Drivers Seat Recline Handle Help

[Gazapo]

Somehow the handle to recline the seat back on the drivers side stopped working or is broken. Any ideas how to fix this? I've had the seat out of the ST and can see two cables that attach to the handle assembly. The handle itself seems to be jammed, It just won't move to pull on the cables. Yes.. I did search..

 

[Gazapo]

Allrighty then... here goes an update. With the seat out and the bicycle like cables that go to the seat tracks disconnected, the cables and the handle move pretty well and the cables are not broken. I can move the "tabs" on the seat rails that the cables connect to while prying with a screwdriver, and one of the tabs is a little more difficult to pry.

 

[Gazapo]

I've got a new handle/cable assembly on order from Tousley Ford....

 

[Gazapo]

Yes, it was the handle/cable assembly causing the problem. It's fixed!

 

[Flounder]

You've been the victim of one of those infamous no-reply threads.

This probably would have been helpful two weeks ago: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2193476

 

[melman]

Did you save your old lever? It might have been covered under a TSB (a free repair, but not a recall).

I just posted this to the other thread, I'll post it here too.

The original driver's seat lever on my 98 became quite bent, but never broke.
There was a TSB on it, TSB 98-25-15 ("Conditions with the front seat back lever bent.")

My dealer fixed it back in 2000, and I posted this to the Explorer usenet group back then:
"The lever assembly has been redesigned. I took a look at the parts as the technician was installing them. I didn't write down the part number, but the (bent) part that was removed was revision "AA" and the new part is revision "BB". The part of the lever that was prone to bending seems to have been reinforced."

The lever in the pictures appears to be an old part.

 

[Gazapo]

Thanks for the replies...! I checked out the thread- my handle is different. Its an all plastic design.

 

[Team Chepsk8]

I have the same problem now on my 2001. Seat's coming out and I'll check those issues.

Any update on the TSB?