Seat switch fell off
 

Afternoon,

Me again...

My drivers seat button that controls the forward/backwards/up/down movement has fallen off. I've got the following:

Attached to the seat, there's a white square stalk, with small up/down switches either side of it.

In my hand, the plastic button cover and a metal |___| shaped bar ( separate ).

I have a feeling there's more to it than that. I don't suppose there's a detailed guide anywhere of how to put that button back together? I couldn't do it ( and I couldn't get the seat to go backwards/forwards without it in place ( both the small switches seeems to control height ).

This happened to my passenger seat, also an XK8. I was able to just press it back on. As I recall the knob for fwd/back up/down is square with finger indents on all 4 vert/horz faces. Doesn't this just press on to the square shapped male recepticle that is just about at seat leather height with the knob removed? If the knob is symetrical there is no need for polarization/positioning, but I'm sure that's self evident anyway. Can you say more? I'll run out and look at my car if you like. John

mrobinson, mean't to acknowledge it is a 1998 xk8. John

I've tried pushing it back on, but it doesn't quite sit right and forward/back movement doesn't work. I assume the metal bar is supposed to go in a particular place ( or maybe I'm missing a part ).

I was hoping that somebody would have had a diagram of how it goes together - based on the stuff I've seen on this forum it wouldn't surprise me.

Unfortunately neither of the two drawings in JTIS Seat Switch Removal section are particularly helpful:

Attachment 91477

E35904 shows the harness connector from underneath the seat and behind the switch. E35904 shown the front cover removed.

Posting a photo of exactly what you are looking at could help jog members memories or get some helpful suggestions.

Graham

I'll take a picture on my dinner break in a couple of hours

Here we go:

http://s3.postimg.org/yd2kxso83/WP_20140725_001.jpg
http://s3.postimg.org/cgknb60f7/WP_20140725_002.jpg

I tried playing with it again, but it seems the white stalk doesn't do anything - it looks like that's supposed to do forward/back, so I wonder if that's become detatched from the innards of the seat which has also caused the button to come lose.

I have the same problem, but the white piece in the middle was broken in several places and would not lock on to the hand switch. The metal piece fits into the little PLASTIC lock clip above the white piece. the two ends fit into the little brackets on the left and right side of the white piece. Once the clip is installed you should be able to push the control piece back in place if the locking ears on the white piece will hold. if not I would JB weld the clip and the control piece. Just make sure it will operate prior to using the epoxy. I had to visit the cardiologist after Jag gave me a replacement cost of $400 to $600 dollars. I hope this helps Jim

There's no mechanical link from the switch to the seat - it's all done by the harness connection shown in E35904 in post #5.

I think the PLASTIC Lock Clip described by Jim in post #8 could be broken. Arrowed in red here, there doesn't appear to be anything to hold the metal bar:

Attachment 91491

The legs on the metal bar look to just sit in the slots arrowed in blue:

Attachment 91492

If the switch is beyond repair, you'll get a used part from one of the specialist UK Jaguar breakers for a lot less than Jim was quoted!

Graham

Thanks Graham a picture with arrows are better then a thousand works. I did find one at a breaker and it broke while I was trying to remove it. I love sun baked plastic! Edited this post. Went and did a refit and Grahams post was correct. Getting old and the old memory bank is not what it used to be.

Do you know what the part is called, so I can try to order it from a breakers yard?

I think it is knackered, because when I move the white stalk the seat doesn't move, so I'm guessing the internals of the switch are broke.

That metal bar slides in a slot on the button (blue arrow.) It's easy to install if you remove the back of the box (five screws), it was difficult for me to clip the button in place otherwise. While you're in there it's a good idea to clean the contacts (red arrow) with a Q-tip and some alcohol.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...6dcec21ddf.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...a9ec70f217.jpg

After working on my drivers side switch (top in photo below) I can say my metal bar was only on the passenger side (bottom in photo) only. If you install the bar properly the button only slides forward and back and the black spacers (yellow arrow) keep it level. My passenger seat does not have height adjustment. The drivers side has height adjustment and you can see the switches (green arrows) below. Cleaning the contacts in the passenger side (orange arrows) does nothing there!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...d7d1a403b9.jpg

Drivers & Passenger seat switches

Where are you guys finding the buttons? I need the large one for the drivers seat in ivory. Any help would be appreciated and thanks

The parts in the pictures are my originals. There are a few LKQ you-pull-its in MD, I keep and eye out for new arrivals and was able to score some parts off an XK8 recently. You've got to get there fast, people know what this stuff is worth and had that car pretty well hacked up by the time I got there three days after it's arrival. eBay is also a good source, but you may need to buy an entire assembly.

Has anybody tried 3D printing one of the buttons? I am missing the large one and was wondering if anybody had an STL file for it?