lumbar not working
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
lumbar not working
OK, I am new here and just did a search on lumbar problems but still have a question about my drivers side lumbar issue. I have power to the pump on the drivers seat, it is a sport seat with the memory option and lumbar support. When I try to adjust the drivers side it just "clicks" rapidly when I move any of the three lumbar adjustment switches? as opposed to the passenger side seat, which makes a "whirring" sound and the ballasts fill up and it works fine. Anybody have the same issue with the pump? or is it a solonoid???
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,383
Likes: 13
From: Kinston North Carolina
It could be, but it could be lots of things. Just throwing parts at it untill you hit the right one gets expensive. Get a volt meter and learn how to use it, and save lots of $$$$$$$$$. Ask questions along the way.
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
OK, so I decided to pull both seats out and swap the lumbar pump from the passenger seat to the drivers side and now it works! the wierd part of it is that the bad pump will run when I hooked it up to a 12 volt battery, it just doesn't blow any air out, cause I tied a small balloon on the nipple to check. I plan to take the bad motor down to our local auto electric guy and see if he can rebuild it for less than the $450.00 they want for a new pump(motor). I will update with any info worth passing along.
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Yes, I tried to run it in both directions, it didn't want to pump any air either way! I also ran the pump I took off the passenger side hooked up to the battery and it blew up the balloon in a second! I don't know if the electric part of the pump is going bad or the vanes that it drives? I am going to defer that to the electric motor guy. The motor is a "Johnson" DC motor but I couldn't find a duplicate on their website that match the numbers on the outside of the one I removed. I will let you know if it can be rebuilt or if I can just buy the pump from Johnson.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,383
Likes: 13
From: Kinston North Carolina
With a little Ingenuity, I bet you could use one from a salvage yard out of any brand of car. It's just an Air Pump. I took the pump and blader from a mustang
seat and made my own lumbar option in a GM 
bucket seat. Worked perfect.
seat and made my own lumbar option in a GM bucket seat. Worked perfect.
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Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
I will see what the electric guy say's on monday but you make a good point, the pump just takes a hot and ground and has an air nipple, so I guess any pump off of any car would probably work! Thanks for the idea that will be plan B.
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
So I thought I would follow up with outcome, I took the pump to the auto electric guy and he charged me $20 bucks to clean out the vanes! took it home and no workie!!!!! I then did what ByronHunter suggested and bought a brand new Ford pump on Ebay for $15.00 and just got it today. I spliced 2 wires from the Ford pump to the 2 from my seat and plugged in the hose, put the seat back in and it works perfect!!!! Thanks to ByronHunter for the suggestion, the dealership wanted $450.00 for a pump that I got for $15.00 brand new!
