Hi, I have 97 XJ6. I have been driving it for years with a broken front seat. The two complaints I have is the seat memory, which seems to be a common theme, and then the ablity for the seat to go up and down in the front. I hear the motor turning but the front doesn't go down or up.

so, i can't afford to take it to jag or a shop. I am looking at my different options.

1 - if I tear the seat down is it possible to purchase just the gearing as a seperate item and replace whatever is broken?

2 - would it be better to get a used seat and just replace the undercarriage of my seat with the replacment?

3 - any suggestions you might have?

 

If it were mine I would go the used seat route. I doubt you can find new parts at a reasonable price.

 

Is the seat 'structurally sound' - i.e. you can't lift it away from the car floor at either back corner? If yours isn't broken there, I'd definitely look for a used seat for parts - there are plenty which are broken as above, but which should have the parts you need. You'll then have the choice as to how much of the seats you swap over!

 

Here is my weird little variation on seat trouble..
the lumbar adjust button works, but it doesn't 'hold' - next time in the car, even 30 mins later, is has lost some of it's lumbar support and needs to be increased again.
A minor niggle I can live with.

 

I believe the support is provided by an inflation device and is leaking. Mine doesn't hold well either.

 

Jkjag,

Don't sweat it too much. There is a seat control module under the seat, but replacing it might not correct your problems. Most of us don't bother much with seat memory functions. Will the seat at least stay where you position it after each drive?

With regard to the front of the seat raise/lower: Under the seat there is an insulated, flexible black rod that connects the motor to the seat raise/lower gearbox. It is under the right front part of the seat, and can be reached if you put the seat forward and the rear of the seat all the way up. Not an easy reach, but if you look under there (open the rear door and get down there with a light), you will probably see the wire loose. there is a round hole that the end of the rod must latch into. If you can do this, the front of the seat will move up and down again. Mine comes loose once in a while.

Free fixes are the best!

 

If the seat is broken on the pivoting upper section you can get it welded it,s pretty common that they break there mine did
I just peeled the leather back as best i could put some wet rags around the rest then welded it
I also welded in a thick large washer ground to fit for support it should last forever now

 

I too have a driver seat issue. The front of the seat won't move up and down. I hear the motor but no movement. I'm going to look for that rod!

 

My drivers seat is broken too; it won't move forward or backward. I've unbolted the seat from the floor and leaned it backward so I can easily see underneath it. When I press the button to move the seat forward or backward I can hear a relay click but no motor runs. Because of this I don't think it's the switch. Looking at the underneath of the seat there are motors in each of the front corners, and another mounted transversely behind the control module. Does anyone know which of these is supposed to move the seat forward and back?

 

Is there a how to where i can read how i can get to the parts which move the seat up and down. I have the same problem.

 

Did you ever fix this? I have an identical problem

 

I had the problem of the seat not going up and down. After taking out the seat it was obvious part of the metal frame near the mechanisism that moves it up and down was snapped (a common problem I think?) I got a mate to weld it, which was a bit tricky I think, but sorted the problem and never had it again.

 

Bass1st, check fuses F3 and F4 in the right rear seat heelboard. Those are for the left front seat motors. They can be upgraded from 15A to 20A.

 

I checked them and they were fine. Both 20amp. I hear a clicking when the switch is engaged which suggests I have power, and all the other motors work. I need to take the seat out and investigate and hopefully manually move the seat to a drivable position.

 

There is another thread, "seat memory potentiometer" that addresses position memory mechanics. It contains a service bulletin (attached again here) and discussion of the problem I had with the mechanics of the potentiometer drive. I created a replacement component and they are available on eBay. Quite a few have gone out; but there are other solutions available as well that have been tried.

 

I went to remove the seat today and the motor worked for a few seconds, then stopped again! It was very labored but at least I managed to get the seat into a more comfortable driving position. I would have thought an electric motor would either work or not, so maybe its a bad connection or the tracks are gummed up. The seat bolster had worn through so there is a lot of foam particles down on the tracks. Anyway I will remove the seat when I have more time. I have more pressing things to fix on the XJR, mainly the water pump and inner tie rods ends.

 

Yes, for me it was a easy fix.
The screw which move the seat forward and backward was stuck. With a little help it came lose and the seat was abble to move forward and backward again.