I have a problem with my driver's seat recline mechanism.

After I recline the seat, if I lean forward to release the weight, the outside hinge seems to release a little bit, and if I lean back that side of the seat will move backwards about half an inch relative to the inside hinge.

As long as I keep my weight on the seat after setting the recline, it holds the position, but as soon as I release the weight and then reapply it moves.

This only seems to affect the left side of the seat.

Is this something that can be fixed, or do I need to just buy a new seat base?

Thanks,

Alan

 

It can be fixed. The adjuster mechanism is attached to, and is a part of, the seat and not the base. I had this problem (reversed, i.e. right side moving back more than the left) a few years back. It causes the seat-back to be kind of "twisted".

There are two cables coming off the recliner handle mechanism than run under the seat and each cable goes to a different side and pulls on a cylindrically- shaped friction slider device called, interestingly enough, a "seat recliner" or more accurately, "RECLINER, D/SEAT (OTR)" There is an "Inner" and an "Outer" on each seat and each has a different part number, and from your description it sounds like you'll need an "Outer" (closest to the door). I don't recall the price of the part, but it's not terribly expensive IIRC. I had a friend of mine who does upholstery work fix mine and he charged me $75.00 for labor and I bought the part. He fixed it while I waited. Didn't take too long.

Unless you're adept at this, I would have the work done at any good upholstery shop. Dealers will skin you even worse usually. You can even take the seat out and bring it in to help defray labor costs. Four nuts and a wire harness connector and the seat comes right out. Just protect your door sill from scratching/scrapping.

 

Excellent info, thanks!

Looks like the part numbers are:

Outer: 10277957
Inner: 10272506

 

They look somewhat like small shock absorbers actually and the cable releases the friction tab on them so the internal coil-spring causes it to lengthen. Pulling up on the recline handle releases the little tab and pushing back into the seat overcomes the force of the spring allowing the seat-back to recline. It's important that there be no oil or grease on the shaft, as the lock tab wedges against it to lock in position when the seat lever is released. Think of a pneumatic door closer on a storm door where you open the door then manually slide the little lock tab to adjust where it locks (wedges) into position whan you release the door and you get the idea. They have no "teeth" or ratchet mechanism to lock. Personally I think a ratchet/lock-pawl mechanism would have been far more durable.

 

Thanks for posting this info.

I ordered the part and was able to replace it successfully and the recline problem is fixed!

The repair was fairly easy. I had to remove the lower seat cushion to gain access to the part, then it was pretty simple to replace it.