Are you curious about moving your electric car seat by yourself? Then you are at the right place. You won’t have to take your car to a mechanic often if you know how to do it yourself.
Yes, you can move your electric car seat manually. But you will need a winder tool for it. Find the seat motor and clamp your winder tool to its shaft. Turn it right to move the seat backward, and vice versa. Another method is to detach the car seat, inspect its mechanisms and adjust the shaft as you want.
If you learn how to move your electric car seat manually, it can save you some money. Keep reading and know how to do it!
How To Move Electric Seat Manually?
Moving an electric seat is easy with the right tools, tips, and tricks. It can be done using two methods. Let’s have a look at them:
By Using A Winder Tool
It is an easy method. You have to connect the winder tool to the car seat’s motor. To make your seat move forward, turn it left. And to make it backward, turn it in the right direction. Winder tools are made standardly. When you buy an electric car, you will get this tool with it. This method can be used for most vehicles, regardless of brand or model.
By Taking The Seat Out
Another method to move your power car seat manually is to detach the whole chair. After that, you will have to check all inner mechanisms and power seat switch repair some if required. This method can take time. So ensure that you have time for this extensive procedure first.
Tools Required
You will need the following tools to carry out the second method of moving your car seat manually. Here, we have discussed these tools in detail:
Winder Tool for Power Seat
A Winder tool is a cable-like instrument with a handle and a screwdriver-like face on the other. You can use it to adjust your electric car’s power seat switch manually. Find a matching socket for its screwdriver-like end beneath the seat. Fit it in and rotate it to adjust the seat as you like.
Safety Goggles
Wearing safety goggles for any electric work is essential. Ensure to use them when inspecting your car’s circuit board or electric motors. It will keep your eyes protected from electric rays.
Screwdriver
To move your car seat manually, you will need to inspect the fuse, spark plugs, connector, etc. For this purpose, a screwdriver will help you a lot.
Gloves
Using gloves is mandatory before doing any electrical work. It can come in handy when you check the power facility for your electric car seat.
Step-by-Step Process
Remove the Seat
Use scissors or a knife to cut the rear part of your seat or detach it completely. Ensure you have arranged the safety gear first because you will be dealing with electrical components. Moreover, turn the engine off before you start. Or remove the batteries to avoid any accidents.
Cut the Seat Mesh
After removing the car seat, you will generally find a layer of spring mesh, also called seat mesh. Cut it with the bolt cutters. Be mindful of not cutting other parts. If you need to be more careful, you might have to change them too. After cutting the seat mesh, a long shaft will be visible to you. This shaft is the primary part responsible for altering the seat’s position.
Move the Shaft
After cutting the seat mesh, the shaft is exposed. What you need to do now is – turn the shaft as you prefer. It is to adjust the seat. If you want your seat forward, turn the shaft left. If you wish to do it backward, turn it right. It is a time-taking process. You may need to turn the pliers 15 times to get your desired position.
Test Drive
Put the car mesh on after adjusting the shaft as you prefer. Put the car seat back and take your car for a ride. It is to see if you have achieved your desired car seat position. If yes, you are good to go. If not, then repeat the process and make the adjustments again.
How To Troubleshoot A Power Seat In A Car?
Rather than moving your car’s stuck power seat manually, you can try fixing it. It is an easy process to conduct and quite reliable. You can use the following ways to improve the power seat in your car:
Visual Check
The first step is to do a thorough visual check. Scan your power seat to detect any malfunction. A power seat has functions like seat height and backrest mechanisms. See if these functions are working correctly or not.
You can identify the problem’s cause sometimes. For example, if all functions of your power seat are not working correctly, it means there is no power. And if only the horizontal adjustment function is not working, your car’s motor or circuit is out of order.
Check The Fuse Box
The next step involves the inspection of the fuse box or circuit breaker. To do this, you can use a multimeter or a test lamp. It is okay if you only want to do a visual inspection. You can do it. If you use a multimeter to test the fuse, follow these steps to get optimum results.
- Set the multimeter to Ohm (Ω).
- Attach the test probes. It will reveal the breaker pins.
- Check the reading. If it reads as “0” or “0 L, ” your circuit breaker is fine.
- If you hear a clicking sound right after putting the breaker back, Or if it becomes too hot, there is an electrical problem.
- In the test lamp method, you need to connect the ground to the exposed breaker pins. If there is a fault, you will know it. Mark it before you move your seat.
- Read the owner’s manual to place the fuse.
- You will need to inspect it occasionally to see if it is damaged.
Check The Main Seat Connector
You need to check your main seat connector as it can detach or become loose sometimes. It mostly happens when the rear passenger hits it with their foot unintentionally. Another reason behind it can be a bottle of water that might have rolled down the seat. Here is how you can do it.
- If your electric car has four doors, examining the main seat connector will be easier. You need to open the rear door, kneel and check it thoroughly to see if it is attached or loosened up. Make sure you are in an accessible position to locate the connector quickly.
- Next, you need to see whether your car is receiving power. To check this, use the test lamp method. Connect the ground pin (usually brown or black) to the connector’s power pins (with red and orange wires).
Note: If the test lamp lights up immediately after connecting it with the connector, your seat is working fine. If it doesn’t, refer to an electrician to diagnose the main problem.
Check Circuit Relay
Next, you will need to check the circuit relay of your power seat. In simple words, check the power seat motors. A power seat has two motors responsible for horizontal and tilt adjustments. To check them, detach your car seat and tilt it to the side. These motors will be connected with ground and power pins. You must disconnect only the wire mesh leading up to the engines.
And then, attach the test lamp and the ground wire to the battery. Now turn on the motor switch. It will give you an idea if the power is flowing or not. You will need to replace your motor if the latter is your situation. A faulty power seat switch can also be the reason, though.
Test The Control Switch
Control switch inspection is a relatively simple process. Check if the connector plug is loose. Or see if your connector pins have corroded. You only worry about whether the connector plugs in or not. You can also buy a new switchboard if something else is needed.
Check Out Power Seat Not Moving? How to Diagnose Power Seat Motors, Switches, and Wires!:
How Do You Manually Move A Power Seat?
As mentioned earlier, you can quickly move a power seat manually with the help of a winder tool. Or another method involves taking out the seat and adjusting it as desired.
Now the question arises – Is the power seat moving method the same for all models? Yes, the process is the same for most car models.
Let’s look at how manual adjustments can be made in the power seats of different cars!
Chevy
In Chevy cars, adjustment of the power seat is straightforward. You need to slide the control shaft forward or backward. Move your control up or down if you want to raise your seat cushion. And For the seat, move the rear control up and down.
Honda
It would help if you pushed the lever up and down in your Honda car to make height adjustments. For horizontal position adjustment, there is a bar below the power seat. Pull the bar on and hold it until you have moved your seat to your desired position. Pull the lever (placed by the car seat) for seat-back angle adjustments and change the angle.
Volvo
To manually move the power seats of Volvo cars, you need to adjust the seat with the help of control. Shift the control up/down to raise or lower the seat cushion. The same goes for lumbar support adjustments. Move the power car seat backward or forward to position your backrest tilt mechanism.
Cadillac
There is no use of a lever or switch to move the power seat manually in a Cadillac car. All you need to do is put pressure on your seat in a downward direction and change its position (forward or backward). You can obliterate your car seat in this way.
Lincoln
Unlike Cadillac cars, Lincoln car manufacturers have placed a switch beside the power seats. This switch is used to alter the seat cushion height and the power seat’s front and rear. All you have to do is press it down.
Nissan
Nissan cars have power-adjustable seats. You can move it manually very quickly. Find the switch. It would help if you slid it in the direction you want your power seat to adjust. For reclination, consider moving the switch in the backward direction.
Ford
To change the position of the power seats in Ford, you must follow the same steps mentioned above. Remove the entire seat, slice the spring mesh, and tilt your shaft until you get your desired position. Moreover, a winder tool can also help in Ford’s case.
Toyota
In Toyota cars, make use of two levers that are placed beside and under your car seat. Use the lever to raise or lower your car seat. To move it forward or backward, press and hold the bar beneath your seat and alter the seat’s position as you like. Then release the bar.
Hyundai
Hyundai cars also have a control function for their power seat adjustments. You can quickly move your car seat to the front and back and the seat cushion. You can refer to the control function of the switch used in Nissan and Lincoln.
BMW
BMW has a switch system. Change your car seat’s height by pushing or pulling the switch. You can also use this horizontal switch to angle your seat, unlike Toyota, having levers installed for changing the seat’s position.
Mercedes-Benz
As with all other car models, Mercedes-Benz power seat adjustments have the same process. Use a winder tool or another method. The other method has 4 different steps. We have described this process above in detail.
FAQs
How much does it cost to fix a driver’s seat?
It depends on what repair you are paying for. If you take your car to a mechanic shop, he will charge approximately $100 per hour. Generally, you will have to pay between $70 and $350 for labor and parts.
How can you diagnose a power seat problem?
To diagnose a power seat problem, you must first check the seat’s main functions. Next, use the multimeter or test lamp method to check the fuse box and main seat connector. Sometimes, the issue may be in the power seat motors. For this, thoroughly inspect electric motors (circuit relays) with a test lamp.
How much does it cost to fix a power seat switch?
Fixing a power seat switch can take between $352 and $365. This cost will cover mostly labor and parts. In case of total replacement, you will have to pay $300 for parts and about $51 to $64 for labor costs. Moreover, your car model also matters.
Why is Installing a car seat hard?
Installing a car seat is hard because you must deal with many inspections. To fix a broken power seat switch, you must fully remove it first, fix it, and then put it back. It is a tiresome process. You will have to check your car track mechanisms.
Final Considerations
Moving your electric car seat is quite beneficial for you. It will save you from mechanic visits. You might keep some extra maintenance expenses too. Although it is convenient for you to fix your seat manually, it is a temporary fix. If you find any fault in your car seat’s mechanisms, you must consult with a professional sooner or later. So if it comes to that, don’t hesitate to take your precious car to a workshop.
