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Re: repairing seat heater Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Tue, 13 Dec 2005 05:32:24
In Reply to: repairing seat heater, saab8, Mon, 12 Dec 2005 13:40:32 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Not a big deal. I just did a repair on my '97 this past weekend. I've done a few of them, so I've got practice. Took me about an hour.
The info the others have said is good. I have a few things to add:
First, I like unbolting the seat tracks. It makes life a lot easier to be able to tilt the seat back. The seat tracks are held in by 4 large torx bolts. Slide the seat back and undo the front bolts; slide the seat forward and undo the rears.
The front of the seat leather is held with a wrapped wire (two places). I clip it out with a large clippers, and be sure to remove all the cut pieces. When I put it back together, I use a pair of tie-wraps.
Tilt the whole seat backwards. You'll see three slots in the foam. near the front half of the cushion. Each of those has a metal clip - just a piece of bent wire that comes down over (under?) the metal spring wires going side to side. I like looping a piece of twine over it - maybe a foot or two long. Then you can pull on the twine, and lift the metal clip off the wire. Each of those clips goes up to connect to the leather. That twine comes in handy upon reassembly, because the twine goes through the holes in the seat cushion, and you can use it to guide the clips back down through the holes, and over the wires.
THis will make a lot more sense when you see it.
Now, lift up the front of the seat cushion, and then push the foam part down while holding the leather. It will come out and you'll be able to see the top of the cushion. I don't lift off any more of the leather than I need to.
As to the burn-through, it's usually pretty obvious. You'll see a burn mark on the cushion, and possibly on the underside of the leather. Peel away some of the thin foam rubber over the wire to expose the ends. The wire is black and insulated. Strip off about 1/8 inch or so of insulation, and expose the coppery-colored filament wires. I like to solder the wires. I also like to slip a piece of heat-shrink tubing over the wires before soldering, as I think that adds some mechanical support.
Reinstallation is the reverse of removal. One trick - look at the back of the bottom cushion leather material, near where the seat bottom meets the back. You'll see a fat metal wire that forms the bottom edge of the leather. That metal wire should go into a slot on the seat. It helps to see this before you take it apart. When the seat leather is up and off the cushion, put that wire into the slot. Then pull the leather forward and over the cushion. If you don't, the metal wire doesn't like to engage the slot, and it's a real pain to get it in.
When installing the big torx bolts, that hold the seat rails down, intall the front (or rear) two very loosely - just enough to engage the threads. Then do the rears. If you install two and tighten them down before installing the other two, they may be very hard to get in.
Yes, a lot of detail, but it's not that hard. Really.
posted by 192.249....
, Tue, 13 Dec 2005 05:32:24 <-- Viewing This Message, Tue, 13 Dec 2005 05:59:31
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