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Driver seat will not recline
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jchau4265



Joined: 27 Jan 2004
Posts: 105
Location: Southern California

PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 1:52 am    Post subject: Driver seat will not recline Reply with quote

Hi folks

My 94 325 has been in storage for awhile and just this evening, took it out for a spin. I guess I must had put on quite a few pounds over the Christmas holidays and needed to adjust my seat. My power seats will not recline anymore. I can hear the motor spin but it will not move forward or recline backwards for the seat back. The seat does move front and back.

Any thoughts on the possible problem for this particular failure to recline?

Many thanks in advance
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walshja



Joined: 03 Apr 2001
Posts: 1139
Location: guilford, ct, usa

PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

my passenger seat has the same problem, and I believe it is a common failure.

Took mine to the dealer to have fixed, because I couldn't figure out how to take the seat apart, and the dealer told me what was wrong, and that they can no longer get the part to fix it, so mine is still broke.

I'll try and find the paperwork telling me what the part is which needs fixing.

There was also some thread on this site regarding this problem, search on my name, so seat back to try and find.

I'll report back later
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joe

1994 325iC, 195k miles
http://home.comcast.net/~walshja/index.html <--- check it out

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walshja



Joined: 03 Apr 2001
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Location: guilford, ct, usa

PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

here is the solution

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=351035
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joe

1994 325iC, 195k miles
http://home.comcast.net/~walshja/index.html <--- check it out

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jchau4265



Joined: 27 Jan 2004
Posts: 105
Location: Southern California

PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Joe

Many thanks for the link.

Another item for me to work on or investigate for this weekend.

Hopefully this will not be a big DYI

Thanks again
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walshja



Joined: 03 Apr 2001
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Location: guilford, ct, usa

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

it looks like the problem is the cable breaks from the connecting loop.

this happen on my wifes 528iT door handle. I took everyting apart and welded the cable back together. still holding. so even though we can't get a new part, we should be able to fix the old.

good luck, and let me know how difficult it is getting the seat apart, I need to fix mine. we have the same year car, so we should have the same seat setup.
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1994 325iC, 195k miles
http://home.comcast.net/~walshja/index.html <--- check it out

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jchau4265



Joined: 27 Jan 2004
Posts: 105
Location: Southern California

PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

walshja wrote:
it looks like the problem is the cable breaks from the connecting loop.

this happen on my wifes 528iT door handle. I took everyting apart and welded the cable back together. still holding. so even though we can't get a new part, we should be able to fix the old.

good luck, and let me know how difficult it is getting the seat apart, I need to fix mine. we have the same year car, so we should have the same seat setup.


Will do.

I'll find time in the next few weeks to work on it and let you know the outcome.

Thanks for your help
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Whitdog



Joined: 15 Nov 2006
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Location: Evansville, IN

PostPosted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The problem is most likely the nyon gear in the gearbox. I just change one last weekend. BavAuto has the gear for $39 bucks. You will need to remove the seat (ten minutes with a 16mm socket) and turn it upside down on a work bench. I used the tailgate of my truck. The gear box with two motors on it is the one for the tilt....it is near the back of the seat bottom. Remove both motors with a t25 Torx head. You will need a swivel to get to the back bolt on one of the motors. I used 1/4 drives since it is a tight fit.
After removing the motors, leave the wiring attached and move them out of the way. Use a t23 Torx to remove six or seven bolts on the gear box cover. Pop the cover off and you will see the gear. There is a pink one and a white one. See which is broke. Use a screwdriver to pop the gear out. It is on a corkscrew type gear and is held on by a spring clip. Remove clip, take old gear off and slide new gear on. It only fits on one way. Put clip on and grease and put back into slot. It only fits in one way.
When you remove the gear, the seat will lay out flat. This is okay...the gear will fit back in even with the seat laid out flat.

Reassemble the way you took apart. I did the job in less than and hour.....but I had done one before. Plan on two hours if a first timer. The dealer sells the whole gearbox for $110. It appears to be a pain to replace since the seat frame will have to be taken apart. This job is not hard so do not let it scare you.

Tools needed:
Torx sockets
extensions
swivel
screwdriver
grease
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jchau4265



Joined: 27 Jan 2004
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Location: Southern California

PostPosted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow

Thanks for the headsup

I have been buried and not found time to tear the seat apart.

What you describe sounds familiar. I hear the motor spin but the seat back does not recline. So, a failed gear can be a possibility.

I will try to look into it this weekend

Thanks again
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Whitdog



Joined: 15 Nov 2006
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 1:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bet that is the problem....better yet, I know that is the problem. I have done both driver and passenger seats in my 94 325is. This job is not hard. Order the gear first since you can hear the motor spinning. That way when you take it apart, you can have it back together and in the car in less than an hour. Somewhere on this website is a picture tutorial of how to do it. That is what I used the first time and made it a snap.

Taking the seat out of the car is easy. Four bolts and unplugging the electric harness.
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jchau4265



Joined: 27 Jan 2004
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Location: Southern California

PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whitdog wrote:
I bet that is the problem....better yet, I know that is the problem. I have done both driver and passenger seats in my 94 325is. This job is not hard. Order the gear first since you can hear the motor spinning. That way when you take it apart, you can have it back together and in the car in less than an hour. Somewhere on this website is a picture tutorial of how to do it. That is what I used the first time and made it a snap.

Taking the seat out of the car is easy. Four bolts and unplugging the electric harness.


Great input.

Do you have the link where this picture tutorial is? A picture is worth a thousand words and that will be helpful.

Also, I read somewhere that I will need to unplug my battery before unplugging the seat. It will trigger the SRS warning. Was this the case with your situtation?

Thanks a million
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Whitdog



Joined: 15 Nov 2006
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I looked for the pictorial and could not find it. I may have googled "how to change bmw seat gear" and got a hit. I am not sure. I did not disconnect the battery. I just unplugged the harness after removing the bolts. The Bentley Manual says to disconnect the battery before removing seat.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Whitdog
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jchau4265



Joined: 27 Jan 2004
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Location: Southern California

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whitdog wrote:
I looked for the pictorial and could not find it. I may have googled "how to change bmw seat gear" and got a hit. I am not sure. I did not disconnect the battery. I just unplugged the harness after removing the bolts. The Bentley Manual says to disconnect the battery before removing seat.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Whitdog


Thanks.

I googled the same phrase and there were the hits that gave the instruction. One of the website adviced to take the gearbox apart before buying the gear as there are different flavors (colors) of gears.

Hopefully my problem is gear related and the instructions will help

I have my work cut out . Thanks again
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Whitdog



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PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are two different colored gears. A white one and a pink on. Both appear to be the same gear and I am not sure why they are different colors. BavAuto sent me a white one both times and it worked. The gear is not very big. About the the diameter of a dime (maybe smaller) and about 3/8 inch long.....and has corkscrew type gears. (visualize a C-clamp thread)

Again...do not let it scare you. It is not that hard. Take you time and only take out the gear that is broken. Getting the seat out and taking the two motors off the gearbox will take twenty minutes. Removing the gearbox cover and replacing the gear...another fifteen. Putting back together and getting seat in (with a smile on face) another twenty. Taking the seat out of the car may be the hardest part...seriously.

Whitdog
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yuanyelss.spam



Joined: 23 Feb 2011
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just change one last weekend. BavAuto has the gear for $39 bucks. You will need to remove the seat (ten minutes with a 16mm socket) and turn it upside down on a work bench...
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walshja



Joined: 03 Apr 2001
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Location: guilford, ct, usa

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just took my seat apart, and it was the gear, will order tomorrow.

My seat back cable was also broken, so I cut back the cable sheath about an inch, attached a new electrical ring connector, clamped it down good, added some solder, and she is fixed.

the process Whitdog described is spot on for fixing the gear, and should only take 30 minutes tops to fix.
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1994 325iC, 195k miles
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