[smshirk]

I should have investigated this long ago but didn't. Every once in a while the seat wouldn't move forward, but I could move it back a litttle, then it would go forward and I've neglected it. Now I am in a place where the seat won't go forward at all, and it's all the way back. I can barely reach the pedals with my stubby little legs. I can't get to the rear bolt to take the seat out. I removed the switch from the seat but there isn't enough slack to even turn it over and look at the bottom. My drivers seat has two 4 way switches, the passenger side has 2 two way switches.



Is there a way I could jumper posts in the fuse box or somewhere to push the seat forward? If I could get the seat out, I could even replace the entire seat if need be, as I have two extra pairs of seats just waiting to be installed. They aren't from the correct vintage, so that could be more of an issue than I think. Even so, how do the switches disconnnect from the wiring. I can't see anyway to take the switch loose from the side with the seat still in. so I am assuming you have to disconnected the harness underneath, which is not going to be easy stuck at the back most position. I can raise and lower, plus lean forward and back with the other 6 ways. Also is there a method to reverse all the wiring so that the back switch operates the front and vice versa. I don't really know that the switch is defective, I suppose it could be a motor, I was just assuming the same motor moves the seat forward and rear ward. That could be a bad assumption.



Any help is greatly appreciated. My car is pissed at me since a bunch of stuff has reared its' ugly head just since I posted in the classifieds to trade my cab for a coupe. I got several hits, and everyone was a black coupe......I didn't mention that my favorite 968 is a black coupe, it just happened to turn out that way. I'm not normally a superstitious person, but this is weird. I reluctantly had to put all of the interested parties off and cancel the post, as I have several things I need to fix. When I posted the ad, there was not one thing I knew was wrong with the car, Part of it is the cold. My car is not used to cold weather and it's moaning and groaning especially the steering, althou after it warms up the noise goes away. Thay's for another day since it's all I can do to move the car around the house sitting so far away from the clutch.

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[flash]

as i remember, there is a way to manually crank the seat forward - i think it is an allen socket in there somewhere

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[smshirk]

[quote name='flash' post='63832' date='Dec 5 2008, 10:31 AM']as i remember, there is a way to manually crank the seat forward - i think it is an allen socket in there somewhere[/quote]





Man that would be great. I never even considered the possibility. I have a book, I;ll start searching. Thanks Flash

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[rhudeboye]

There is so little room to get a wrench in there without moving the seat (Drivers side especially). My switches are finicky alos but I have the manual leaver in the front to fall back on. Actually, I didn't know they fitted seats that didn't have the manual leaver along with the powered switches. Every 944,951 and 68 Ive driven had both.



Wish I could be of more help.

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[smshirk]

[quote name='smshirk' post='63834' date='Dec 5 2008, 10:36 AM']Man that would be great. I never even considered the possibility. I have a book, I;ll start searching. Thanks Flash[/quote]





Factory manual has two seat sections, one for seat heater, and the other for calibrating the sat heaters. I must not have all the volumes, or I need to go back to 944 mauals. I my have some o those

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[flash]

o can't find it, but i swear i remember somebody saying there was a way to manually crank the drives - i think it was a long allen that was required

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[biotechee]

On the driver's side, there is a hole in the cover right below the very front of the seat. Beneath that cover, through the hole, there is a place for an allen wrench- can't remember the size. You can then use the allen wrench to manually move the seat. Do not, under any circumstance, use a drill with an allen bit. Don't ask me how I know. If your seat does not have the manual "actuator", then you can disconnect the actual flexible drive rods from the motor and attach them to drills, and you can then move the seat forwards or backwards. Problem with that is there is a drive rod for each side so you would have to move each a little, put the drill on the other side, move that side, then repeat.



I think the earlier seats do not have the manual allen drive thing, but I could be wrong.



Feel free to call me on my cell phone and I can help explain things- 215 589 0124.



I've had the driver's seat completely appart in both my 968's. Both were stuck due to various reasons and I was able to eventually get the seats out.

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[smshirk]

[quote name='smshirk' post='63836' date='Dec 5 2008, 10:50 AM']Factory manual has two seat sections, one for seat heater, and the other for calibrating the sat heaters. I must not have all the volumes, or I need to go back to 944 mauals. I my have some o those[/quote]





I found a lot more info in the 944 manuals, but still nothing on a manual operation either by bolt or lever. There has to be a way, since I'm sure these switches go bad. They don't appear to be a very relaible switch in the first place, and to hide the contacts seems like planned obsolesence. Has anyone ever bought a new Porsche in the box switch? I sure would like to see one. My PET app went away with my last failed hard drive and I couldn't find the CD to re install it. I would really like to know how they wire to the switch contacts. I should be able to pg clip them across the contacts at some point. My luck though, the only place will be under the seat. In the all the way back position there is no way I'm getting the seat out of the car

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[biotechee]

Smshirk-



Call me- I can help. See my post for my cell #.



Jim

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[PorscheDude]

Try pulling out the switch and cleaning the contacts.

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[biotechee]

Bad pics of seat switch and of the area below the very front of the bottom seat cushion showing the hole where the allen socket resides.



There is a black plastic cover that covers the visible motor. This black plastic cover has a hole in it which lines up with the hole in the metal bracket in the picture (in the middle). There is an allen socket (thing for an allen wrench) normally there. I stripped my gears because I tried to move a stuck seat with a drill and an allen bit, so my allen socket is currently not installed.

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[pipalli]

The switch goes bad because back emf from the motor causes a small spark across the contacts when the contacts are released.

All my switches were bad, and now work great just from cleaning the contacts. If you can pull the switch out enough to see

the wire solder, then you can try shorting acoss a couple and the motor should turn.

JP

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[968Syncro]

I had a similar situation with the drivers seat switch, the forward / back one. At first intermittent, then hard failure. I removed them, still dangling from the wires, and sprayed some Radio Shack contact cleaner in the switches, worked them a few times (battery disconnected), respray, more working them back and forth, and the switch came to life and has been fine since.



This may not be the problem with your seat, but trying to clean the contacts with this spray may take care of it.



Roland



PS: Now the window switch on the driver's side that works the passenger side has gone intermittent. Gotta try this approach again on that switch.

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[flash]

at least i wasn't losing my mind on this one, and there was an allen access on the drive

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[jaap]

[quote name='smshirk' post='63840' date='Dec 5 2008, 05:40 PM']I found a lot more info in the 944 manuals, but still nothing on a manual operation either by bolt or lever. There has to be a way, since I'm sure these switches go bad. They don't appear to be a very relaible switch in the first place, and to hide the contacts seems like planned obsolesence. Has anyone ever bought a new Porsche in the box switch? I sure would like to see one. My PET app went away with my last failed hard drive and I couldn't find the CD to re install it. I would really like to know how they wire to the switch contacts. I should be able to pg clip them across the contacts at some point. My luck though, the only place will be under the seat. In the all the way back position there is no way I'm getting the seat out of the car[/quote]



The use of an allen key (the one from the toolset that came with the car) in case of an emergency is actually described in the user manual in the section about seat operation (page 17 in my (dutch) manual.



Jaap

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[Cloud9...68]

Glad the guys on this forum are able to help you with your problem. But your post confirms my belief that power seats are one of the dumbest inventions ever put into a car. They add weight, go bad all the time, are a pain to get to and work on, and what's so hard about pulling on a little lever to move the seat forward and back, as on my passenger side? My drivers side seat is frozen in position, which is OK, since I'm the only one who ever drives it. I'm saving up for a set of (as manual as you can get) racing seats.

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[smshirk]

[quote name='Cloud9...68' post='63890' date='Dec 6 2008, 01:03 PM']Glad the guys on this forum are able to help you with your problem. But your post confirms my belief that power seats are one of the dumbest inventions ever put into a car. They add weight, go bad all the time, are a pain to get to and work on, and what's so hard about pulling on a little lever to move the seat forward and back, as on my passenger side? My drivers side seat is frozen in position, which is OK, since I'm the only one who ever drives it. I'm saving up for a set of (as manual as you can get) racing seats.[/quote]





Thanks everyone for all the replies.I had to go down to Savannah and just got back so I haven't messed with the seat again. I have a black plastic hood looking thing covering up the front from the seat bottom all the way to the carpet. I'm not sure how to get that off, but I will get it off tomorrow to get at that allen head. I can only pull the switch about an inch out of the side of the seat, and can't see the back of the switch, but from what my tired old eyes can see, it appears to be completely encased in plastic, with the wires just going through a molded opening in the ABS plastic or whatever it's made of. If it looks like these pictures, I just can't turn it far enough to see the back clearly. The seat is 8 way power with 2 four position rockers. 7 of the 8 work, only the forward doesn't go. I may be able to pry that hood up far enough to see the bolt. at least I know where it is. I really appreciate it.

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[PorscheDude]

Sounds like a dirty contact on the faulty rocker switch.

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[smshirk]

[quote name='Cloud9...68' post='63890' date='Dec 6 2008, 01:03 PM']Glad the guys on this forum are able to help you with your problem. But your post confirms my belief that power seats are one of the dumbest inventions ever put into a car. They add weight, go bad all the time, are a pain to get to and work on, and what's so hard about pulling on a little lever to move the seat forward and back, as on my passenger side? My drivers side seat is frozen in position, which is OK, since I'm the only one who ever drives it. I'm saving up for a set of (as manual as you can get) racing seats.[/quote]





Once I get this thing loose I am going to try and put my manual sport seats in. They may ride too high, but I'm 5 9 and my wife is shorter, so hopefully they will work. I've never liked the seats in the 968 much. I don't like the Boxster seats either and they look just like 996 seats which are great. The only difference I can see is the Boxster seats have lumbar support adjustment and the 996s don't. All three feel completely different though they are all made pretty much the same way. I have two really nice sets of seats in the basement, one comfort out of a TT and one set of manual Sport seats. It will be a shame if I can't make them work. If not I can always sell them and buy something else, but shipping seats is a hassle, almost not worth the effort.



The guy I bought the sport seats from had an unusual way of shipping. He took flat cardboard and just wrapped the seats completely all the way around horizontally and vertically on the bottoms, made a form and slid it down over the top back, fitted to the shape of the seat. Then he shrink wrapped the whole seat. There was not one scratch, dent, nothing, on either seat and he sent them UPS. He did that to save the cost of the box, even though I was paying the freight. When they came off the truck I figured they would be trashed, but it worked great. He is a great guy from Rennlist if I recall. I bought them really cheap because he was keeping the sliders, and I planned to take some off of my outgoing seats. Once he pulled them out he decided to leave the sliders on. I think I gave him 500 for a set of like new sport seats in leather. Sorry long story I know, but i really want the seats to work since I had the 968 in mind from the beginning. I've just now gotten to a place where I have time to do this sort of stuff, as I am officially retired as of Dec 1. So far it's all its cracked up to be, but it's only been a week. No more 75 mile a day commute is great all by itself. I've never not had a job, so Im not sure how that is going to work out.

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[smshirk]

Thanks again guys. I got the seat moved up, then moving, then out. My holes don't line up for the sport seats though, and the harness is different which I expected. I only need one circuit to move the back of the seat forward and back so that's no problem. I hate drilling holes in the floor though. I'll go to the hardware store tomorrow and see if I can find some good bolts, braces, and washers to do it right. I sure don't want the seat flying out in a frontal collision, so I will take it slow and ensure I have a quality install. These seats are installed a lot better than the older 911s I've changed out before. I'm thinking I need to use a bar on the underside of the car to run both bolts through to hold the seats in place. I certainly can't reproduce the factory mountings holes. have they are definitely sitting high and I'm not sure I will appreciate the position. I may be better off just getting some recaros that have the appropriate hardware. I can always put the sport seats in Boxster or 996. Some guy has one pole position for sale on Rennlist in Cashmere beige, but it's the passener seat. I wouldn't do just one anyway.



My wipers quit again . I thought I had that fixed by replacing the hazard switch, but that was either a coincidence, or something else happened to them. Letting a car sit is a very bad idea. I have two that have been sitting a lot in the past 2.5 years. I had a hear attack so I have an excuse, but I'm fine now, and I can't ignore it anymore,

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