1996 960 Stuck Power Seats

[LOLVOLVOLOL]

Just bought a bit of a beater with the intention of making it a long-term project of mine. The problem that I'm focusing my energy and time into a the moment is...

The Seats Are STUCK



The passengers seat is stuck ALL THE WAY FORWARD. It will not go back, front, left, right, or any Nth direction. Fortunately, the driver's seat has more range of movement, but even the driver's seat doesn't go back far enough for my comfort. Needless to say, this is among the first issues I am addressing with this car.

I did some research and found that the issue of power seats being stuck is surprisingly common in Volvos. So I understand what's going on, what needs to be done, etc. But unfortunately, the passenger's seat may not be amenable to a straightforward solution. See, because the seat is all the way forward, there is literally no room for me to access the bolt that anchors the seat down to the tracks:

Near the door:

By the center console:

You can't see it in the first picture, but the part that moves forward and back on the track is literally flush against the bolt. That means I can't use any kind of ratchet or socket wrench. And because the bolt is housed squarely between the tracks, I can't use an open-end wrench because I won't be able to move the wrench in either direction. And as far as the anchor bolt near the center console, I can't even see the damn thing, let alone reach it.

LOL, WTF do I even do here?

[lummert]

You may be able to unbolt the seat from the seat frame by removing the console and removing the seat controls. Having access to the power mechanisms may give you an idea how to get the seat to move .

[93Regina]

LOL, WTF do I even do here?

Well, AAA takes a hammer to a starter motor while someone turns ignition key.

Myself, I'd find the power wires that feeds the DC motor, and if possible, manually run a +/- wire to engage DC motor, and then leave both seats in rearward position.