Manual passenger seat stuck

[Zedebee]

I have a set of manual M-sports in the car and a set of electric regular seats on the bench. Had a brief look, and I can see why you can’t get them out if they are fully back. I’ll have a more detailed poke around later to see what might be sticking. The bases on both seat types are the same.

[skmattwell]

Always here to 'bolster' your morale if needed.

I have a set of manual M-sports in the car and a set of electric regular seats on the bench. Had a brief look, and I can see why you can’t get them out if they are fully back. I’ll have a more detailed poke around later to see what might be sticking. The bases on both seat types are the same.

Cheers mate, much appreciated!

[skmattwell]

Zedebee,bigwinn,
A little update, tried extending a jack behind the seat and the left hand side of the seat seems to move under pressure. The side nearest the centre console is stuck fast and won't even move under pressure from a 1.5 ton scissor jack. It's a real pain as there's practically no access that side.

Removing the four nuts connecting the seat to the rail underneath was fruitless, as the seat needs to be slid sideways off the bolts, which I can't do as the rail is holding the seat outward.

Do you know what nuts and bolts I need to undo to separate the seat from the rail? I'd love to get a bloody chainsaw to it but obviously don't want to damage the car

[bigwinn]

Can you get any leverage under the front of the seat rails

I’m thinking get it moved back/upward and try to get an angle grinder in to cut the bolts

Then retap the holes to resecure

[skmattwell]

Can you get any leverage under the front of the seat rails

I’m thinking get it moved back/upward and try to get an angle grinder in to cut the bolts

Then retap the holes to resecure

Good idea, I can get a bit of leverage. Not sure how to retap but to get the seat out would be a good start

[Zedebee]

Careful with that, you don’t want to bend the floor up.
Sorry, haven’t had the chance to look at the seats yet, they are buried under a garage reorg at the moment. I haven’t forgotten.

[skmattwell]

Careful with that, you don’t want to bend the floor up.
Sorry, haven’t had the chance to look at the seats yet, they are buried under a garage reorg at the moment. I haven’t forgotten.

No worries, I've had a look at a few diagrams so have an idea of what's under there. I've accepted that they are doing to need to be cut out. Having a look at the diagram I'm thinking what I might do first....

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I have undone the bolts on the far side of the seat circled in green, so if I were to cut the corresponding joints on the opposite side circled in red I could remove the seat? The rail would remain, but it would be so much easier to work with.

[Zedebee]

Hello mate, I’ve had a really good look at the seats on the bench and in the car. There is very little to obstruct the slider at the rear of the rail closest to the centre console. Assuming you can see right through to the locking mechanism from the front of the rail, it must be the locking mechanism itself that is jammed. Have you tried really manipulating (overtwisting) the locking bar?
So you have got the four nuts off from inside the rails (two per rail, see pic 1), but you need some space to wriggle the “legs” off the bolts. You need about a centimetre and a half. If you can lift the front of the rails enough to get them off the floor bolts, either both or one at a time, and then push the rails outwards (the carpets are pretty deep and you have a little space laterally, see pic 2), you should be able to wriggle the seats off the rail bolts maybe with the help of a big screwdriver to apply some leverage behind the leg where it goes over the bolt. Once you’ve done one side, the other side should be easy. If you can do this, you will be able to tip the seat back which will give you much better access to the locking bar. You may then be able to lever one of the rear legs off its bolt and Bob’s your uncle, you’re off the rails. . . . and you haven’t destroyed anything.

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[skmattwell]

Hello mate, I’ve had a really good look at the seats on the bench and in the car. There is very little to obstruct the slider at the rear of the rail closest to the centre console. Assuming you can see right through to the locking mechanism from the front of the rail, it must be the locking mechanism itself that is jammed. Have you tried really manipulating (overtwisting) the locking bar?
So you have got the four nuts off from inside the rails (two per rail, see pic 1), but you need some space to wriggle the “legs” off the bolts. You need about a centimetre and a half. If you can lift the front of the rails enough to get them off the floor bolts, either both or one at a time, and then push the rails outwards (the carpets are pretty deep and you have a little space laterally, see pic 2), you should be able to wriggle the seats off the rail bolts maybe with the help of a big screwdriver to apply some leverage behind the leg where it goes over the bolt. Once you’ve done one side, the other side should be easy. If you can do this, you will be able to tip the seat back which will give you much better access to the locking bar. You may then be able to lever one of the rear legs off its bolt and Bob’s your uncle, you’re off the rails. . . . and you haven’t destroyed anything.
A83DB146-B2A0-43E2-957F-2EECDE40ABC3.jpeg
0E4A1CE9-508E-47AE-A7B7-8EF6A80B8FDC.jpeg

Cheers mate, really appreciate the advise. The bit I'm stuck on is getting the four bolts off the inside rail, as I can only access the front two. Ive tried overtwisting as you suggest, but the lever prevents me from going any further than it normally would. With that in mind, should I break the link between the lever and the locking bar so that i can twist it further?

[Zedebee]

I’m surprised you can’t reach the back two bolts on manual seats, there looks like a lot of space (see pic) and they are not heavily torqued.

It shouldn’t matter in any case, if you can get the front ones off their bolts and tip the seat back, you will be able to get to the rears easy.

I don’t want you to break anything if you can help it, as the seat don’t have any readily replaceable parts.

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[skmattwell]

I’m surprised you can’t reach the back two bolts on manual seats, there looks like a lot of space (see pic) and they are not heavily torqued.

It shouldn’t matter in any case, if you can get the front ones off their bolts and tip the seat back, you will be able to get to the rears easy.

I don’t want you to break anything if you can help it, as the seat don’t have any readily replaceable parts.

C5D8D9D4-704E-42B8-9254-3277F7133765.jpeg

Ah you mean those ones. Yes all four of those are out. Will have a go pushing the rails outwards but haven't had much luck with that so far, as there doesn't seem to be enough movement to release the legs from the bolts. If it helps this seat is going in the skip afterwards, so I'm not worried about damaging it at all

[skmattwell]

A bit of progress! The front two legs are now off the bolts, the only thing in the way at the moment is the first aid box, any idea how that detaches or shall I start hitting it with a hammer

[MikeyH]

Don't break the first aid box, members pay good money for those on here

[skmattwell]

Don't break the first aid box, members pay good money for those on here

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Please don't tell me how much

[Zedebee]

It just pulls off forwards! It’s only a friction fit.