This it how you repair the seat back cable. I will also explain how to replace the cable as well.

You will need to remove the Lumbar adjustment ****. Unscrew as far as you can. Then pull out and unscrew till it stops then one more time pull and unscrew. The washer part under the **** pulls right off. It will look like this.


Then you will need to cut the 4 metal hogrings in the seam where the front and back of the leather meet.




Also you will have to remove the seat switch panel. When you do so on the back of the panel there should be a red plastic clip. Install that where I have shown in the picture. Failure to do so may cause the seat air bag to go off if that metal piece is hit while messing with the seat. If your clip is missing find something plastic fairly thick to install there.


Sometimes it is easiest to get to them from the back seat area.
Next unfold the leather from the plastic pieces on the ends. There is little hooks that hold the leather.



Next start sliding the leather up the seat back slowly and carefully. There is 4 more hog rings you will need to cut. In the picture they are located in the little holes you see where the metal rod is. They go around the metal rod in the leather and to the rod in the foam.



Also while sliding the leather up you will have to unhook little hooks from the back side that help keep the leather tight around the rear pocket of the seat.




The white stuff in the middle is the heating element for the seat heaters.

Once you get the leather this high look from the back of the seat. You will see the motor and transmisson.
If you choose to try to repair the cable you will need to heat the metal in either the transmission or motor and slide the plastic parrt of the cable in. Then while holding it move the switch and make sure the cable grabs. Sometimes you will have to do both sides at the motor and transmission. I had to do both on both of my cars. I did this today thats where this post is coming from.



Before repairing the cable.



After repairing the cable.



Before repair at transmission



After repair.

If you want to replace the cable you will have to slide the big plastic piece off the inside to remove the screws holding the transmission to the seat. Also remove the clip on the rod to slide the transmission out to gain access to the screws to remove the cable. Remove the screws in the motor from the retainer to get the cable out and replace the cable.

Install everything in reverse order.

Hope this helps someone out there.

FYI this is a picture if hog ring pliers and a hog ring.

 

Thanks for the great write up!

I did this job once about 2 years ago but I didn't know about your trick to reuse the existing cable by shortening the plastic cable sleeve. What source of heat did you use to melt the plastic cable sleeve? (i.e., electric heat gun, soldering iron, butane torch?)

I have to do this to my other 850 and I'd love to know how you did that without burning the seat foam.

Thanks!

 

As always a great writeup tech.

I couldn't find my hog rings this summer so I just used Zip-Ties, can't tell the difference.
[align=left] [/align]

 

I used a mini butane torch.

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Good to know, thank you!

 

Yeah TECH great job! I wish I had seen this blah blah. Question, what's the point fixing the cable if it's slightly rounded out in the hole that the cable goes into ? would you suggest a dab of that clay metal in there / also how did you trim the cable to make square mine was way rounded and prbably have to trim an inch off of it?

 

I didn't trim any at all I just heated the metal sleeve and slid it in further.
If it is really stretched you can do both sides and get about 1/4 of an inch or a little more.

 

My passengers seat does not stay up, without my homeade quick fix of 5 quarters stacked on both sides of the seat joint. Is that the same cable or a different one from this post? I know its a cable thats causing the seat to no longer lock. It just falls back if not proppedup.

 

It reclines correct?
If so then yes that is the cable.

 

tech,
yes it reclines. It stays reclined unless I pick it up and jam the neck rest against the roof, then it stays up.
Luke

 

Yes it is the cable in the post.
But if yours is that bad you might have to replace the cable.
I have never seen one that bad that it moves by hand.

 

Thanks,
Just another adventure for me.
Luke

 

Followed this procedure to repair my seat cable this weekend. I had to shorten both ends. Works great, no surprises. Put it back together with zip ties in lieu of hog rings, seems like it should be fine.

Thanks,

Kirk

 

I know this is going to be a silly question. But if you are not mechanically inclined....is this something a person should be attempting?

Also, I didn't notice in the instructions that we had to disconnect all the electrical componets to the seat.Another person stated this and that you literely take the seat out of the car. In your way, is that not necessary?

And last but not least.... If the seat is 100% reclined...almost touching the back seat....are there any magical ways of removing it from the car (if that is necessary) without damaging anything else?

Thanks

 

I never remove them.
You would have to mess with it to get it out if you wanted to repair it.
It is not really all that hard to do.

 

Thanks guys, greetings from Australia, your forums are great!!!

 

Thanks

 

Hey now Arzy,

Greetings from "up and over"(Canada) to you from "down under".

[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

Hmmm, I wonder how the seat got into that position

 

Great write updid this procedure yesterday. As one with very limited mechanical aptitude, I found it easy to do. Thanks very much for enabling me to save money on this simple repair.