power seat question

[gene russo]

seats go back and forth, but not up and down and no tilting on boths sides of 84 seville with both have eight way function, is it a switch problem that requires cleaning or the motors are broken and if just switches what other years can be used from a junk yard

[randall McGrew CLC # 17963]

Gene, it depends on whether you hear the motor or not when trying to tilt.  If you do, then it is not the switch but likely the transmission cable.  If you can, find a Manual for the car.  My 77 manual covers the seat at least in description.  The parts are readily available.  The front driver seat does not tilt in the front...but I can see the arm spin so I just have to replace the unit.  Probably some miserable plastic doo hicky failed.

If the motor is not spinning, then it could be a switch.  Those are relatively easy to find and replace.  You might try wiring the unti temporarily to a battery and see if the motor works.  I do that with the power windows as a test to see if the switch is gone or the damn window motor is kaputt.  Normally I just put a wire from a spare 12 volt and stick it in the switch position.  Hey it works...not eligant and Im probably doing irrepairable damage but it works on the fly!  

I do not know what other years are exchangable for that year, unfortunately.  But a bone yard is a good place to start.  We have one here in Denver that specializes in cadillacs and has everything pre-pulled.  Its a little pricey but at least available.

[Denise 20352]

   If you hear a click, at least, then its probably not the switch, but if you dont hear anything at all, it probably is.  Ive found that most switches like that can be taken apart and cleaned.  There are usually metal tabs that you can bend and pop them apart, then clean the contacts with some fine sandpaper and spray contact cleaner.  I also found that those switches can ohm out OK but still not work, so an ohmeter test is not valid.

-denise

[Porter 21919]

My 67 is like that, front to back but it strains in tilt mode.

Mike Jones said the cables need to be lubricated.

I can hear and feel the system attempting to work.

[gene russo]

no noises other then the seat moving and back and forth dont here any noises when trying to lift seat up or down and the four way tilts dont make any sounds clinking or groining or otherwise when trying to tilt same thing on the passenger side seat that is eight way functioning seat only back and forth no up or down or four way tilting