Rear Seat Mechanism Diagram sought!

alanfr

Member
I have two rear seat problems . One is well and truly stuck in place (I have tried, along with another forum member all the tricks). The other seat is out but the mechanism seems jammed in the normal position when in place! So I am trying to work out how the mechanism actually operates - I have found that you can pull off a part of the seat cover which gives a little access to the rod and the ends that the handle connects to. But whilst I can get at these I cannot see enough to work out how it is supposed to work. What would really help is a diagram of the mechanism and some clue as to what is supposed to happen when you lift that handle at the rear base that should lift out the seat. it seems to pull on a rod such that the rod would twist but how that releases the seat and how it locks the back closed against the seat is not obvious.
 
I would warmly recommend contacting Gary at B&F Autos in Hounslow West, not a million miles from Amersham, and a fount of knowledge on matters A2. I'd be very surprised if he can't help.
Not affiliated, just a happy camper.
 
What would really help is a diagram of the mechanism and some clue as to what is supposed to happen when you lift that handle at the rear base that should lift out the seat. it seems to pull on a rod such that the rod would twist but how that releases the seat and how it locks the back closed against the seat is not obvious.

I wonder whether @timmus is able to assist?
 
there are balls caught in a plate with a spring at the base. When you pull the handle at the rear, the seat underneath the spring is brought up so that the balls are moveable and then they can come up through the spaces in the top of the hole they go in to.
The short version: there is very little you can actually do if the seat is locked in place and / or has been forced. That manual shows you the detail.

The lever at the top of the seat back will only release the seat back from its clip. There is a rod in there which will move. This is the one which will allow the lever to drop back down again. The fundamentals here: the seat is not aligned correctly in the front clips, and it's been forced into place in the holes. This is going to be a mess to get apart and I would be surprised if you can get it out non-destructively. I had a nightmare of a time on mine a few years back and it was due to the balls being misaligned. The rear of the seat is the key to getting it out.

Did you read this one, too? https://www.a2oc.net/community/index.php?threads/the-ultimate-my-rear-seats-dont-work-thread.16655/
 
I can provide some picture of whats at the end, since i took them while washing my seat covers. On right lower corner is backside of handle and right from screwdriver there's some mechanics visible. (Seat is laying down on backrest). On second picture there is visible that that thing with blue paint in slit is at other end in open position.
But i cannot explain how it operates. Did not have interest in that... and since seats are back together and in car, i can't test operation anymore. After seeing that handle seems to be pretty flimsily connected to rod, i hope it's not broken loose. But then it would be pretty loose in there and everyone would notice it. Don't know if cable ties on handle were provided at factory or later. Probably in factory already...

When i had locked seat indoors, i pushed on the outer rings near balls until balls popped out or something and seat became unlocked. and afterwards i pushed seat back together and pulled the handle, it went back into locked position and car accepted it that way.
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Many thanks for the replies. The manual helped and I partly dismantled the seat that was out. I now understand how they work! The problem appears to be that parts have mating surfaces that had seized due to some rust. I freed these and now need to see if I can reassemble the seat. I will take a few photos and put on line in case anyone else is interested. I suspect that getting at the mechanism on the stuck in place seat will prove impossible without severely damaging the upholstery (and even then it may not release) but nothing ventured etc.
 
If possible during the rebuild, clean the surfaces that had rusted and paint them if needed then apply a PTFE based spray to the rubbing surfaces.
 
Really glad to see you've made progress on this Alan, I was disappointed to go home on Friday without having been able to fix it.
 
I can provide some picture of whats at the end, since i took them while washing my seat covers. On right lower corner is backside of handle and right from screwdriver there's some mechanics visible. (Seat is laying down on backrest). On second picture there is visible that that thing with blue paint in slit is at other end in open position.
But i cannot explain how it operates. Did not have interest in that... and since seats are back together and in car, i can't test operation anymore. After seeing that handle seems to be pretty flimsily connected to rod, i hope it's not broken loose. But then it would be pretty loose in there and everyone would notice it. Don't know if cable ties on handle were provided at factory or later. Probably in factory already...

When i had locked seat indoors, i pushed on the outer rings near balls until balls popped out or something and seat became unlocked. and afterwards i pushed seat back together and pulled the handle, it went back into locked position and car accepted it that way.
View attachment 81163View attachment 81164
Good Pics, thanks.
 
The stuck in seat is now out.! Managed it without too much destruction (minor damage to a piece of trim but hoping it will pop back on OK-ish. Possibly also lucky that once I had the rod mechanism disconnected from the two parts that lift out of the actual locking parts then with a bit of effort they lifted and freed the balls that hold the seat down. I think the moral of this story is firstly do not leave a damp issue and secondly if the seat mechanism is not working properly (or seems stiff) do not force seats back in the car - easier to remedy when out of car!.
 
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