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Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back?


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flipstyle
User

May 15, 2022, 11:01 PM

Post #1 of 11 (1676 views)
Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In

Firstly, thank you all for helping me address my fan/coolant issues from my previous thread, you're lifesavers!

Now I'm trying to diagnose a second problem on my 97 acura cl 3.0 that's been lingering for over a year. Unfortunately the driver's power seat is stuck in the fully forward position, thus I have absolutely no access to the front floor bolts underneath to remove the seats or diagnose it outside the car.

I already tried taking the plastic caps off the adjustment levers and cleaning the metal contacts to make sure there wasn't any corrosion. Wasn't an issue. I'm not getting any sound or jolts or any kind of feedback when I press the switch to make the seat go backwards. Or forwards. The seat is so far forward I'm surprised I've been able to drive this long...it's one of the most uncomfortable driving positions.

I'm speculating this may have happened when something got stick (most likely a coin that spilled out the center console and fell between the seat) in the seat rail and I may have burnt out the forward/backward motor trying to continually try and move the seat. That's just my guess.

I'm curious if there are any manual adjustment slots or mechanisms on the side or rear of the seat that I can use to slide the seat back? I know many american cars have slots where you can either stick a screwdriver or square driver to get the gears moving manually. But I can't see anything on my acura when I remove the side panels.

Thanks!


(This post was edited by flipstyle on May 15, 2022, 11:02 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 16, 2022, 5:15 AM

Post #2 of 11 (1657 views)
Re: Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In

Unfortunately, there is no way to override the motors. The only thing you could try is to lightly tap on the motor while holding the switch engaged and hope it breaks free.

First check all your fuses carefully with a test light to make sure you didn't just blow a fuse.

If forward and back doesn't work, try up to give you more clearance.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

May 16, 2022, 2:27 PM

Post #3 of 11 (1643 views)
Re: Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In

I seriously apologize for going LED blind - a real thing,
Read your issue+ Hammers reply. FYI forever know motors (electrical) are magnets when electrified DC volts will turn one or the other way.


I'm not Isaac Newton but he's a good friend on mine!


Tom



flipstyle
User

May 26, 2022, 11:08 PM

Post #4 of 11 (1574 views)
Re: Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In

Just want to say thank you both again!

I was able to gain access to the front bolts by raising the front of the seat up all the way.

I believe the motor is burnt since it doesn't react to a direct 12v source.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

May 27, 2022, 1:03 AM

Post #5 of 11 (1571 views)
Re: Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In

OK, If you gave the motor direct power/ground, then reversed it and didn't react at all it's the problem.

It's not all the uncommon for motor that's never used by some, same driver for same seat for years - no real surprise.

So just look at how it's installed (general info on lots of this stuff) couple ears with a couples screws would be nice. Take it out see if it's all crimped tight it's sealed and easier to find it part #s on it whole.

If all runs dry even those come apart are just frozen up but hard to re-crimp like a bottle cap.

I do or would but better to just find exact one also knowing plug to it is live and sending power/ground upon request from how it's triggered or gets messy if not.

Used? IDK. On line hope you have a part # of some sort on the body and match it up,

Tom

PS: Out of the box if you have a pigtail and/or way to get at connections a 9V household battery will work small motors out of car totally - did that all the time in junkyards to save the time going car to car :-)



flipstyle
User

May 27, 2022, 1:55 AM

Post #6 of 11 (1566 views)
Re: Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In


In Reply To
OK, If you gave the motor direct power/ground, then reversed it and didn't react at all it's the problem.

It's not all the uncommon for motor that's never used by some, same driver for same seat for years - no real surprise.

So just look at how it's installed (general info on lots of this stuff) couple ears with a couples screws would be nice. Take it out see if it's all crimped tight it's sealed and easier to find it part #s on it whole.

If all runs dry even those come apart are just frozen up but hard to re-crimp like a bottle cap.

I do or would but better to just find exact one also knowing plug to it is live and sending power/ground upon request from how it's triggered or gets messy if not.

Used? IDK. On line hope you have a part # of some sort on the body and match it up,

Tom

PS: Out of the box if you have a pigtail and/or way to get at connections a 9V household battery will work small motors out of car totally - did that all the time in junkyards to save the time going car to car :-)



Thanks Tom :)

Yes, I believe I burned the forward/backward motor when the seat got stuck at one time (I believe these acuras have a built in protection feature not to move when it senses an object in the seat rails). It used to 'jolt' when I pressed buttons back in the day, but now it's just straight up dead.

Hoping I can source a replacement motor on the cheap from a junkyard. If not, I'll probably go aftermarket racing seats since my front OEM ones have leather that's on its last legs.


Cheers!


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

May 27, 2022, 2:52 AM

Post #7 of 11 (1564 views)
Re: Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In

IDK what's available to you or type of junkyards if you don't have one that allows you to go out and get your own - it's over for that.

Search the web, one is out there for sale. It may be the same as several other motors for several model years?

Web is easier now if you have info on the motor search.

If going to a yard you should have yours and know what tools it took to get it out!

If they do it they have to charge. They (these places) may know what they have online and know ahead so save time.

For now you want the seat to just be back you can usually if you busted your motor up (not so fast though, it's gone then) use the shaft turn the item (whatever these are for) takes a zillion turns with the shaft out of old motor hope you can get a drill on it.

You said seat is a mess now leather is perishable in cars I see that more than I used to.

If a whole seat that fits ask. You may change to fabric that usually lasts longer if that's ok to you.

The 9V thing is carrying power out to yards that have last days of keeping something ready to just crush to send off to get metals out of the thing.

YOU MAY FIND A NEW ONE IF ENOUGH WERE MADE JUST MIGHT STILL BE OUT THERE NEW??

You decide what works for you I've had luck with either part #s from things (anything) or converted bar code search "images" and voila the vultures are there with it for sale :-)

Good luck most important is the seat's integrity to put back in place so this vehicle is safe again.

Got old my friend I can't take a pail out deep into those places anymore they can't allow you to drive out here and understand that.

Good luck, you can do it,

Tom



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 27, 2022, 3:11 AM

Post #8 of 11 (1560 views)
Re: Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In

Motors aren't the only things that can cause that. You can have frozen cables or tracks that will act the same way.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

May 27, 2022, 6:28 AM

Post #9 of 11 (1549 views)
Re: Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In

This is true too. If you can compare this to hopefully passenger's seat is also powered do so.

If you find a motor cheap and easily use one for testing by hand with the shaft?

ZERO from me for fixing a power seat in these cars so default is seeing how other behaves hopefully.

I'd still want a motor or two (depends on junkyard) they don't sell them all or bet too many.

One (another car totally) from way back a lady had a habit of storing a towel under a power seat all snagged up OMG what a twisted mess but I know I fixed it and stopped that habit real fast! Tom



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

May 27, 2022, 7:27 AM

Post #10 of 11 (1547 views)
Re: Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In

If you're buying parts from a junkyard they are going to sell you the whole seat frame. They won't sell motors separately.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

May 27, 2022, 7:39 AM

Post #11 of 11 (1540 views)
Re: Power seat on acura stuck in fully forward position, any way to manually move back? Sign In

GREAT. What could it be worth? This is 25+ years old. This person's car has a wrecked leather could cost more than the car whole car alone to fix in LEATHER now.

Better if proven there to work before even a whole seat to find out it's NG.

Here (MA) wheels off and gas tanks out of all junks for salvage. No batteries so bring one dinky something just to test it or they would now getting into time and more bucks.

IDK the rules change place to place around me. Once an "all you can carry" price the cars are ready to squish area.

Is this some collectible car now? If so that's news to me, Tom






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