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Wrench lodged deep within Driver Seat track - Help
Tonight I made the mistake of getting in the car with change in my (right) pocket, and naturally half of it fell out the instant I got situated behind the wheel. I used a small open-ended wrench to file all of the change out but lost hold of damn wrench into the track. As far as I can tell it’s wedged somewhere in the center portion of the track and it is unfortunately preventing the seat from moving completely back, coming roughly 3in short of where it should otherwise meet the rear cowel. It’s not in a position where i can see it or feel it anymore. And I am unable to drive the car with the limited seating position. Needless to say it’s time to panic.
What do I do? I may have to take the seat apart in pieces from the top down. It’s that serious
My car is different but the driver seat is held in place by just 4 screws. Two at the rear and of the tracks and two at the front end.
If yours is similar or the same I am sure you will see the ones on the rear but if you cannot move the seat back far enough you may or may not see the ones at the front.
If you can you would be able to unscrew them and lift the seat up maybe making access easier.
My car is different but the driver seat is held in place by just 4 screws. Two at the rear and of the tracks and two at the front end.
If yours is similar or the same I am sure you will see the ones on the rear but if you cannot move the seat back far enough you may or may not see the ones at the front.
If you can you would be able to unscrew them and lift the seat up maybe making access easier.
Maybe you can poke a piece of strong wire in along the runner and flip the wrench up and out?
Do it by feel or at a stretch use a "mechanics" mirror (I have one) to see what you are doing.
I have used old wire coat hangers cut and bent to shape for things like this in the past, but can you still get those wire coat hangers these days?
This little goodie has saved my butt several times:
All kinds of retrieving magnets available at any car parts store.
I thought of that too Lance (I have one of those gadgets), but then I thought "the seat runners are bound to be iron/steel (not alu) so the magnet will just get stuck on them and not grip the wrench at all".
Still worth a try though!
On mine I can access the special bolts with the correct socket which fits easily in the rail.
Yours may well be different.
Also raising the seat as much as possible helps.
The F-Type seat bolts are different, they are standard 5 point Torx T50 (I know coz I just checked!).
And yes raising the seat as high as it will go should help with access.
Don't forget that has been suggested plus I think it is the wrench thats causing the problem and not so much the family fortune.
The point I am making is that the bolts on my seat can be accessed by feel and with the correct tools can be undone even if the seat is hiding them from view especially if the seat is raised as high as possible.
Unless of course the OP's seat tracks are so very different.
I wonder if the seat is raised as high as possible if the forward and rearward movement increases?
Don't forget that has been suggested plus I think it is the wrench thats causing the problem and not so much the family fortune.
The point I am making is that the bolts on my seat can be accessed by feel and with the correct tools can be undone even if the seat is hiding them from view especially if the seat is raised as high as possible.
Unless of course the OP's seat tracks are so very different.
I wonder if the seat is raised as high as possible if the forward and rearward movement increases?
Correct, it’s the wrench that is lodged somewhere in the seat track. The seat is as high and far forward as possible and the tool cannot be seen. Getting pretty close to scrapping the car and selling it for parts. So far nothing is working.
If I were in that position I would undo the bolts that I could see whichever end it is and then forcibly bend the seat and rails as far as it takes to see the wrench and get it out.
Then bend the seat back as far as possible to original and see if it moves forward enough to expose the rear bolts to take them out.
The seat itself is extremely expensive but I would think the rail/tracks are a good bit less expensive??
In my workshop manual it "talks" about removing the seat cover as if you can do that without taking the seat out. You have to take off some trim pieces. It is not very clear at all but you might look to see if you can do that.
Disconnect the battery tho while attempting any of this.
In my workshop manual it "talks" about removing the seat cover as if you can do that without taking the seat out. You have to take off some trim pieces. It is not very clear at all but you might look to see if you can do that.
Disconnect the battery tho while attempting any of this.
Could you take a photo of the section in the manual that shows this?
I appreciate all the suggestions, I’m trying everything.
The pesron has the seat out but you can see how the cover is attached.
Have a look at the above. It might give you an idea. My workshop manual is really no help as it just shows a picture with what looks like velcro under the rear of the seat.
You will have to feel around to see if there are detachable "items".
I added a couple of pics of my passenger seat. I was able to pull forward on that long plastic retainer under the very front edge of the seat and when that came off the whole front section of the seat cover is quite loose.
You would have to taken the control buttons cover off to get the side section loose but it looks like that would pull off in some direction as many such covers do. Not sure on that.
Under neath the cover would be foam. Not at all sure how you would deal with that.
Last edited by jackra_1; Nov 18, 2018 at 11:39 AM.
Wrench lodged deep within Driver Seat track - Help
into the seat tracks 
so they won't move for-n-aft all the way.
