Power seat issue, switch or motor?

Ronniedasaint · Post by **Ronniedasaint** » 26 Mar 2007, 18:51

MiJ,

I guess I'm going to have to hope for the best. Also, JRL had mentioned that a lot of times the cable frays. Is the cable easy enough to switch? I ask because changing the motor seems way more involved than just stripping the seat naked and changing the cable. I am fairly certain it isn't the seat switch. I went to a salvage yard earlier today and found a seat switch, unplugged the old one, plugged in the replacement and same thing, I hear a buzzing sound when I try to recline it up and a click when I try to recline it down. Worst case scenario, I'm just going to take the black leather off my current seat and put it on the salvage yard seat and call it a day. But before we get there I am thinking I'll switch the cable. And if that doesn't work I'll switch the motor.

Also, the seat went down into deep recline on its own. I was pressing the memory button and it just kept going down and down. Is this normal?

grandpanda · Post by **grandpanda** » 27 Mar 2007, 13:39

My first post here. I came across this forum as I search for a fix to this same problem. This forum is great, very informative.

Hi, VolvoBeginner:

Have your fixed your seat. I got exactly the same problem. My car is 94 850 Turbo. This morning, the seat back went all the way down to almost flat. I'd like to know how you can get it up:)

VolvoBeginner wrote:
ferrari9 wrote:Most likely you hear the motor running but there is nothing to actuate the movement of the seat-back, or in other words your cable is no longer working. Apparently, it's fairly common to have to replace the cable.
You could pull some DTCs from the diagnostic box under the hood. There is a procedure you could perform that will pull any existing codes, erase them, then search for and display all codes pertinent to your problem.
If the issue is the cable, then it is actually pretty easy to fix yourself. Sure, you'll have to take the seat apart, but if your confident in doing it yourself it'll save you lots of money compared with having a dealer fix it for you.
Hi,
I just got my first Volvo ('94 850 Wagon) and the next day after I picked it up, drivers back rest adjustment stopped working. I could hear ruttling sound inside the back rest when I pressed the switch but it woldn't move. Next day I was driving it started moving down. Down only and I ended up driving like a "boy from the 'hood" with back rest reclined...
Today it started moving up but only a notch at the time, it feels like a relay beeing overloaded ;[
Does this sounds like a cable too? Or something else?
It will take me at least until next weekend to take the seat apart. I would like to know what am I looking for before I start. Are there any blue prints or manuals available on-line? I could not find any.
Appreciate any hints

and since it is my first post...Hello Everybody!!!

Post by **akitawagon** » 27 Mar 2007, 17:47

If you don't already have the replacement cable, you may be able to remove some of the outer sheath off your current cable to have more of the cable out so that it can fit into the motor properly.

Ronniedasaint · Post by **Ronniedasaint** » 04 Apr 2007, 22:38

Well finally the weather and my schedule cooperated and I was able to get to the project.

Using the above link REALLY helped. My plan had been to switch out the cables as I could the see the motor working but the adjusting mechanism was just not responding when I pressed the switch. I went through it step by step as the Volvospeed link indicated and it was indeed fairly easy and exactly as written on the webpage. However, the last 8 mm bolt I could not unscrew and thus I was unable to switch out the cables. My wrench and bolt remover just would not fit because of teh tight space and angle. I suppose I could have used a specialized tool but I had a basic tool set and was not disposed. So what I did instead was clean the cable where it connected to the adjusting mechanism and cleaned the connector to the cable also. I found that they were very greasy, something that looked like greenish/graying ear wax. After cleaning them, the seat did not work perfectly but got back nonetheless after repeated pushings of the button to a more upright position. I just walked it back up slowly one push at a time.

So basically if you're stuck in low get in there and clean out where it connects, or if you can, change the cable. Adjust the seat to where you like it and leave it alone!

Post by **kelvin6** » 05 Apr 2007, 10:44

Also note that for anyone who attempts this seat cable repair (which I have done) and has SIDE AIR BAGS, they will find that the motor unit is OPPOSITE of what is shown in the Volvospeed Bay 13's instructions. Because of that, you will find that accessing the gearbox (the part that the cable connects to to actually recline the seat) is going to be recessed and require a very narrow right angled screw driver.

To aquire this tool, head to Sears and look for a $9 tool called a Craftsman Offset Screwdriver #41469. This was the only tool that could've solved that problem, and it came in very handy.

Honestly the hardest part for me in doing this job, was getting those hog rings off, because I don't have a garage and worked entirely on the street, I did the entire job while in the car, and man those hog rings were pricks.
I zip tied the seat back together afterwards and all is well!

VolvoBeginner · Post by **VolvoBeginner** » 07 Oct 2007, 20:50

It took me a while but I finally got to do it. I did it step by step from Volvospeed link. Old cable looked OK to me but ended in trash can anyway. No issues with 8mm bolt. The space is little tight but I was able to unscrew it with regular open end 8mm Craftsman wrench. And electric ties finished the job

The seat works perfect now. Finally.

Chucks · Post by **Chucks** » 18 Jun 2009, 15:15

I have power into the board red wire but none of the movements work?

Power seat issue, switch or motor?

Cable Switch.