Thanks in advance for the help I've received here. Here's another problem I can't seem to solve, and I've exhausted google and forums trying to find the answer.

The back seat in my 245 won't lay down. According to the owners manual, I should be able to lift the lever on either the right or left side of the seat and then the seat should lay down. I can lift the lever but the seat seems to be snagged on something. It will lift up about 3 inches on the same side as the lever, but the opposite side doesn't move at all.

Now, since I have wagon, occasionally I'd like to lay the backrest down all the way (which would also release the seat belts which are stuck in place by the backrest's locking mechanism). If I could figure out how to put the seat down, I next need to know how to lower the seat back without the usual handle. The cheap plastic used in the older volvos broke and all that is left of the handle is two wires, one coming from the left and one coming from the right. Anyone know what to do in order to release backrest and lower it to the floor?

Thanks

 

UPDATE: I figured out how to move the seat itself. Depressing the lever, instead of elevating it made a big difference.

Still have no idea what to do with the backrest. I've tried pulling those two wires with pliers but have had no luck. Don't really want to buy a new handle, and I don't even know if anyone is going to be selling that part. Parts pull might be my next option i guess.

 

Here is what it's supposed to look like


The attached thumbnail is what I'm working with.

 

Pull both wires at the same time. If that dont work lift seat bottom and get to latch from there.

 

Where exactly should I look for this latch after I've lifted the seat bottom? Thanks a ton for the info by the way.

 

I know everyone is dying to know how to lower that dang back seat without the handle so I'll tell you.

Don't pull the wires. They are just a decoy. what you really want to do is PUSH to the outside of the seat cushion on what looks like black plastic covering the wires while holding those wires in place. Whatever is covering the wires disengages the seat back locks when pushed and you can lower the seat. It doesn't take a lot of pressure once you know how to do it.

 

Thanks very much for this info. I haven't tried it yet. When you say "push to the outside of the seat cushion," do you mean to push toward the front of the car when sitting in the back working on the latch? Did you pull off all the plastic trim to get to the mechanism? On my 1988 245 all the trim like that is brittle and snaps if I try to remove it. The handle is broken off now, and I pull up what is left of the handle using a screw driver. One side would unlatch when I started, now neither side of the seat will unlatch. I need to put the seat down to get to the tank pump, this car is really fighting me!

Thanks,
Jim

 

I would just take all the trim off. It's only there to hold the handle in place, and it sounds like that is already destroyed. I'm not about looks so as long as I can get that seat down, I don't care if I have the "fancy" crumbling plastic trim back there.

When you take all the trim off (I'm not sure the best way to get the trim off because my car came with the handle destroyed already), you will see the two wires I talked about. Hold those wires in place with a pair of pliers and then push the black plastic that encases the wires to the outside of the car. When I say "outside" I mean push the black casing toward the back windows if you are sitting in the cargo area facing what used to be the handle. The black casing will run right along the wire and you will hear the locking mechanism unlock. Then just do the same thing with the other side and the seat will come down.

It might be easiest to hold the wire in place with 1 pair of pliers and gently push the black casing with a 2nd pair of pliers. Just be careful because you don't want to crush the metal inside the black plastic that rides on the wire. That would trap the locking mechanism in place wherever it is (open or shut). Remember to do both sides.

If you can access the picture I posted above, it may make more sense. Let me know how it is going.

 

Thanks much for all your help. I don't know if the JPG picture was there before I posted my questions, but having viewed it your explanation now is quite clear.

My door handle latch isn't destroyed as much as yet. The only damage to mine so far is the plastic handle has snapped off. Using a phillips screwdriver I can move up and down the plate that the handle used to move to release the latch mechanisms on the sides. However, moving that plate up and down doesn't unlatch the locks on the sides anymore. I may have to smash apart the parts that are intact to get to the wires that you show in your picture.


Thanks,
Jim

 

You can always just take a slotted screwdriver and gently release the latches on either side

 

Thanks much for your reply!

I tried to release the latches on each side using a a screwdriver etc but couldn't figure out which way to pry what. I'm assuming that you mean the release the latches that are next to the outer side of the car with the black rubber bumper behind them.

Could you be a little more specific please? Do I need to pry the part that moves outward to get it to release from the locked position or something like that? I couldn't get anything to budge.

Thanks,
Jim

 

MY release handle has never worked and it really is irrelevant. Now, I drive the 7 seater, so it's a slim possibility i have a different mechanism, but otherwise i have an 88 245 DL. On the latch, facing towards the back gate, there should be a small metal little latch-like thing beside the main latch towards the center (if I remember, i'll get some pics). If you pull up on it, it will unlock the latch, then you just pull back and bada-bing. The trick is doing both at the same time. The release notch wont give much resistance either.

 

the plastic handle on the back of the seat on my wagon is also broken off & I have to use a screwdriver to unlock the seatback. my tip of advice is to go at it from the cargo space of the wagon rather than trying to accomplish it while sitting in the backseat as the lock mechanism is a lot easier to see & manipulate from behind. you'll be able to see the way the lock works & what you need to press down on with the flat side of the screwdriver a lot better from that angle.

 

My apologies, I checked on this today, and you do push down, not pull up.

I have never had to use a screwdriver, my fingers did it fine. I do have strong fingers, but it still isn't very difficult. It's not easy to see, it just looks like some part of the latch, you will find it by playing with the mechanism. Everything else is locked and immovable except the release. So use tactile trial and error.

 

Help!

I have a 1989 245 with a broken seatlatch.

Before I read your posts cautioning not to do this, I bought a replacement (plastic) taken from a 1990 model on eBay.

The part is on its way and I am wondering if I can install it myself even though I am a complete novice (read mechanical idiot).

Can someone walk me through it?

 

Hey, I'm having the same issue with my volvo!! What do you mean depress the lever? When I pull up on it, it seems to almost release, but not all the way.

 

this is a 5 year old thread ... what year/model is your volvo wagon ?