW M roadster. The vertical electric seat motion does not work but I isolated the problem to a worm plastic gear inside the lift mechanism of that turn the worm gear. Do you sell this part?
Comments: Good Morning,
I have a 328is coupe, my car suffer from the seat gear porblem... I want it to know if theres a way to move the seats without changing the plastic seat gear? I just wanted to leave it in one position and thats all. Thanks for the help!
November 8, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Not really. You have to open it up to move it, and then it will fall down. I've tried that before with a friends car, and we only made it worse. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Richard
Comments: 1996 BMW Z3 - I think the drivers side seat motor got wet and now it won't work. Is it likely that the motor is dead and needs replacing using these instructions?
October 7, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Check the fuse - unless the motor was submerged, I doubt that it would fry because of a little water / condensation. It might be something else. You can also remove the seat and apply power directly to the motor to check it. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
reel thugz
Comments: I have a 1994 325i both my front seats are stuck in the vertical position and wont recline at all. I can hear the motor running but the the back of the seats wont move every other function works perfectly and the switches also.
September 14, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Sounds like the seat gears are broken. It's a pain to replace them, but you need to do it. We sell them in our catalog (they are a *big* seller). Replacement is about an hour or two per seat. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Chris
Comments: 2000 BMW 740I - both the steering wheel power tilt and drivers power seat stopped working at the same time. Checked the fuse, its good. Any ideas? Loose plug perhaps?
August 31, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: These are all related to the seat memory computer. Check the fuses on the circuit that supplies the seat memory computer. Other than that, it might be a seat memory computer fault. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Estrada
Comments: I have a 1998 740 il The memory buttons dont work, I'm able to move the seat, stearing wheel, and mirrors. about 2 weeks ago when I was drinving the seat, mirrors and stearing wheel moves to another memory setting. I move it back to where I need them and 5 seconds later it does it again. Some times it dies it the entire time I drive and some other times it eventually stops moving back. PLEASE HELP!!!
August 24, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Sounds like the buttons that control the seat are triggering. I would replace that assembly, or take it apart and try to clean them out. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
wmat2003
Comments: The problem i have with my 2003 530i bmw is when i try to adjust both driver and passenger seats, only one side will rise, which causes the seat to twist. what could this be?
August 22, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: I'm not 100% sure with the 03 cars, but on the earlier ones, there is a bar that goes across the bottom of the seat and is driven by a single motor. If this bar pops out or breaks, then you will have the problem you're experiencing. You need to unbolt the seat, unplug it, remove it from the car, and then inspect the mechanism underneath for clues. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Chong
Comments: My driver seat in my '06 330i stop operating. It no longer moves front/back or the rear no longer leans forward/backward. The memory button also do not work. It's been 2 weeks but today when I was washing my car I pushed the button and worked for a few seconds and stopped. What do you think the cause it? Thanks in advance!
July 10, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Normally I would say it was a fuse, as it's not typical for the entire thing to stop working. I would pull the fuse and then reseat it. If you have seat memory, then there's something amiss with the seat controller. I'm not sure on the 2006 models - you might be able to get some trouble codes from the seat computer (you can on the Porsches). - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Pete
Comments: I had the seat motor fail with the seat stuck in the back position. I found you can remove the bolts holding the gearboxes to the seat frame and move them inward just enough to disengage the drive gears. This allows you to freely move the seat forward and back to remove the mounting bolts.
June 5, 2010
Jerry
Comments: Thanks for the quick response Wayne. But the 98 328i does not have a cable. Instead it has a DRIVE SHAFT LEFT 52108157467 and a DRIVE SHAFT RIGHT 52108157466. Did you mean remove the motor and turn these drive shafts manually?
May 18, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Yes, sorry. It's been almost five years since I took one of these apart, but I believe that these drive shafts are flexible cables. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Jerry
Comments: My 98 328i has power seats. The motor that moves the seat forward and backward seems to be seized. I do not hear it humming when I engage the switch. Right now it is in the
backward position and the rear bolts that hold the seat rail are covered and I do not have access to them. The front bolts, I have access. Any suggestions?
May 17, 2010
Followup from the Pelican Staff: It could be the motor, but it also could be the switch. Do you hear a small clicking noise when you press the switch? I might try to replace the switch first or at least test it with a known good one before tackling the seat.
Having the seat stuck forward is a terrible task to deal with. You have to get in under the seat with your hands, and disconnect the motors from under the seat and then manually turn the cables to get the seat out. Very frustrating job. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
manojy
Comments: really great information .. this is manoj from india.
April 2, 2010
bjornkn
Comments: Thanks for a very nice DIY page :
I have a pair of those electrical seats that I want to put into a 97 E36 318is Sedan. I would love to have a look at a pinout of all the connectors on the underside, and where those are supposed to connect to. Do you have a link or some tips?
March 1, 2010
palmer
Comments: my 525 bmw passenger seat is kind of twisted i think the cable my be twisted, it wont come back up stright, any answers?
October 21, 2009
Followup from the Pelican Staff: You just need to get in there and test the various motors. If it were my car and access were tight, I would pull the seat and test it on the bench with a 12V power supply. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Academentia
Comments: Hi ... the problem is not with the motors or gears, but with the vertical spring - part # 52108157472 - it has popped out of the clamp - part # 12521285014 - and it is in recline. It won't stay vertical. Every time I try to move it upright, it pops out of the clamp again.
What does this mean?
Thanks!
September 24, 2009
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Sounds like you may just have to bite the bullet and buy a new mechanism that contains that spring holder. Or, you might be able to find a cheap one on eBay. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
Edin Karavdic
Comments: Im looking for a power seat switch cover for the left side of my 2000 BMW 750 il. Can anyone help me?
July 13, 2009
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Sure, give our sales guys a call at 1-888-280-7799 and they can most likely get that part for you. - Wayne at Pelican Parts
T.Cherry
Comments: This was so well put together even I could do it and I'm a female. The seats are a bit heavy, extra hands would have made removal easier. While I had the seats removed I wanted to see if I could repair the recline for both driver and passenger seats. I found some handy directions at the following location: http://www.odometergears.com/subpages/E36FAQ.html
Thanks again for having the gears, Hendrick of NC wanted $167 for both sides but they wanted me to buy the entire gear both, they don't just sales the gears. Then they wanted 2 hours on each seat, $120 per hour. I would have cost me a whopping $814 to have my seats repairs. I ended up saving myself $734...Thanks for all the documents and parts.
June 17, 2009
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Yes, the folks at odometer gears that developed these were pretty smart! - Wayne at Pelican Parts
JoshRan
Comments: What if the problem is the seat is all the way back, and won't move forward? Is there a manual override?
May 25, 2009
Followup from the Pelican Staff: Nope. Unfortunately, you need to take apart the entire seat and remove the broken gear unit to move the seat back forwards. The problem is a broken gear in the seat mechanism - it's best to replace the gear at that time. Here's a link to the spot in our catalog where we sell the seat gears: http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/catalog/shopcart/BE36/POR_BE36_INTsts_pg3.htm#item20. Hope this helps.
Or, if your switch is just broken, then simply get a new one and plug it in, and it should go forwards. You can also hotwire the terminals. If you push the switch button forward, but you don't hear the motor running, then it's the switch. If you hear the motor running, but the seat is not moving, then it's probably the plastic seat gear.- Wayne at Pelican Parts
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