Broken Lumbar Support, Driver's Seat Topic is solved

hu5ker555 · Post by **hu5ker555** » 07 Jun 2017, 06:16

2008 S60 2.5T 168k
So, I was leaning back in my beloved S60 seat when the lumbar support (which I always have cranked all the way up) broke. It is the manual lumbar support operated by the wheel on the side of the seat. After doing some digging around, I found that the likely culprit was a snapped cable.

Surprisingly, I was able to fix it without removing the seat, and without fully removing the seat cover. The seat cover comes apart quite easily at the base. There is a long bar that fits into a channel at the base of the top seat cover. It basically connects the front and rear part of the seat fabric. From there, it was fairly easy to shimmy the leather up enough to see the inner workings. Sure enough, one of the two cable ends had snapped off.

I used some wire cutters to snip of the end of the wire where the remains of the broken cable stop were. Then I threaded it through the hole in the metal seat frame. Next, the trick was to fasten a new cable stop onto the wire. I ended up using a very small ferrel clamp from True Value. It was difficult to get a good crimp on it, but I used my wire cutting crimpers since the surface area on the crimpers is small (more force applied). It seems to be holding and I was able to get the leather seat cover back in place without too much issue.

Hope this helps.

Post by **matthew1** » 07 Jun 2017, 07:59

Thanks for posting this, hu5ker555. (I don't like to look a gift horse in the mouth, but did you snap any pics?)

hu5ker555 · Post by **hu5ker555** » 07 Jun 2017, 10:31

I did snap a few pics, but none are as good as this one that I found on the interwebs.

On mine, one of the hooks that are circled in red had snapped. I did not need to completely remove the seat cover, and did not need to remove the entire assembly shown in the pics. If you don't mind scratching up your hands a bit, this can all be done in-situ.

tabormeister · Post by **tabormeister** » 25 Apr 2018, 05:06

hu5ker555 wrote: ↑07 Jun 2017, 10:31 On mine, one of the hooks that are circled in red had snapped. I did not need to completely remove the seat cover, and did not need to remove the entire assembly shown in the pics. If you don't mind scratching up your hands a bit, this can all be done in-situ.

I see what you did there. If anyone like me is afflicted by this and wants to try repair, make sure you're not dumb like me - when @hu5ker555 said shimmy up the leather, he meant leather AND foam bits. Don't start clipping hog clips like me, thinking "oh I guess someone must have gotten in here before and added clips".

Just undo the plastic bar catch at the base of the upright seat back, (leaning it forward helps) and shimmy up the WHOLE thing, foam and all. Might need to disconnect a 2-wire clip, I disconnected my battery for that part just in case. Unwind your lumbar knob all the way, you'll see the wires extend in the seat so you'll have more length to yank on. Reclining the seat back helps to see the broken clip, I've attached a picture of my broken clip. The broken dongle at the end of the wire in the middle of the frame SHOULD be attached to the hole a little above it.

I've picked up some clamps and ferrules, will update with results of wrenchery.

Post by **abscate** » 25 Apr 2018, 05:11

hu5ker555 wrote: ↑07 Jun 2017, 10:31 I did snap a few pics, but none are as good as this one that I found on the interwebs.

On mine, one of the hooks that are circled in red had snapped. I did not need to completely remove the seat cover, and did not need to remove the entire assembly shown in the pics. If you don't mind scratching up your hands a bit, this can all be done in-situ.

Post by **oragex** » 25 Apr 2018, 11:31

Scratching the hand 'a bit', I found this a little optimistic

But on a more serious note, sucks to hear the metal hooks can break. Worth noting that on my 2003 with the cheaper seats the plastic piece near the knob was of yellow color and both cables were 1/2" shorter with the consequence than there was 'less' lumbar adjustment when compared with the more comfy seats that come with the blue plastic piece. Funny 'upgrade' from Volvo for their better seats.

tabormeister · Post by **tabormeister** » 01 Jun 2018, 07:40

UPDATE: SUCCESSFUL TOMFOOLERY

1. Snipped off the offending clips
2. Loosened the lumbar assembly with the plastic knob all the way
3. Grabbed some intense little clamps + more steel cable
4. Threaded some new steel cable through the original anchor holes, then
5. Clamped it to the OG cable and
6. Clamped the new cable into the hole + snipped the excess.

Pictures are of right side of seat when viewed from the front.

Post by **abscate** » 02 Jun 2018, 02:55

If you are near a West Marine store they would probably let you use their swage tool in the parking lot and make those connections with swages

AndrewMoore · Post by **AndrewMoore** » 09 Apr 2019, 11:24

For anyone who has this issue going forward, my lumbar support broke recently. I ended up purchasing a new lumbar system from my local volvo dealer for $65. I used the cables from the new system and installed them in the old one. The ends that connect to the seat are stainless loops instead of the cast s-hooks on the old style. I think they will hold up much better in the future.

EngineeringBloke · Post by **EngineeringBloke** » 10 Apr 2019, 18:50

Thanks so much for this. I noted the lumbar adjustment no longer seemed to do anything, and so I will add this fix to my long to do list.