If you want to be a careful driver on the road, you’ll need to get into the habit of adjusting your seat to ensure you are comfortable in your spot and don’t require too much effort to reach your pedals and see properly from your window.
If you feel like your electric seat is failing you, you’ll need to undertake some maintenance after you diagnose the problem. There are a range of problems that can occur, and in this article, we’ll be taking a close look at some of these issues while also providing you with helpful tips and tricks to get your car seat in working order.
What Can Cause Electric Car Seats To Stop Working?
Electric car seats can be a blessing; they also have other moving parts that can lead to them becoming stuck. If you’re facing issues with your power seat, there might be several reasons for the underlying problem; for example, one of the most common problems with these seats is that your seat might have a broken electric seat switch.
A faulty switch might prevent you from moving your seat either entirely or limit the mobility of your seat as well. A lesser-known issue is that the electric seat might have some dust, grime, or debris stuck in its mechanism, which requires an experienced professional to clean and restore your seat to its fully functioning capacity.
However, there are certain situations and problems that you can resolve from your very own garage with a limited set of tools, so you might want to try your hand at a DIY fix for your electric car seat before you seek professional help.
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What Should You Do First?
Before you go and do something drastic like disassembling your cat seat, you should try some of these workarounds, which can save you a lot of time, effort, and money if they are done successfully.
Let’s take a look at some simple tips and tricks that you can use to remove any kinks in your electric car seats.
Apply Downwards Force While Moving The Seat
Be sure to check that there is no physical item restricting the movement of your seat and that its motors are still functioning before you attempt to try this tip.
Use a decent amount of pressure while pushing the seat downwards and moving your seat towards the back or the front or even if you want to move it side to side.
Another option that you can explore is pressing the seat’s switch down while you physically move the seat in your desired direction.
Check Your Seat Bolts
Your car seat is bolted to the body with a set of nuts and bolts on the rails of the system, so be sure to check to see if the internal mechanism is working properly.
A common problem arises when the power seat gets stuck, and there is an accumulation of tension between the bolts and the seat they connect.
Your problem might be resolved if you loosen the seat bolts and provide your seat with some wiggle room, so it can move smoothly again.
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Power Seat Switch Replacement
If your electric car seat’s power switch isn’t working properly, you might need to replace it. When replacing a switch, make sure you have the proper protective gear available, including safety goggles and gloves along with the right tools such as screwdrivers to change the switch.
- To replace the switch, start by disconnecting the power seat from its power supply which involves removing the negative battery cable.
- Take the trim panel off the seat by using the screwdriver to remove the screws. Release the remaining clips by pulling the trim panel away from the seat cushion.
- Use the screwdriver to remove the switch panel’s screws and the panel itself.
- Take out the electrical connector of the switch by pushing the tab down and pulling it off.
- With the old switch removes, simply repeat the above steps backward to get the new switch on and get your car seat back to functioning properly.
Check The Contact Mechanisms
If your seat is not connected properly with the right wires and other transmission points, you might have issues with moving your seat with the switch. The contact points can get dirty and even damaged if they aren’t set up properly or loose.
This can lead to a failure in the effective functioning of the transmission system for the power seat’s switch.
Get your system up and running again by cleaning any connection points and checking if they are connected securely to the right points to get your seat moving in no time.
Also read: How many solar panels does it take to charge an electric car?
Align Your Transmission System
The transmission system is located underneath your seat, and it typically consists of three wires that are responsible for providing power to the internal mechanism that moves your seat.
You need to have all the wires connected to ensure your seat works properly when you press the button to adjust your seat.
A common problem arises when one of the wires isn’t connected to the transmission, which can be resolved by fixing it back in place.
When you realign your system by pushing the wire back into place, you’ll hear a clicking sound that acts as an indicator that the system is aligned properly.
Another issue arises if the wires are entangled as it can lead them to become damaged or frayed due to repeated contact between the wires and the seat or rail.
In such a situation, you’ll need to get the wires replaced before you can get your car seat working again.
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How To Fix An Electric Car Seat Manually
While I’m sure you’d prefer any of the above-mentioned hacks worked for you and your electric car seat, if that isn’t the case, you’re going to need to manually fix your seat
Here’s what you’ll need
- Safety equipment (gloves, safety glasses, etc.)
- Winder
- Screwdriver
- Power/ hand drill or pliers
- Pair of scissors or a knife
- Bolt cutter
The Winder Tool Method
The first method involves using a winder which is a tool that it’s typically included when you purchase a car.
Even if it doesn’t come with your car, the tool has standard dimensions, which means you can easily use the winder from any other vehicle or purchase one from the store, and it’s bound to work in a range of vehicle models and brands.
With the winder, you can use the port on your electric seat that will connect it with the motor of the seat. The electric motor can be found on either the left or the right side of the seat towards the back.
All you need to do is grab the winder and turn it left to move your seat forward or right to move your say it backward. Once you think your seat is in the right place, you can remove the winder from the port.
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The Seat Removal Method
This method is slightly more complicated than the Winder tool method as it requires you to take the entire seat out and fiddle with the nuts and bolts of the car seat.
We have tried to break the process down into steps, so it is easy for you to follow and implement.
Car Seat Removal
As you’ll be disassembling parts of your car, you need to ensure you perform the following steps in a safe and secure location, such as your garage or driveway.
You also need to make sure that your workstation is clear, so you don’t lose any equipment and don’t face any issues during reassembly.
However, you might face an issue with your seat while you’re on the road. In such situations, you might have to ride get out for a while before you can get home and remedy the situation.
Even if you have all the tools available in your car crank, we don’t recommend attempting a seat removal on the road.
The first step in this method is to remove the seat. You can remove the electric seat by separating the car seat from the body or simply open the back of the seat with a screwdriver, pair of scissors, or even a sharp knife depending on what tools you have at your disposal.
As your seat is electric, you need to ensure you turn off the car’s engine and even remove or detach the car batteries to prevent any accidents from occurring. Additionally, don’t forget to wear safety goggles, gloves, and other safety gear to protect yourself from any possible bodily harm.
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Mesh Removal
After you remove the seat, you need to remove the mesh that separates you from the car seat’s internal mechanism. The mesh is relatively easy to cut with pliers or even bold cutters.
Once you have the mesh out of the way, you’ll be able to see the shafts of the seat that are used to adjust the position of the seat, and it is highly likely to be the source of the problems of your car seat.
Another thing you should be conscious about is that you should never cut any other part of the suit apart from the wire mesh as you can damage your car seat’s internal mechanism.
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Shaft Adjustment
Once the shaft is visible, you can easily adjust them to achieve the desired angle for your seat. Start by taking your pliers and moving the long shaft to the left to move your seat forward and to the right to move it towards the back.
Keep making adjustments until you think the seat is in its right position, and be prepared to spend some time tinkering with the pliers as it can take up to 15 turns of the pliers for the shaft to reach the right position, so it can adjust your seat properly. Won’t show satisfied with the results, you can place the seat in its proper place.
Test And Adjust
After placing the seat in its proper position, you can replace the mesh on the car seat and return it and its original position in your car.
Don’t forget to test your seat before you start any journey and make any adjustments as required by following the three steps outlined above. Repeat until you are satisfied with the placement and angle of your car seat.
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Disclaimer: The manual seat adjustment done at home is only a temporary fix for your electric car seat repair, as you will need to get your car seen by a professional so they can assess the source of the problem and resolve it promptly. Additionally, if the above steps don’t work for you and you’re still unable to adjust your electric cars seat, you will need to take your car to a mechanic or an automobile professional, so they can further assess the problem and have you on the road in no time.
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My name is Matthew, staying in Seattle, Washington. Electric Vehicles (Electric Cars & Electric bikes) caught my attention for the last few years and my love for electric cars and bikes is everlasting. I spend many of my weekends traveling to various places all over various cities with my electric vehicle (e-bike and electric car). Here I am sharing my expertise, experience, and invaluable information about electric cars and electric bikes. Check out more.