dmarkshark

Anyone ever repair the lumbar pump? I have a 99, the pump motor seem to work fine, but no air is coming out. I saw on a C4 thread that someone did it with a rubber glove, but don't know if its the same set-up. Didn't have time to take it apart and look, but thought I'd check if anyone on here has ever done it. I know my air bags are bad, but no sense if doing the easy fix if there is no air getting to them anyway.
Thanks

dgrant3830

There is a medical supply place where you can buy replacements for blood pressure cuffs which happen to work real well and cheap in place of the GM bladders that are terribly expensive. Its not hard to get the seat back apart either to get to them...zipper on top of the back portion if its the sport seats. Not sure about the other seats.

dgrant3830

Here is the thread about it
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-g...vil-style.html

dmarkshark

Nope , thats not the problem, Its the actual air pump. It runs , but no air coming out. I guess I just need to open it up(the pump). Looks like a 2 piece setup, its in the small leather pouche under the seat. I was hoping someone on the forum had actually had to work on the air pump itself and knew what was in there. I do have the thread about the bladders (excellent info), and am planning on getting some when I get back after the holiday, but first , the pump question.
Thanks again

dgrant3830

I took apart the pump on mine and its a simple device. You can do this yourself but frankly if the pump runs, it should be pumping air. There's not a lot to it. Are you sure you don't have a broken line from it? Also, the pump will run backwards based on the switch position so it'll either pump air or suck it out.

dmarkshark

That helps. Not sure what going on. I ran the problem back to the pump, in the leather pouch. Pulled the hose off of it, no air (maybe need to double check which way I moved the switch, I thought i did it both ways with the same result.) I also put the hose back on and pulled the line before it went into the (don't know the correct name) circuit board which looks like it routes the air where it needs to go. Again, no air at that point. I do know that when I put the motor in my hand and turned it on something happened (motor turning), but no air coming out (or in). Any ideas? My pump looks like a two piece unit, with one air hose going from it to the circuit board. Does that sould correct? It does have a screwed-on top area which I did not open up yet because I did not want to open a can of worms whithout enough time to deal with it. Can you tell me whats in the top area with the hose?
Thanks again. May have to wait until I get back in Jan., so if you respond, I will be out of town, and not just ignoring this post. Thanks again.

hzz

I also have a lumbar pump that does not pump air.

When I hook it up to a 12v supply it makes noise as if it's running, but no air comes out of it.

Bought a used one on ebay and it works so I swapped them.

If there is a way to repair the original pump I'd like to try it.

dgrant3830

I did not take pictures of it but its very simple in design. The pump is two pieces, the electrical motor and the small pump portion which is nothing more than a vane type thing that runs offset from the center. Yes, you can look at it easily without damaging anything. I would imagine that the vane pump thingy is detached from from the motor shaft or cracked in some way. Seriously, its a very simple design. The pump feeds the solenoid tree for lack of a better description which is also engaged by the same switch action you are selecting to send or remove air from the selected lumbar support. The solenoids either maintain the pressure in each individual lumbar or open a path to each to either inflate or deflate each.

Nikolaos Marc Fenzke

I can't find the lumbar pump motor on eBay any helo?

huesmann

Uh, WTF? Ssearch for "Corvette lumbar pump motor"

grantv

3 posts ever, same question for all 3 on different boards (WTB, Z, and this). And all for a Google search that returns plenty results. I wish multiple postings were banned here, they're usually a PITA.