Seat problem

[ggggggggggggggg]

I'm having a problem with my drivers seat in my e34. This isn't the classic seat twist problem - I'm having that issue too, but it's only half of my problem. The other half is that there's clearly something broken in the seat back. The left side of the seat back rocks significantly on its hinge - e.g. if you hold the top of the seat back and pry it back and forward there's a good couple of inches of free movement. I can't find anything on this type of failure - anyone know exactly what has broken here? Apparently disassembling these seat isn't really a straight forward task.....

[GIANUCCI E30]

If you take the back panel off the seat. Look at the lower part of the back support. You should see two small horizontal arms, one on each side. Those are apart of the bracket which connects the back support to the hing arms and bottom part of the seat.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/y/z/1.png

Attached to those arms are springs (number 10 The diagram shows them pointing toward the bottom pan but they actually located in the seat back)which help lock the back of the seat in place.


If those springs are gone, snapped or shot then thats you issue with the loose back. A little bit of movement is typical for that bracket and those springs often give a little over time.

But if you can lift the back up with little to no problem. Those little arms and springs are the culprit.

As for the seat twist. There's plenty of write ups online to help you with that. Also not a seriously hard job.

[ggggggggggggggg]

Thanks, yeah I'm comfortable with the seat twist, but I wanted to address this issue while I was doing it. I sorted out the seat twist and put the seat back in the car, but as expected there was some movement in the left hand side of the seat back. As I reclined the seat up (now 100% square) the left side "popped" out and is no uneven again. There's something wrong in the mechanism/hinge/gearbox I think.

I checked the springs as suggested but they're in good shape by the look of it.

[pushpins]

I havent come across this problem on the Norwegian boards.. Does this seat twist happen because Americans are so fat?













:D

[ggggggggggggggg]

I'm from New Zealand douchebag.

[pushpins]

I'm from New Zealand douchebag.
Easy easy..

[Black91m5]

Vinyl wrap it.

[ross1]

I havent come across this problem on the Norwegian boards.. Does this seat twist happen because Americans are so fat?













:D
Yumpin yimminy, yah, because Americans are all fat from gorging on lutefisk. Nothing to do with a poor drive cable design/manufacture.

[Meeve]

At this point, just change the seats. They are easy to find in junkyards and are cheap. Chance are you'll get the same color too. If not, swap the leather over.

What happened when you choose your username? Cat stepped on the keyboard?

[BMH]

Haha one time my dad complained that his minivan seat got flattened out, and the salesman basically told him his fat ass squished it.

[attack eagle]

I havent come across this problem on the Norwegian boards.. Does this seat twist happen because Americans are so fat?
:D

only if 145lbs, a 28 inch waist, and 6 ft tall = fat.

[GIANUCCI E30]

At this point, just change the seats. They are easy to find in junkyards and are cheap. Chance are you'll get the same color too. If not, swap the leather over.

What happened when you choose your username? Cat stepped on the keyboard?

+1 The comfort seats aren't hard to come by. Being your across the pond, finding a comfort seat in a Junk yard there is like trying to find a headlight for a crown vic in the states. A dime a dozen.

From what I hear at least.

[pushpins]

only if 145lbs, a 28 inch waist, and 6 ft tall = fat.
Then youre about 17 kg lighter then me.. :)

I was kidding though..