Power seat meltdown

[David Greenburg]

One of those days in the garage that end up worse than when you started.  I was trying to diagnose power seat issues on my '60.  Motor runs, although sometimes you've got to wiggle or lean on the switch, but seat often doesn't move, which makes me think its got a sticky transmission.  But in the course of putting it through its paces I start smelling that "burnt electrical" smell.  So I pull the switch and find the connector on the back has melted, particularly around the yellow lead (rearward cycle), and a corner of the bakelite base of the switch is cracked (falls off when I remove the connector.  I'm guessing that the cause of all this is just a bad switch, but wanted to see if anyone thought there might be something else that was causing the switch to fry.

[76eldo]

A couple of years ago the three amigos, me, Joe Caristo, and Mike Cascio tackled a non working 1960 convertible front seat. One of the three motors was burned out but the seat didn’t work at all.

We cleaned out the tracks and got all of the old hardened grease out of the tracks.
From my memory there were three motors and some cables.
I don’t recall a transmission unit.

If your motors and cables are running and moving but the seat track is jammed up with hardened grease it’s going to add a lot of load on the electrical components in the circuit.  Load causes high resistance and that causes heat.  That can be the cause of the switch and connector failure.

Taking the seat out is a difficult job for two guys so it’s really hard if you are working on this alone. Getting the seat out and working on it on a bench upside down is probably the best way to diagnose it and to remove the cables and clean them up and do the same with the tracks. It’s a rough job but after installing the rebuilt seat motor that was bad and cleaning and lubing it all the seat worked like new.

Whenever you have heat damage on a connector or a switch it’s due to a high load on the circuit.

[59-in-pieces]

David,
The 60 6 way seat assembly has a motor that drives a transmission which turns 6 cables.

While the 59 6 way assembly has 3 different motors which operate the cables for each of the 6 way directions.

I have posted pics to show the electrical harnesses for the motor and the trans - hope they help.

Cleaning each cable inside and its sheath, and lightly re-lubing - helps greatly.
Taking the trans apart and cleaning and re-lubing also is a great help.
Cleaning the screw mechanisms within the 2 seat tracks (they are different from the 59 types) at the ends of the cables and then re-lubricating the screws and tracks should smooth the motions right out.
The 60 switch is up on the arm rest, it is different from the 59 which is down on the driver's side seat trim, and it is a different design with a different harness connector design as well.
It should be taken apart and the connections cleaned and lubed with an electric conductive grease.
As for the Bakelite plug, I would super glue it back together as it is only a corner making sure the harness pins and connectors inside are also cleaned, and secure it to the mechanical switch.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[35-709]

Rather than pull the seat, which is indeed a heavy job, try removing all of the seat hold-down bolts and tipping the entire seat back  as far as you can.  This may allow you enough room to work under there --- if not ---  well, you've got part of the seat removal process done!

[V63]

The problem could have initiated as a poor, dirty, or corroded connection at the yellow wire. Bad connections can create excessive heat and melting you describe.

[76eldo]

All I see in this photo is 3 motors and cables.  If there is a trans I guess we removed it.  It's hard to remember.

Brian

[bcroe]

Failing contacts are an ongoing problem in the old cars.  Sometimes the
fix is obvious, but this one needs some kind of redesign centered around
the switch.  Bruce Roe

[59-in-pieces]

Brian,
The photo sure looks like a 59 set up with 3 motors and no transmission.
I attached a photo of the 59 setup put all together.

Just for giggles, do you remember what model and the location of the 6 way seat switch was in your blue car - on the bottom seat trim maybe.

My recollection of the 60 models is that the 6 way seat control was on the driver's arm rest - like for the Eldos, Fleetwood Sixty, Convertible, DeVilles.
Maybe, and I'm guessing, the Series 62 models had the 59 3 motor assembly and seat trim switch location.
i located a diagram of the 6 way seat which has a title of 59-60 for track adjusting Typical, so that's why I guessed??

I love a mystery that involves the 59 & 60 models.
And since my 60 knowledge is weak, please speak up if you folks with more experience with 60 models have the answers.

Have fun,
Steve B.

[60eldo]

   Heres a pic of the one I have out of a 59 100%.  You can still test the seat by putting power to each prong no need for switch. I have mine presently in front of me and I just tried it. Try taking the cables off, see if motors are free.

[David Greenburg]

Thanks, everyone.  I still think this is an electrical/transmission problem since it is (or was until the meltdown) possible at times  to get the seat to move in all directions.  But I’ll check the mechanicals as well, because when it was working, some directions were smoother than others.  What kind of grease is used for the tracks?   Lubriplate?  Or something heavier?

As to the motors and switches, I do know that there were two designs. This car has the later design, with one motor and a transmission, in contrast to the earlier design with three separate motors, as was used in ‘59.  I think this was independent of the switch location.  Series 62 cars had to have the switch on the seat due to the door panel design.

[spolij]

While your at it take the trans apart. It's simple inside. Did mine, made a big difference. Like what was said cleaning the tracts makes a big diff also.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I had to repair a transmission melt-down in a '69, and managed to simply replace the solenoid coils from a different model.

Bruce.