Hi All,

Just got my 2003 XK8 Convertible a week ago...

It looks like the passenger seat can slide forward and back, and do the other functions but the reclining doesn't work. Sometimes if I pull the lever on the seat for the rear passengers entry, there is some sound from the seat, I'm assuming its supposed to recline the seat forward??

I just got the car last week so not sure if it was working at the time, so frustrating...I will try to reach out to the dealer

But anyways, is there an easy fix for this or potentially something stuck? I researched and only found a thread or 2 from a few years ago with not very clean solutions.

Thanks!

 

This is a common problem for the XK and XJ. First you need to determine if the seat control module has been broken. You need to remove the module from the passenger seat and swap it with the module from the drivers seat. If the recline them works you need to have the module repaired.
The modules are mounted under the seats. Start by raising them as high as possible. there are 2 bolts that hold the module in its bracket under the seat. Loosen them and remove and unplug the modules.
If you find that the seat reclines with the driveers side installed then you will need to have the passnger module repaired.
Darrell Turner is the forum go to guy for repairs. He has repaired 2 of mine one on the XK and one on the XJ. His telephone number is 858-649-9090, give him a call and he can let you know cost and shipping address. My last one was $75.00. A lot cheaper than a new module.

 

Unfortunately in my case, it seems like it's not the module...I tried swapping modules with the driver one that works and no luck.

I even had intially purchased a couple on ebay and no luck either.

What options do I have now? I would either need to replace the motor connections at the bottom of the seats or just replace the whole seat?

What do people do in these situations? Replace with a seat from a junkyard or go aftermarket?

Thanks

 

I've read some things about one of the fuses possibly being blown? Which one would it be?

The seat can still be moved forward and back but when I try to recline it it makes the noise on the button but it doesn't actually move.

If it was the fuse then the seat wouldnt move at all, right?

 

Yes I think you can assume all seat motion is on same fuse.the fact that you hear a noise is telling. It must be the recline motor right?

John

 

The sound you hear when you release the back of the seat to tilt forward is unrelated to your described problem. The sound is suppose to be the headrest lowering so it will avoid hitting the sun visor while tilting. Most of our cars headrests either don't work or have been repaired.

 

I bought a secondhand control cover with the knobs off Ebay as one of mine was loose, and it would recline about 50% of the time. It was $100.

When I removed the old cover, you could see that it had been glued, and taped around the knobs, so I think they just wear out over time...
good luck!