Anybody know of a common problem/fix for the inability to adjust manual seat height? Picked up a "new" 1997 850 NA wagon with manual seats for my daughters in college. Other seat adjustments work fine but I can't raise or lower either front seat using the lever on the side. Lever moves forward and back with some resistance but the seat doesn't move. I guess something between the lever and the lift mechanism is broken but don't really know what that might be. Before tearing the seats apart, I was hoping for some advice/experience with this.
Is this a common problem that's easily fixed? I can't find anything about it on this forum or anywhere on the web. Vadis diagram for seats is not particularly helpful other than identifying parts, and it's not obvious what any of them do.
I expect this is common to most Volvos, not just 850s.
Thanks,
Jim
'97 Model 850 NA Wagon Manual Seat Height Adjustment Broken
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jpeisker
- Posts: 25
- Joined: 25 May 2006
- Year and Model: Two 1997 850 NAs
- Location: Cedar Park, Texas (Austin)
Well, it took a few months to get around to this but I figured it out myself.
There are two gas springs in the rear of the seat which push the lower seat assembly apart from the upper seat assembly. These gas springs weaken (lose pneumatic pressure) with time and use to the point that they don't provide any upwards force. At this point pushing the height adjustment lever will only lower the rear of the seat due to gravity.
I learned from playing with it that you can still adjust the seat if you're standing outside the car (no weight on the seat) and manually lifting the front or rear as you pull the lever the appropriate direction. I guess most owners of older Volvos do this.
But it's a pain to adjust the seat height this way and the gas springs are cheap so I replaced them on both seats. Taking the seats out to work on them is easy, as is removing the old gas springs. But installing strong new gas springs is a real bear without a special compression tool. I ended up rigging some wire rope and pulling it towards me while my son manipulated the far end into place.
If anybody knows a better way to install these, I'd love to hear it. Vadis instructions are bogus on this topic and I can't find any other info on this task. Seems it would be a common problem, but nobody chimed in on this post and I can't find it anywhere else on the web or other forums.
Been blogging my efforts on fixing up this car and this topic with some photos can be viewed at:
volvo850wagon.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/49-front-seat-height-adjustment/
There are two gas springs in the rear of the seat which push the lower seat assembly apart from the upper seat assembly. These gas springs weaken (lose pneumatic pressure) with time and use to the point that they don't provide any upwards force. At this point pushing the height adjustment lever will only lower the rear of the seat due to gravity.
I learned from playing with it that you can still adjust the seat if you're standing outside the car (no weight on the seat) and manually lifting the front or rear as you pull the lever the appropriate direction. I guess most owners of older Volvos do this.
But it's a pain to adjust the seat height this way and the gas springs are cheap so I replaced them on both seats. Taking the seats out to work on them is easy, as is removing the old gas springs. But installing strong new gas springs is a real bear without a special compression tool. I ended up rigging some wire rope and pulling it towards me while my son manipulated the far end into place.
If anybody knows a better way to install these, I'd love to hear it. Vadis instructions are bogus on this topic and I can't find any other info on this task. Seems it would be a common problem, but nobody chimed in on this post and I can't find it anywhere else on the web or other forums.
Been blogging my efforts on fixing up this car and this topic with some photos can be viewed at:
volvo850wagon.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/49-front-seat-height-adjustment/
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