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DISCUSSION => General Topics => Topic started by: m42 fan on April 02, 2006, 05:04:00 PM

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: m42 fan on April 02, 2006, 05:04:00 PM

OK folks, I should have an easy question for someone.  

I was puting my daughter in the back of the car a couple of days ago, and I noticed what appears to be a problem on my drivers seat.  If you grab the side of the seat back closest to the door and lift straight up, it seperates from the bottom.  The other side of the seat does not do this, nor does my passenger seat.

Is there just a bolt or something that came loose there, or will a repair like this involve something more complex?
TIA

Brian

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: ak96ss on April 02, 2006, 05:55:48 PM

Yes, it's a bolt, and hopefully it is just loose and nothing has broken.  Pull the back cover off by unscrewing the two screws at the bottom and lift and pull it straight up and off.  Then you can inspect the insides more closely.

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: m42 fan on April 02, 2006, 07:22:25 PM

OK, thanks.  I'll try and get to that sometime this week.

Brian

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: GrippyDrifty on April 03, 2006, 01:06:02 PM

Hmmm...same problem here. I'll have to check it out as well.

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: asubimmer on April 03, 2006, 01:10:37 PM

I have two sets of seats if anyone is interested, both tan sport sets.

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: e9nine on April 03, 2006, 01:37:53 PM

Brian - I just did this fix this weekend.
If your case is just like mine, you have a short philips head screw which has worked it's way loose.

Tools: Factory screw driver with flat/phillips head or a regular flat and philips head screw driver set.

For the driver's side seat: Pull the seat base fully forward, as close as it can get. You will be working from the driver's side entry. Adjust it to be as vertical as possible.

--Carefully use the flat head to pry the recline knob of the thin metal post, pull it towards you.
--The second piece of plastic is simply held in by a plastic wedge attachent. Carefully use the flat head to pry it off.
--Along the bottom section of the upper seat...you will see two "black" philips head screws with washers around the head.
--Loosen them and store them safely.
--You will now be able to pull the "particle board backing" portion off your seat by pushing it up slightly and then pulling it outside of the drivers door entry.
--Chances are you will see a screw pop out or it will be lodged in the cavity.
--Simply screw it back into the post (look at the other side for reference).

I don't have any pics but assuming we are talking of the same problem which is very common on e30s, this is all you need to do.

Hope this helps.

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: m42 fan on April 03, 2006, 05:28:18 PM

Great descriptions, thanks! Like I said earlier, hopefully I'll get to this sometime this weekend.

Brian

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: e9nine on April 03, 2006, 06:12:25 PM

No prob. It's a 5 min job :p

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: Gunni on April 04, 2006, 07:08:28 AM

the tap is most likely broken, take the back off and take the bottom to a welder who will weld the tap back in place, mine broke and I had it welded and it broke again,
this is very comon on e30´s

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: M42boy on April 05, 2006, 01:05:03 AM

I don't know if you've seen this site, but it has a lot of usefull information.  Some slight variations since it's a UK model.  Here's a link to a page on BP's site about seat repair.  

http://www.esatclear.ie/~bpurcell/318isseat.html

Title: What holds the seat back to the seat bottom?
Post by: m42 fan on April 10, 2006, 10:45:20 AM

I finally got to this on Sunday.  The metal tab that the screw goes into has broken off on the drivers side.  I guess I'll have to hunt down someone with a welder.  Thanks everyone for the tips

Brian