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Driver's seat stuck
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Make America Vanagon
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 9:54 pm    Post subject: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

I cannot move driver's seat. It's stuck all the way back. Recline works fine. Using lever doesn't work, using the small lever doesn't work. I used WD-40 on the tracks, nothing is working. Has anyone had this problem before?
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proofpudding
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

Sometimes they are old and stuck. Have a second person hold the tab up that locks it in place, then take a small chunk of lumber across the back and a hit it forward with a BFH. It will be out in no time and then you can clean up the tracks and put some fresh grease on both the seat and the rails.
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IdahoDoug
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:43 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

Some details here if I could ask. Are you saying you've never moved it before and discovered it's stuck? Or that you've been happily using the seat and suddenly this morning it stuck?
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Make America Vanagon
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 10:50 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

It's always been all the way back. I'm giving it to a friend, so I tried taking it out today with no luck. I'll try the brute force option tomorrow.
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mikemtnbike
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 4:58 am    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

There’s a small assist spring beneath each side of the metal rod which the lever moves up and down from the tracks. Rectangular and “clips” into place beneath the rod, when my seat has been stuck it was because one of these had fallen out. When you get the seat moved, look for this spring beneath it and put the spring back in place if I’m correct and it’s fallen out. Look at the other side for comparison.
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chachi
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 4:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

mine is sticky too, what is the proper grease to get them moving well?
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0to60in6min
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 4:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

Quote:
mine is sticky too, what is the proper grease to get them moving well?


- take it completely out.
- clean the base tracks and seat tracks real good - free of old grease and dirt
- lube it with good grease.
- make sure that the lever is work as it should.
- put it back and test - if it's not moving easily with one hand then the tracks are bent...
- fix the tracks...

Very Happy
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jberger
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 4:25 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

I have also seen the small (6mm?) socket head cap screws that hold the rails to the seat frame come loose and bind against the top of the track.

J
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SCM
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 4:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

My van has plastic "bushings" that run the length of the track to help the seat slide smoothly. Of course those plastic pieces have deteriorated and broke into multiple smaller segments that would bind in the track and make moving the seat difficult.

So that could also be happening and would be remedied with application of brute force.
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mikemtnbike
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 4:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

I used Pb blaster branded spray silicone on the tracks and replaced the plastic “bushings” - van-cafe has them - and both actions helped a lot. The bushings really cut down on the passenger seat creaking when being used.

The pb blaster stuff is surprisingly effective and very low tack. I’ve had good luck spraying it on the sliding door hinges, rollers, and tracks too, of course clean up overspray. I did have to reapply last summer when the door got loud again.
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IdahoDoug
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 7:17 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

I had bad luck with the new plastic strips/bushings. They must have been slightly too thick or something as the multiple edges of the sliding seat started carving long curls of plastic out (and were a 6itch to move) and these started to catch up in the spaces and cause continuous jamming. I finally pulled the scarred up strips out and now the seats slide fine, but rock slightly.
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dhaavers
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 7:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

After my plastic "sliders" bit the dust a few years ago...UHMW tape:

https://www.amazon.com/TapeCase-423-5-UHMW-Tape-Ro...S0EF8Y5MNS

"Slick as snot" ever since... Cool Wink

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DuncanS
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

My car had the same problem when I first got it from the PO. j berger's "I have also seen the small (6mm?) socket head cap screws that hold the rails to the seat frame come loose and bind against the top of the track." issue is what happened to me. The solution is to pry up the seat away from its rails--not the mount rails welded to the body--until the heads of the screws can clear. Then with the adjustment lever depressed, you can move the seat forward and then out so you can retighten the screws. Loctite is not a bad idea here.

For what it's worth--sorry, don't do abbreviations--I have removed all the plastic glide strips from most of my many T3's and find with some spray dry lube, they work far better. Unless the rails are dead on, there isn't enough clearance and they bind badly. Don't have any of that problem anymore.
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joshtw709
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 9:37 am    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

jberger wrote:
I have also seen the small (6mm?) socket head cap screws that hold the rails to the seat frame come loose and bind against the top of the track.

J


this was my issue the other day (when tinkering w my aux battery). one of these screws fell out completely from the drivers seat, which caused my seat to seize up. had to do a lot of unsightly flailing around while in the seat to get it to move. finally got it off the rails, re-installed the screw that came out and tightened the other three.
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DuncanS
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 9:51 am    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

And the other four on the passenger's side seat?
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mfaas
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 3:55 am    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

I just had this happen on a Eurovan, but I believe the seat hardware is similar. There are four torx bolts that go up into the seat cushion and they can loosen and drop down over time binding with the seat track inconsistently.

You should be able to loosen the front two, remove the seat cushion and they manually pull up on the rear two screws until you can move the seat forward enough to tighten from below. Removing both seat rails may make this easier.

Probably should have applied some thread lock.
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DuncanS
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 4:36 am    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

You don't need to remove anything. Just pry up with screwdriver/screwdrivers and slide the seat............not easy, but it will work. May take a friend to help. And definitely blue Loctite. Do both seats now!

Duncan
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MsTaboo
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:09 am    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

IdahoDoug wrote:
I had bad luck with the new plastic strips/bushings. They must have been slightly too thick or something as the multiple edges of the sliding seat started carving long curls of plastic out (and were a 6itch to move) and these started to catch up in the spaces and cause continuous jamming. I finally pulled the scarred up strips out and now the seats slide fine, but rock slightly.
Just FYI for new owners/future post searchers.
The thing to know about the plastic strips is there was only one on each seat from the factory.
If you put an extra strip on each (four total) the seat will bind. The single strip was just to help prevent that rocking.

Another thing to check on a stuck seat is that the wire that connects both sides of the catch is intact.
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jimf909 Premium Member
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:36 am    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

In my van the most annoying thing about not having the plastic bushing in the passenger seat is that it rattles loudly when diving on WA state's snow chain/stud scarred roads.
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DuncanS
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 01, 2022 3:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Driver's seat stuck Reply with quote

I always throw the plastic slides away and have never had any rocking or rattling. My seats always are stiff and bind with no spacers of any kind, but close enough. There are other more urgent semi failures.

Duncan
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