LukeI just fixed my seat back cable following these instructions (I used a new cable), and your symptoms sound a little different than what I was experiencing. I couldn't manually lift my seat forward at all, it was firmly stuck in a reclined position. I could also hear the motor in the seat back turning when I pressed the recline lever in either direction, but the seat didn't move.

One thing I didn't realize until I did the repair is that the cable in question actually has a square profile, and spins inside the plastic sleeve. So it's a flexible drive shaft between the motor and the gear box. I'm not sure why they aren't just directly connectedd, but 'ours is not to wonder why...'


[edit: oopsdidn't realize that I was only on page 1 of 2, and replied to an old message [:@] Sorry for the newbie error ]

 

Gee...I wish I could take the credit for that one But when I bought the car from a college student, it was already 1/4 way reclined <G> Then as time goes on, it would fall back more and more.

NEW QUESTION!!

We fixed our driver seat (GREAT INSTRUCTIONS TECH) But NOW...it goes ek ek ek when you push the button to bring it forward, not smooth running like it was before. Also, because my friend was afraid of catching my seat on fire using a torch, he just held the cable down, we ek ek ek the seat upwards till it was where I wanted it and put everything back together. It only took about 3 weeks and it ever so slowly reclining back again.

Can someone explain why that is happening? And why the motor is all of a sudden going in short spurts of energy instead of running smoothly? Is there a "safe" way of heating the post without catching the seat on fire?

Sorry for all the questions...but nothing is more frustrating and I'm sure I'm not alone when you fix something and still isn't right!

I'm back again to my pillow for support [&o]

 

Hmmwhen you say your motor goes 'ek ek ek', Do you mean that when you hold the button forward, you only get one little 'ek' movement, and then you have to release the button and press it again to nudge it forward? If so, then the seat may just need to be recalibrated (I have instructions in some PDF somewhere if you need 'em).

If you mean that the seat makes sounds continously while you hold the button down, that sounds like the drive cable is loose again. If you are dead set on not melting the cable to fix it, then consider a replacement cable. The Volvo part is only $45.20 (qualifies for free shipping) from eeuroparts.com.

I think a stuck-reclined seat is a pretty serious safety issue, since if you get rear-ended you have no protection against whiplash injury...

 

Hmmwhen you say your motor goes 'ek ek ek', Do you mean that when you hold the button forward, you only get one little 'ek' movement, and then you have to release the button and press it again to nudge it forward? If so, then the seat may just need to be recalibrated (I have instructions in some PDF somewhere if you need 'em).

Yep...that's it!! You hit it right on the nail! Thank you If you do come across the instructions, do let me know. I have a friend who was able to fix it so I'm sure he will know how to calibrate it as well.

As for the cable, I would love to have it heated and set permanantly in there. My friend just couldn't figure out how to use the torch without catching the seat. Do they put something behind the connection to protect it?

 

OK, i have the instructions, but I am not allowed to upload PDFs. It's the file called 'seats power memory' in the bundle of tech documents available at http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/dow.../Volvo_850.zip
This assumes you have the diagnostic connectors under the hood (discontinued in 1995?). I haven't done this, and it looks to be a PITA, with lots of button pushing, but should be free if it works. Hard to argue with free.

As for melting the housing on the cable, you can always remove the cable from the seat, and work on it outside the car. I haven't tried the melty trick myself (though I did keep my old cable in case another one goes bad...)

Good luck!

OK, Including jpegs of the first few pages of the PDF, where the recalibration procedure is described.

 

If you move it like that all the way foward and all the way back it should go back to normal. It has to see the full foward and back positions.
I heat the cables all the time.

How it originally happens is the outside sheilding stretches over time it is just plastic. Thats why you need to heat it up and slide it in. That will make the outside sheilding shorter again.

 

Cheaka850 and Tech!

THANK YOUfor your advice and explanation of heating the cable! I just thought of that myself a few days ago. It really is common sense!!

I'm praying when we do this that it works. Because he didn't heat the cable the last time, it is every so slowly sliding back again! I know have a bed pillow for support!

Keep up the wonderful work

Terry

 

Tech and others...thank you, thank you, thank you!! It has taken my husband since I first posted this request of how to fix my drivers seat till today to finally get it fixed! Oh, he and his friend did what your instructions stated...up to the part of using the torch to heat the plastic cover.. They wouldn't do it and my seat kept creeping more and more into a reclining position. I finally had it today when the seat belt was coming across my throat! With some stern persuasion, my husband went in and followed the instructions to the letter and I am proud to say that my back will no longer hurt nor will I be using a pillow in the car! Our garage did not catch on fire nor did my car blow up! So it is a good day for all!

You guys rock and I sincerely appreciate you having this site and sharing your vast wealth of information and the "how to fix this and that". This site is priceless to me

 

Glad all is working well now!!!!!
Glad he finally dove in and decided to use the torch!!

Congrats!!

 

I am trying to do this on the passenger side of the T5R. On the sixth picture down where the leather is being peeled up about six inches how did you unhook the clips to get it up that far or are thes the other hog pins that need to be clipped to get to there? In my case they are inside of white material.

Never mind. They were four more hog pins and those suckers were hard to cut! I see the cable now and getting ready to do the heating and pushing of the plastic.

All done, back together and working fine. Another thank you to tech!!!

 

Glad all is good now Jim!!

 

How the heck do you get the Lumbar **** back in and working?

 

You screw it back in. Sometimes it will stop going in then you pull out and screw in more.

 

This is a life saver. All I needed was 4 things:

1. Needle nose plyers. Used to pull cut hooks out and unfasten the leather on the sides.
2. Metal snips. Used to cut the hognose hooks.
3. Torch. Little thing i picked up just for this job, i think it was $7 and works with any standard cigarette lighter.
4. Wire ties.

Now it's time for the passenger side. It took about 30 minutes.

Thanks for good instructions.

 

Glad it helped!!

 

Ok Tech I have read your cable fix at least 10 times before I tried repairing it. Well today was the day so off came the seat cover and I did just what you showed. To my amazement after repairing only the transmission side of the cable my seat now works perfectly again. Hats off to you and your super easy repair. Now just a couple zip ties to replace the hog rings and I'm good to go. Saved myself $15.00 and a hour drive. Thks Again. Cheers!!!

 

Glad it went well!

 

Went for this repair today on passenger seat. After torching both sides, wasn't happy with the side into the transmission. In the attempt to re-do it, I overmelted the 1-2 inches of the black housing. Pulled it out, but in a rush to go somewhere cut the end of the steel cable. Big mistake. The cable is round inside the housing, but it is square about 1 inch long on each end. I cut one end. Cable is useless now.

Stopped by Ace Hardware to conjure something. Nothing. Stopped at Advance Auto Parts -- $ 7 generic speedometer cable has a square end which gets crimped with the speedo steel cable. Did not think that would last.

Long story-short, ordered it from FCP for $ 73 total. Pick up tomorrow, along with the wiper arm.

Moral of the story -- do not cut the steel cable.

 

Seat is fixed. For better access, you can unlock your seat and tilt it forward. But a big BEWARE: do to not catch your fingers at the seat's locking mechanism (bottom, one on each side of the seat). I really cut my left thumb there.

 

But not all seats have the latches and can be folded forward.
(Just a FYI to everyone)