Help with broken sport seat frame (fixed)

[L_N_Love]

I have a broken frame on the right side of my drivers seat. I removed the seat today but cannot locate the 4 bolts that secure it to the motorized base. Are they on the bottom or sides?

[Patrick McHugh]

Leonard, take the seat out of the car, you will have to pull the decorative cap off. Chances are all of the bolts have come out, use lock tite when re installing them.

[mooseheadm5]

If it isn't just the bolts, you can swap over the passenger seat until you can get it fixed. If the seat has to stay out for an extended period, go ahead and get the leg bolster welded and reinforced while it is out of the car if it shows any bending/weakness/breaks. Mine is toast

[L_N_Love]

I have the passenger seat installed temporarily as the driver's. I leaned back too hard and the seat frame cracked in half on the right side. I can feel the two pieces through the upholstery.

I need to figure out how to separate the seat from the motorized base so that I can get access to the frame area and have it welded and reinforced. I see two small bolts on one side and assume they are also under the decorative piece. Ar those the four to remove?

[Blue Shadow]

I didn't see the bolts listed in the ETK of the sport seats and don't have one here to investigate, but the couch seats have 4-10mm headed bolts at the outside four corners of the seat base that go up into the seat. Great to have a gear wrench for the removal of these if the seat can not be moved to gain access as when some are available others are not.

Flip that sob over and scout around for the bolts on the base to see what is up.

Or haul it up here and we'll get it apart for you, roll to the welding shop and get it all fixed up. That place can lay a bead.

[L_N_Love]

I didn't see the bolts listed in the ETK of the sport seats and don't have one here to investigate, but the couch seats have 4-10mm headed bolts at the outside four corners of the seat base that go up into the seat. Great to have a gear wrench for the removal of these if the seat can not be moved to gain access as when some are available others are not.

Flip that sob over and scout around for the bolts on the base to see what is up.

Or haul it up here and we'll get it apart for you, roll to the welding shop and get it all fixed up. That place can lay a bead.

May have to ....OK....so if the sport seats are similar to comfort, I should be able to locate a bolt at each corner that goes up into the seat bottom. I'll look harder in that area. There must be a way to separate the seat bottom from the motorized base because I can see that the upholstery could not have been installed on the bottom otherwise.

[L_N_Love]

If anyone has done this before on sport seats, any enlightening info would be appreciated. I didn't get a chance to check it out tonight due to other things going on. I'd like to get this issue fixed as soon as I can. Thanks!

[C.R. Krieger]

If anyone has done this before on sport seats, any enlightening info would be appreciated. I didn't get a chance to check it out tonight due to other things going on. I'd like to get this issue fixed as soon as I can. Thanks!

I have one nearly apart but I don't remember how it's fastened on there. Four 10mm bolts sounds right; they would be pointing straight up, on the sides, driven into the seat bottom near the corners. I'll try to take a look today.

[Blue Shadow]

Looking like "I'll see you soon" if you can't get an answer or a look at the seats.

[L_N_Love]

edit to delete duplicate post.

[L_N_Love]

Looking like "I'll see you soon" if you can't get an answer or a look at the seats.

I am frustrated enough to take you up on that. What are your coordinates?

I looked again tonight with it up on the bench. I do not see 4 nuts that go up into the corners of the frame. There are two 10mm nuts that go into the right side. I can see from the bottom that they are on the left side too.They support the metal frame that houses the motors. I removed them and it got a little loose but no joy.

[mooseheadm5]

Can you wait until Saturday? I am busy till then, but I can throw my spare on the bench and see what's up. I might even be able to skin it for you and trade (I can fix the frame since I have access to a TIG.)

[wkohler]

To separate the motors from the sport seat, you'll see there's these pins that slide through pivot points that are integral to the seat. Pop them out. It's actually pretty simple, but I've got a lot of experience. Sport seats are an entirely different animal than comforts. Be prepared to cut your headrest motor wiring, unless you have terminal connector tools.

Basically, here's what you need:

-Philips screw driver (two screws to secure seatback to hinges).
-Circlip pliers to remove the circlip that holds the hinges/gearboxes to the seat bottom)
-once the circlip is removed, simply move the cam and it will allow the hinge to be rotated and removed from the axle.
-Hogring pliers to remove all of the hogrings holding the center cushion to the springs
-Flat screwdriver to pry up the fingers that hold the side bolster upholstery to the frame and you'll also need this to remove the clip which holds the knee bolster to the linkage. This also helps to depress the spring that holds the pins in place.

If the cables become separated from the motors, don't have a cow. I did. wasn't worth it. They go right back in. I still maintain that electric sport seats are satanic. Manual sport seats are a cakewalk in comparison.

I have a pair of electric sports in the garage waiting to be packed for shipment. I'll see if I can photograph what I'm talking about tomorrow.

[L_N_Love]

Thanks for the responses guys.

Chris...thanks for that detail. I agree that they are "satanic". I wish I had manual sports. I read your description of the process several times but I'm still not clear on how to do it. I guess I am just not as familiar with the different parts and where they are.

Geeez!


P.S. Would a professional know how to deal with this or is it too old for them to know anything about it? Has the technology changed drastically?

[mooseheadm5]

Call Fritz's Car Care on Cary St. (804-355-7391) and ask if Mike is interested in fixing the seat for you, or at least taking it apart. If he won't do it, I'm open to taking your seat and swapping the leather over to one of my good frames. Tell him Paul sent you.

[L_N_Love]

Paul...I called Fritz's. Mike was busy but Bill put me on hold and described the problem to Mike. He came back and said Mike understood the problem and asked for me to drop it off and they would take a look at it.

[mooseheadm5]

Cool. Hopefully you can get it taken care of there. I used to work for Mike when he owned Bavarian Motors on Cary. He's a great guy and very knowledgeable.

[L_N_Love]

Bavarian Motors on Cary

I remember that place.

[L_N_Love]

Issue has been resolved. Had it welded.

[Mab1957]

Pics for Chris' description:
Broken bolster frame rear

Broken bolster frame forward

Rings and springs

Hinge circlip and cam

ering at thigh bolster (from below)

ering at thigh bolster (from below)

Plug in the welder and get out the rings & pliers[/img]

[Mab1957]

More pics:
Wiring to front thigh bolster from the power harness:

broken seat frame similar to Leonard's:




///M badges - original installation. I can't account for why the pins were bent differently, but one bowed out and wore more severely than the other.




I'm repairing/refinishing three sets of sport seats now. My M5 seat frames aren't broken, but it looks like a bolster repair had been made in the past. They're getting Leatherique Rejeuvenator/Prestine and color touch up. Each of the other sets had broken driver's bottom frames or bolsters and will also get the Leatherique treatment. Time to get out the welder!