The great Rear Seat problem - A solution!
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 7:21 pm
Dear all,
Like many of you on here I have long suffered the problem of the left rear seat refusing to fold and found no online solution to this. I have tried much fiddling and the use of screwdrivers to poke the mechanism to temporarily fold the seat.
Finally out of patience with it I have spent a long time today ,after removing the rear plastic cover, observing every action of the mechanism and while nothing was broken or out of place the cams on the left seat mechanism stubbornly refused to drop into place when the mechanism was actuated. I tried cleaning the whole mechanism with brake cleaner - nothing!, lubricating it all with a silicone spray - nothing!, removed and readjusted the springs - nothing!
Thinking further I wondered whether the mechanism was simply out of line and the cams were rubbing on the seat to floor bracket.
Carefully unloosening the left bolt and then trying the seat fold lever saw the mechanism work correctly
and the seat to fold every time!
Trying further variations of loosening and tightening the bolts showed that if I put a thin washer between the bracket and the car floor (only on the left bolt) and then tightened down the bolt (see photo) my rear seats both lock and fold correctly.
Don't know if this is a permanent fix or whether it will work for everyone but a very simple fix to at least try.
Hope it helps.
John
Like many of you on here I have long suffered the problem of the left rear seat refusing to fold and found no online solution to this. I have tried much fiddling and the use of screwdrivers to poke the mechanism to temporarily fold the seat.
Finally out of patience with it I have spent a long time today ,after removing the rear plastic cover, observing every action of the mechanism and while nothing was broken or out of place the cams on the left seat mechanism stubbornly refused to drop into place when the mechanism was actuated. I tried cleaning the whole mechanism with brake cleaner - nothing!, lubricating it all with a silicone spray - nothing!, removed and readjusted the springs - nothing!
Thinking further I wondered whether the mechanism was simply out of line and the cams were rubbing on the seat to floor bracket.
Carefully unloosening the left bolt and then trying the seat fold lever saw the mechanism work correctly
and the seat to fold every time!Trying further variations of loosening and tightening the bolts showed that if I put a thin washer between the bracket and the car floor (only on the left bolt) and then tightened down the bolt (see photo) my rear seats both lock and fold correctly.
Don't know if this is a permanent fix or whether it will work for everyone but a very simple fix to at least try.
Hope it helps.
John