Power seat question

[81cutlass]

Got the interior taken out of an 85 salon and it had the 6 way power drivers seat. It goes up and down fine but it wont go back or forth. When you push the lever back I hear a click and when you go forward you can hear the motor spinning but nothing moves. The seat is all the way back.

Is there a part thats broke that should be replaced before the seat goes in the car or is it just off the track and needs a good push.

 

[joe_padavano]

Got the interior taken out of an 85 salon and it had the 6 way power drivers seat. It goes up and down fine but it wont go back or forth. When you push the lever back I hear a click and when you go forward you can hear the motor spinning but nothing moves. The seat is all the way back.

Is there a part thats broke that should be replaced before the seat goes in the car or is it just off the track and needs a good push.

Is this a single motor or three motor seat? GM started to cheap out in the mid-1980s and eliminated the relay in the power seat circuitry. Instead they ran full motor current through the tiny contacts in the switch, causing the switch to burn out when the tracks get caked with crud and start to drag. I've had this problem many times with the power seats in my 86 B-body. Unfortunately, new switches are not available (at least mine aren't) so I've gotten good at opening the switch body and filing the contacts.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Without actually seeing it, my guess is that the nylon seat transmission is toast. These things dry out and disintegrate over time, leaving you with a good motor and a bad everything else. The track was changed to a three motor unit in 1987, and I tend to think it is a more robust design. If you happen to find one, you will need the track, seat harness, and switch from a 3 motor track. I used a track from an 87 on the driver's side of mine, and the track and harness from a Cutlass Ciera's driver's side on my passenger's side, but I had to reverse the polarity of the connectors at the motors to get it to work right on the opposite side of the car.

 

[81cutlass]

Great. I already have a split bench so I will probably just use the manual tracks. I know that there is 3 things that look like motors but it probably isnt a 3 motor. Are the nylon transmissions available at all?

 

[86Cutlass383SR]

and the track and harness from a Cutlass Ciera's driver's side on my passenger's side, but I had to reverse the polarity of the connectors at the motors to get it to work right on the opposite side of the car.

Did you happen to do a write up with lots and lots of pics on this by chance...?

 

[Bonnewagon]

Check and see if the cables/driveshafts popped out. They are held in by flimsy plastic clamps and are known to do that. I gave up on the early type and right now I'm useing a 6 way base from a 95' LeSabre. Light years ahead in durability.

 

[81cutlass]

Did a little investigating. All the up and down functions work great. The seat motor can only move it back. I took the track sliders out and popped out the track drives. Everything turns going back but when you go forward the motor turns the oppoite way but nothing engages. You can see the motor spinning but the transmission doesnt engage. This only happens with the switch going in the forward position. Right before the motor starts spinning with all other functions I hear a silinoid clicking but I dont hear it when you go forward with the seat.

So its probably in the switch not telling the silinoid in the gear box to engage. I am thinking it is in the switch or the wiring.

If anyone has a wiring diagram for an 85 power seat it would be awesome if you could get it for me.

Thanks!