Seat Recliner Wont Lock

[jezebel09]

Hello Everyone from Tampa "Super Bowl" Florida! I am so happy to have found y'all! Everything I have read has been fascinating and on point. My Baby has over 150,000 miles,she is a 97 Explorer Eddie Bauer,I've had her for 8 years, she's been used, but not abused! She drives like a charm. My son came home today with the passenger side seat in the reclining position and it will not lock in place. (Don't know what he was doing), anyway I've read and re-read the many wonderful post and the lever doesn't appear to be broken, she locks in the reclining position(all the way back), but not straight up.................any solutions? I sprayed some W-D on the mechanism as it was very rusty. Doesn't appear to lock in the grooves! Helllllllllllllllllllllp!

 

[410Fortune]

your best bet is to take the plastic shroud off of the side of the seat and have a look

You may also have to remove the seat from the truck to fix this, not sure what the issue is because you said it locks all the way back, my guess is its missing a spring or the lever is just jammed.

If you remove the shroud and cant find anything wrong compare it to the drivers side, they should be identical as far as the recline lever goes

As you are aware typically the relcine lever breaks, a simple fix I have used is some back pack strap material, a needle/thread, and some bailing wire to replair those suckers, basically creating a pull stap instead of metal lever in about 10 minutes. It works perfect AND it doesnt get caught on your butt when you get in and out of the truck...

 

[cybergasm]

is it necessary to have 3 threads same day for the same problem?

 

[jezebel09]

Ooops! I was trying to find the right forum, I am realllllllllllllllllly new at this.

 

[jezebel09]

Thanks so much! I'll git er done someway somehow!

 

[jezebel09]

410 FORTUNE, when the seat is reclined all the way back the hand leveler works, when I move the seat to an upright position it flaps like a rag doll and the hand the leveler sticks.

Thanks for helping me....I am still wet behind the ears.

 

[wire]

This just happened to me today on my 1997 Explorer XLT. Tomorrow I'm going to a junkyard to see if I can get a replacement Seat Recliner lever thing.