The power bench seat in my 68 doesn't work. When I hit the switch, the lights dim (drawing power) and I can hear the motor click but that's all I get. Any common problems with these seats that anyone knows about? Thanks.
Try removing the relay . Once you have it off, if you shake it and you can hear stuff rattle around inside, it need to be rebuilt. That's the first place to look. Most common problem. I found it last. Had the motor rebuilt, then the trans, THEN the relay. Relay is cheapest to rebuild, but it's not cheap . I used J Pinto near Philly. Give him a try. I found him in Hemmings.Get your wallet out.ou:
That was the first thing I tried. After all, cleaning is free.:TU: When that doesn't change anything.....:af: :rant: THEN start troubleshooting! Good luck!
OHHHHH SWEET JESUS!! HOW IN THE WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS DO I GET THE LAST TWO NUTS LOOSE?!?!?! I found the last two nuts, but they are IN THE TRACK!! IN THE TRACK?! WHAT KIND OF DESIGN IS THAT!? :rant: o No: So I'm thinking that maybe if I could move the seat up and forward somehow I could get to them. Do the cables come off of the motor like they come off the seat mechanism? (didn't think to look while I was under there) Could I attach the motor side of the cable to a power drill to move the seat? Even if this worked would I be able to get to the nuts at that point? Any guidance here would be greatly appreciated.
90% of the time it's a lubrication problem. Remove the tracks,etc., from the seat, and install it to the floor (be sure to attach a ground). It's so much easier to check everything with the seat out of the way. When checking everything, disconnect the cables from the solenoid to see if they (the solenoids) turn. If so, then the problem is in the cables or track mechanisms. If the solenoids do not turn, then a good de-greasing and lube INSIDE the solenoid "pack" should do the trick. I have repaired literally dozens of GM power seats, and only a couple of them were actually "broken". The rest just needed to be cleaned. If you get it all working, be sure to "phase" all the functions before putting it back on the seat. That means make sure both sides are in the same position--full back, full up, etc.
Yes , the cables come off of the motor.(Actually , the transmission.) Battery drill works great here. Just chuck up the end of the cable and make sure the drill is turning in the right direction to get the seat going the direction you want. Then, alternate with the other side. Only move it a few inches, then, back to the other side to "walk" the seat into the position you want. Hope this helps.
Whoo hoo!! I put a couple of cordless drills on the cables and moved the seat up and forward no problem. Then I was able to get the last two nuts easily. About half way through this I realized that I probably didn't even need to take the seat out, but at that point I was so determined I didn't even care. Maybe I'll put in new carpet while I have it torn apart.
I got the gear assembly apart and cleaned up. What kind of grease should I use to lube it? Should I use a different kind of grease for the plastic gears than I use for the metal shafts? Thanks a lot for all the help guys, I love this board. Always good info. :TU:
The shop manuals used to recommend white lithium grease. Perhaps there's a more "modern" lube available.
ou: No dice! I cleaned up the gears and re-lubed, but it still doesn't work. I disconnected the transmission from the motor (but left all electrical connections connected) and it still does the same thing. When I hit the switch there's just a click coming from the motor. Nothing else happens. I shook the relay and there's nothing loose inside it. Now what?
So do you ever get anything besides a click? No cables turning? If that's the case, it just might be the motor. Have you disconnected the cables from the tracks and tried it to see if the cables turn? I've never seen a motor on one of these GM seats go bad before. Should be able to be rebuilt, but might be cheaper to find one at a wrecking yard if there are any in your area with older cars. The motors should interchange for several years among all GM cars. Good luck.
I pulled the transmission off of the motor so there is no physical connection to the cables or gears. The motor should spin freely if it works. But all I get is a click from the motor. That's all it has ever done since I've had the car. Could a bad relay cause this problem, or is it most likely the motor?
My GUESS would be the motor. If it clicks, it has power to it. If you can find one in a wrecking yard, I give 'em a swap and see what happens.
Ok, after a lot of procrastinating I finally figured it out. The click I was hearing was NOT coming from the motor. It was the solenoids in the transmission activating and engaging the gears. I found a switch for about $15 and tried that first, but I still got the same thing. I hooked a 9V battery to the motor and it spun freely so I knew the motor worked. I finally found a used relay for about $12 shipped (sounds pretty cheap to me), installed that and IT WORKED!! But....I only had forward, back and down. No up. So I took the switch apart, cleaned the contacts and now she works perfectly.
Just to clarify, in case anyone else has this problem....My relay did not make any rattling noise when I shook it, but it was bad. I guess if it rattles you know for sure that's the problem, but if it doesn't rattle it still could be bad.
