Drivers Power seat not moving forward or back???

[ETHACK]

Finally the exp is almost done and on the road, valve cover leak, waiting on Ford gasket now, the drivers seat is stuck all the way back, looked for new motor and all I find is a directional switch, anyone else have this problem and is it the switch or motor that usually goes bad, I can hear/fell power engage when switch is moved and up/down works perfectly, only the for/back is malfunction, any ideas??? Big TY to all that have helped me get this project on the road and done perfectly!!!

 

[J_C]

Okay so you know you're getting power and ground to it, to have up/down work.

I'd take it (whole seat) out, flipped on its side or upside down and power it from whatever, even brief use from an 18V cordless tool battery won't be enough to harm it for a test. I'd measure for voltage too, whether it comes out of the forward/reverse switch and makes it to the motor.

I'd check whether the mechanism seems to be binding and lube it. You could also remove the motor and see if it spins freely, directly applying power to it.

If it turns out to be the switch, then "maybe" (unless the plastic cracked), it can be opened and the contacts cleaned, or if broken internally then at least you can declare it dead. If it's the switch then I'd be tempted to get one from a junkyard, but having recently sorted through thousands of switches for a stove, I found there are all kinds of possibilities if it's a standard form factor, especially if you can make a mounting bracket for it, for example out of ~2mm thick sheet aluminum. I may be making this more complicated than it is.

Motor, if it won't spin with direct power to it, there's probably metal tabs needing bent or welds drilled out to open it. Might just need new brushes, but you can ohm out the windings with a multimeter and check for a blown thermal fuse inside. It'd be a good idea to lube that too if/when it's open.

See attached wiring

 

[ETHACK]

Okay so you know you're getting power and ground to it, to have up/down work.

I'd take it (whole seat) out, flipped on its side or upside down and power it from whatever, even brief use from an 18V cordless tool battery won't be enough to harm it for a test. I'd measure for voltage to, and whether it comes out of the forwards/reverse switch and makes it to the motor.

I'd check whether the mechanism seems to be binding and lube it. You could also remove the motor and see if it spins freely, directly applying power to it.

If it turns out to be the switch, then "maybe" (unless the plastic cracked), it can be opened and the contacts cleaned, or if broken internally then at least you can declare it dead. If it's the switch then I'd be tempted to get one from a junkyard, but having recently sorted through thousands of switches for a stove, I found there are all kinds of possibilities if it's a standard form factor, especially if you can make a mounting bracket for it, for example out of ~2mm thick sheet aluminum. I may be making this more complicated than it is.

Motor, if it won't spin with direct power to it, there's probably metal tabs needing bent or welds drilled out to open it. Might just need new brushes, but you can ohm out the windings with a multimeter and check for a blown thermal fuse inside. It'd be a good idea to lube that too if/when it's open.

See attached wiring

TY!!! Thats pretty detailed for me!!! The diagram is a big help as is rest of info, may have to just manually move seat forward slightly, but want it fixed, so will try my best to figure it out, got some time and $ in on this ol truck but in the end will be worth it.

 

[1sicbronconut]

Those were really bad about the sliding part for the seat belt buckle binding up on the track that it slides on, I've seen quite a few do that in my 32 years as a Ford tech

 

[J_C]

Those were really bad about the sliding part for the seat belt buckle binding up on the track that it slides on, I've seen quite a few do that in my 32 years as a Ford tech

I'm not sure that I'm following what you mean. I could be remembering a different vehicle, but the best I recall is that the left side of the seatbelt mechanism is on the side trim panel, and the right side is a fixed bolt to the floor, so there is no sliding part for the seat belt buckle that is involved with the seat movement??

Maybe I do understand, I mean that in winter, apparently the grease in my belt retractor gets too thick and it doesn't want to retract all the way so there is slack unless I coax it the rest of the way retracted, but the only thing that's ever done is let slack in the belt cause it to flop over into the door jamb so the door doesn't shut till I notice and help it retract. I keep meaning to open that up and blast it with some WD-40 or oil to rejuvenate the grease a bit, but so far it has been easier to just manually help it retract since it only happens when very cold outside.


By the way ETHACK, on your vehicle info shown on the left column of your posts... you either have the 4.0L and 4WD, or the 5.0L and AWD. None came with both 4.0L and AWD.

 

[ETHACK]

Those were really bad about the sliding part for the seat belt buckle binding up on the track that it slides on, I've seen quite a few do that in my 32 years as a Ford tech

Thanks!!! I hope it's something simple like that, not super tech savy, but with help will figure it out. I've heard that a metal tab sometimes gets in the way of the slide.

 

[ETHACK]

O

I'm not sure that I'm following what you mean. I could be remembering a different vehicle, but the best I recall is that the left side of the seatbelt mechanism is on the side trim panel, and the right side is a fixed bolt to the floor, so there is no sliding part for the seat belt buckle that is involved with the seat movement??

Maybe I do understand, I mean that in winter, apparently the grease in my belt retractor gets too thick and it doesn't want to retract all the way so there is slack unless I coax it the rest of the way retracted, but the only thing that's ever done is let slack in the belt cause it to flop over into the door jamb so the door doesn't shut till I notice and help it retract. I keep meaning to open that up and blast it with some WD-40 or oil to rejuvenate the grease a bit, but so far it has been easier to just manually help it retract since it only happens when very cold outside.


By the way ETHACK, on your vehicle info shown on the left column of your posts... you either have the 4.0L and 4WD, or the 5.0L and AWD. None came with both 4.0L and AWD.

Opps!!! Will change that, I thought it was AWD as the selector switch says Auto, High, and Low only....

 

[ETHACK]

O

Opps!!! Will change that, I thought it was AWD as the selector switch says Auto, High, and Low only....

Maybe offered as an option not generally gotten or something as this one has alot of options, leather, sunroof, sound, etc, again I'm not sure but if not AWD wouldn't selector switch say 2H or something to that effect?

 

[J_C]

That is the normal selector switch for 4WD which you have.

 

[CDW6212R]

AWD stands for "All" wheel drive, the other system is 4WD, should be called A4WD, which would have the A stand for "Automatic".

The seat motors are 3 motor assemblies, they swap as a set, and are difficult to unbolt. Hopefully the switch is at fault, those are very easy to change. The motors all have short drive shaft parts, fairly reliable. Older types before about 1995-98's had longer shafts(which are flexible cables like a "bendy" ratchet extension), those were in a flexed position all the time, so those used to be an issue. These later type have the short drive shaft parts straight constantly, they should never fail unless the motor locked up completely.

Testing the motors with a power source should tell you if it's the motor or the switch. The switches are made with fragile internal components, lubricating one might fix it in rare cases. But likely one or more of the tiny parts inside is bent etc.

 

[ETHACK]

AWD stands for "All" wheel drive, the other system is 4WD, should be called A4WD, which would have the A stand for "Automatic".

The seat motors are 3 motor assemblies, they swap as a set, and are difficult to unbolt. Hopefully the switch is at fault, those are very easy to change. The motors all have short drive shaft parts, fairly reliable. Older types before about 1995-98's had longer shafts(which are flexible cables like a "bendy" ratchet extension), those were in a flexed position all the time, so those used to be an issue. These later type have the short drive shaft parts straight constantly, they should never fail unless the motor locked up completely.

Testing the motors with a power source should tell you if it's the motor or the switch. The switches are made with fragile internal components, lubricating one might fix it in rare cases. But likely one or more of the tiny parts inside is bent etc.

OK Thanks for the clarity on AWD.

 

[ETHACK]

AWD stands for "All" wheel drive, the other system is 4WD, should be called A4WD, which would have the A stand for "Automatic".

The seat motors are 3 motor assemblies, they swap as a set, and are difficult to unbolt. Hopefully the switch is at fault, those are very easy to change. The motors all have short drive shaft parts, fairly reliable. Older types before about 1995-98's had longer shafts(which are flexible cables like a "bendy" ratchet extension), those were in a flexed position all the time, so those used to be an issue. These later type have the short drive shaft parts straight constantly, they should never fail unless the motor locked up completely.

Testing the motors with a power source should tell you if it's the motor or the switch. The switches are made with fragile internal components, lubricating one might fix it in rare cases. But likely one or more of the tiny parts inside is bent etc.

OK Thanks for info on the switch I really hope its as simple as that, will take advice from J_C and others and test with drill battery, all of your elp/advice is much appreciated thanks guys!!

 

[ETHACK]

OK Thanks for info on the switch I really hope its as simple as that, will take advice from J_C and others and test with drill battery, all of your elp/advice is much appreciated thanks guys!! Think you might be right on the switch as can feel power engaging for/aft so think obstruction or switch.