Power seat died
 

My power seat died this weekend. I did some forum searches but most people had the seat motor replaced under warranty (not an option for me). Had anyone actually fixed one themselves? How difficult is it? I plan on pulling the seat next weekend to take a look at it.

Last I checked Ford does not sell the parts form the rack repair. If all the functions are out, it could be the power supply, otherwise, one of the motors that controls the function you lost. Might check some salvage yards for used racks.

The complete rack assembly is available from Ford but it's not cheap. All power functions on the seat are dead except the lumbar control. I don't know if the lumbar is on the same fuse (haven't had time to check yet) but if it isn't, I'll check it before pulling the seat. I guess I'll also start checking salvage yards for a replacement.

Not sure of the power source but think it would be the same. The lumbar is separate from the rack. the rack may have come unplugged.....or the switch panel.

I believe I saw that the power base is the same on all from 2005 on up, so I'm sure you can pick up a used one fairly easily.

I have the exact same problem. My dealer quoted me $750 for the repair - $420 of which is the part. I've wondered the same things about difficulty, as that's a ton of money I wish I could be putting towards an MGW instead.

As far as the parts being interchangeable, the 2011 part is called "Front Seat Track Assembly" and the part # ends in 61711 (why Ford can't just give us full part numbers is beyond me). Price from my dealer is $413.85. It's not available from RockAuto or any other parts place that I've found.

Good news is that Ltngdrvr appears to be right about the interchangeability from '05 and up. I may have to call my local salvage yards and start scouring Ebay for one a lot cheaper than that.

Here's the instructions too: http://iihs.net/fsm/?dir=1069 Looks pretty straight-forward as long as you don't accidentally deploy the side airbags.

Mine died on my 08 and it was still under warranty at the time. The dealer said that Ford knew there was a problem with a wire getting cut by the seat moving back and forth. They pulled the seat, rewired it and moved the wire out of the way. Thats what they said anyway. I never had another problem with it after that fix.

I haven't moved my seat in over a year. I'm guessing it still works. It did the last time I moved it. LOL! Good luck getting it repaired.

LOL. I don't move mine either but when I took the car to the dyno event, the guy moved the seat back. It hasn't moved forward since.

Mine went bad around a year ago, under warranty. The only thing bad was, it wouldn't go up. Wife has to raise it up to see :). Everything else worked but the dealer replaced the whole rack assy.

I think you have a bad connection somewhere. I think it has 2 or 3 motors on the rack.

TomServo92, I wish mine was as simple as just a bad connection but last time my car was at the dealer, I paid them to diagnose and they confirmed the need to replace the whole thing. My symptoms are identical to yours.

Problem with buying at the local salvage yard is that you don't know if the rack you're getting there is good or not. Will they refund your money or give credit if thats the case? Check before you buy.

I always use used parts whenever possible, but am careful when it comes to electrical parts.

A simple diagnosis of the "supply" side of the connector will tell you if there's power to the seat. Even a simple light type probe will tell when the connectors are unplugged.

If you're not good with electrical diagnosis, it would be worth paying the one hour diagnosis fee at a dealer. If it's only electrical (which it sounds like), $100 dollars seems reasonable. You can guess and waste time and money or just pay for diag. First I would look under the seat and possibly unbolt it and really get a good look at the wiring and connectors. If you don't find anything, pay a pro for diag. If it's a hard part, scrap yards are a great source.

Being that the dealer does not repair them, their results are go...no go, not why or what area. Plus no parts unless you go used and part it out. Power in and ground are simple to check.

A salavge yard should check for operation prior to sale...at least the locals here do. Pick n pull type do not allow batteries in the yard except for power tools. Those batteries might work if you know how to hook it up....plus they may do a check before you buy.

I'm going pull the seat this weekend and check all the wiring and connectors. I suspect that might be where the problem lies.

I actually got it to move some this afternoon so it's getting power. I'm starting to suspect the switch itself. If not, it has to be a wiring issue.

Let me ask this question. Did you guys notice any symptoms before the seats died? I ask because my '11 driver seat is rather loud (you can really hear the motors strain to move the seat) when I move my seat and I am wondering if that is a precursor to failure.

Thanks,
Matthew

Is it loud when no one is sitting in the seat? Not being smart, just wondering if the motors are heading south due to load. What happens if you open the door, and operate the switch to move the seat forward without sitting in it?

You know what I have not moved it when I'm not sitting in it. I dont move the seat much as I dont allow anyone else to drive the car but I will move the seat alittle without my fat *** in it and see what it does.

Matthew

I had a chance this afternoon to take a look at the seat.

1. The fuse was good so it's getting power.
2. I couldn't take the seat as it is so far back that the inside plastic rail cover wouldn't come out and it appeared that the seat was blocking access to the nut.
3. Looking from the front, I couldn't see any wires loose or cut.
4. I traced some of the cables by hand and couldn't feel any cuts or loose connectors.
5. I decided to undo the clips holding the leather and lift the seat. I got a good look at the the rest of the wiring not visible from the front and the motors themselves. Nothing loose or cut.
6. When trying the switches, I could tell that the motors weren't even trying to run so I don't think it's a binding issue. Since none of the switches work it would have to be binding in all directions (not likely). I also don't believe all three motors would fail at the same time.
7. I'm back to suspecting the switch is the culprit. I tried spraying a little contact cleaner in the switch but no change.

Ideas?