e39 Seat Twist Repair (Driver Seat) Part 2
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- Quick tutorial on how to fix that annoying and common BMW Seat Twist. Save your self few hundreds, even thousands of dollars by doing it your self. The most important requirement for this job is PATIENCE. If you have that and few tools needed you should be able to accomplish this task.
Good Luck.
If you need the replace the cable you can find it @
Google part number
52108157408
About $60
Thanks to Cayce West for sharing.
I repaired both seats in my 530i last weekend and these instructions are VERY accurate! THANK YOU 50CAL!!! You rock man! I wouldn't have attempted this without your video. The only thing I would add is to trim the cable sheathing on longer cables about a 1/4", and on the shorter cables, trim the cable sheathing about 1/2". GREAT VID 50CAL! My seats work like NEW! Thanks again Bro!
My 530i recently developed twisted seats. BMW's are very well engineered cars but this seat design leaves alot to be desired! The dealer wanted $1400 to repair them and an independent BMW mechanic wanted $350. Thanks to your video, I'm going to have a go at repairing them myself. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thank you for posting this!!! BTW, 50cal, nice ride! I wish my BMW was an "M". Cheers!
Dude...This one of the best How-to's on the seat twist. THANKS A LOT!!!!! Your great at it. Explanation ,clear and concise. SOund was good, (Not too loud not too quiet) not like ALOT of others, they always put music or something too loud and you can't hear what their saying.
Thank you. Glad it helped.. It feels good knowing you save your self hundreds of dollars by doing it your self..
I got my seat out have almost blew up the seat, stopped came to my computer and got on youtube to find help! man you saved my car my seat and maybe everyone near me, I was about ready to go off.............Thanks
Hahahaha... I'm glad I was able to save Ur seat, and most important save people around you.
Glad my video was helpful =)
Great video. I'm planning to buy an E39 with this problem. Glad to see I can fix easily fix it. Thanks.
Paul Drake Thanks. Use this issue at your advantage, try lowering the price.
Wow it worked thanks, me and my dad were about to waste money on some seats, thankfully we found this video and saved us some money
Just bought a 528i thanks for the simply fix . Ford was simple this here is just annoying but love your honest commentary.
Thanks for these videos, all the steps and tools to use. I will give it a shot and hope to make my wife happy w/o paying over $2k for two seats at the dealer.
Another great RUclips video to help you with fixing your twisted seats. You must watch the first one dealing with the passengers eat before looking at how repair the driver seat. I had to repair both of mine, it feels great to be seated correctly again. Thanks
Your welcome. Glad my Vid was helpful. Yes I do. The bumper sits too low and some times it gets caught on those bars that stick out on the car stoppers at parking lots. The proper way to fix them is removing the entire bumper. Is a lot of work. Now, what you have to figure out is if the grips on the bumper are broken or bent. Mines are bent and I get a gap of about 1/2 inch on the bumper and fender. That means I have to replace it. But rather get an after market M5 bumper.
Hey man, your tutorial is awesome!! I watched your video and went straight to work. Did both the driver side and passenger side in 4.5 hours. Driver side needed both motors done and passenger side only needed one. Mine is an 03 530i and looks a little different under the seat but almost spot on. It was actually pretty easy to get to my motors. One note that I don't remember you mentioning is to be careful how much rubber you cut off. Had to heat one back up and slide it up a little.
I bumped into the same situation. What I did is that i still trim them but just a little bit. about 1/4 of an inch. But if you think they're fine, leave them the way they are.
Keep in mind that if you remove too much rubber you will have too much wire sticking out, then the wire will get push back from the motor and the metal cap will not sit flush how it's supposed too.
Good luck pal... =)
Thank you man.. As always, I appreciate the support. In deed, It feels for seating comfortable on your vehicle once again.
Can you recommend someone to fix this issue, I'm in Atlanta Ga
Great video, but I found an even easier way. Unbolt the seat and lift up or out as per the video. Dont bother disconnecting cable from motors etc, just remove about a section of about 2.5cm of the cable outer coating where ever you can get access to it, slide the outer casing back together and tape up. Facing the seat from the front the lower motor is for the back rest and the upper motor is for the height adjustment. Just tried on my E39 and works perfectly!!!
What happens is that the rubber seams to expand thru time and it becomes a bit longer. There for, it pushes the wire inside the rubber out and away from the motor. That's the reason why you have to cut the rubber. Once you cut the rubber the cable reaches the motor once again.
Hope this helps you understand more this procedure.
Thank you, I have the same problem and now I know why it happens and how to fix it!!
Resetting the Air Bag light can be reset with INPA or DIS and you don't have to remove the seat, just remove the fasteners that secure the seat and the cable is accessible.
Thank you.!!! This video was a tremendous help.
Very nicely done! Thank you for posting this it helped me to at least understand exactly what I was doing, beforehand. I have patience, all I need now is to get the special tools, and the time. I'll let you know if I have success.
Any time, have you attempted this repair?
Great video.....working on my 530 this weekend! Thanks for posting
Until finally I found someone with my problem, thanks for the video!
My seats are fine but I enjoyed watching the video
So did I. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed it so much I decided to rub one out while watching.
@close edge Yeah, it was really nice.
The first motor is for the Recliners. The cable on the left controls the left side. And the cable on the right controls the right side.
The second motor is the one that lifts and lowers the seat. The left cable controls the left and the right the right side.
Hey bro thanks for the video just started to take apart the driver seat. finish the passenger bad ass video man Thanks a lot
Thanks for this great video! So helpful.
Good Video, always makes life easier when you have the right tools...
Thanks bud.
Agree, is always worth spend extra $ for the right tool. It always pays off at the end
Thanks this will be a great help!
It is actually a simple Fix!
Just time consuming!
Well a lot cheaper than 8 hours at $150.00, so it is much simpler!
I had to R&R the drivers seat Lower belt tensioner #72 11 8 240 045 on my 1998 540ia the first of November 2016.
I had the entire seat out to R&R the Lower belt tensioner.
The seat was acting strange then!
It got real cold last week here the drivers seat started twisting.
The Passenger seat always has, just that hardly any body rides with me so I let it go!
So now I just have to do it! LOL!!
haha... good luck, anyone can do this. tools are key.
Oh, I see.. =D
I'm happy for you pal.
And thanks, I wish more people would take in consideration the time and effort that's put in into making a video. Is not just recording and uploading. I had over 2 hours of footage, and had to turn that into a 9 minute video.. Cheers to you too..
Oh, Thanks. I'll put that on the description for any one that needs it.. Thanks once again.
Thanks.. =D
Wow... it took you less than me. My type of seats are most complicated ones because it has front part of the seat that expands to support your legs.
At 6:35 into the video I mention to cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch rubber material. But your right. I didn't warn you guys not to cut too much. I think I did say that on part 1 of the video. But i'm glad you got your seats up and running..
You can put it back into place without remove the entire bumper. I've done it but because my clips on the bumper are bent. Turn the tire inwards and remove the plastic around the tires and you'll be able to see the bracket. Push the bumper forward and with a flat head screw driver try to slide the grip back into the bracket. Then finish it off by putting everything back where it belongs.
I'm sure is diferent. But I might be wrong. The only way of knowing is if u take a look under the seat to check if it has the same mechanism. If it looks similar to mine, then it should be the same procedure.
Primo your the best.i just fixed my 530i seat.muchas gracias.
De nada bro.. Glad you got your seats working once again
Thank you so much and I messed up one of the seats I cut the wire lol I thought it was ok until I saw that the wire didn't fit back into the motor so now I gotta find a new wire and my buttons to move the seat back now won't snap back in place lol but the passenger seat is PERFECT
Nice video. Trying this today on my 97 E39.
Thanks Man. Good luck on ur project. When accomplish u will be glad to took this task by horns.
Just keep in mind that not all seats are the same. Some are less complicated than shown on my video. If your seat looks like mine then u know what to expect.
Let us know how it went.
Great video! Now I have some confident working on mine 1998 740i. Thanks.
Thanks.
Is easier than it looks.
Your doing it the legit way. you can just undo all 4 bolts, and lean the seat back on the rear seat. Then use lighter to burn the rubber around the metal rods that go into the little motors, once there is no rubber on a small section, you can push that rod back into the motors. takes literally 20 minutes.
great video bro, I will attemp this fix this summer
I still don't understand the problem. Why do we need to cut the outside of the wire and how does it help to solve the problem?
I agree with you with the seat designs.
Atleast you found a dealer that provides that service. Must dealers don't.
=) thanks...
Thank you so much I hated my seats I just watched your video today and finished both seats the same day your a life saver........now do you have any suggestions on how to fix a loose bumper ?
They are called seat motor drive shafts u can find them on e bay 💪
Thanks for the video!!! , just finished doing this on a 2002 525i. I followed this and one other video on RUclips. I used 50 , 27, 30 & 45 torx.8mm.
Swivel head.
Excellent video-thanks for the really helpful advice!
Your welcome. Glad it helped u out.
Thanks for the support pal.
Ice on wrist is really important for mechanic work. :D But actually it's a nice vid, so congrats!
thx very much it is helpful and it treated my seat very well
I couldn't stop laughing. Thank you
Thanks for the helps i repaired my seat .
You can easily reach the nut holding the seatbelt just lift your seat all the way up before removing screws
The50calKiller1 could you give me a list of tools needed and sizes of the tools needed please, I'm going to attempt this job tomorrow and your video is by far the best one I have seen. Thanks for the work!
Had the hardest time removing the bolt/nut for the seat belt. Totally held up even with a vice grip. Did get the cable off and sure enough had no wire exposed for inserting into motor?
great video...luv the fix...knowledgable
Nice job 👍
thanks trying this tomorrow!!
Saul Garcia
So, how did it go??
7:45 good tip, after removing the seat bolts I would disconnect the battery then do the rest just as you explained.
I took a nap today in my 335i and when I was ready to move it back up, it wouldn't, but I can still hear a clicking whenever I push the button to try and recline it back up. Hopefully these steps will fix it.
+770V8 I took mine out today and unplugged the wires and put a little bit of WD-40 on the gear and somehow it fixed my problem. I guess I was just lucky. But it was a pain to get it out, the bolts are really tough!
You're the man, bro! Thanks.
@Getthtruth your welcome. Look no further. I'm in Los Angeles area as well.
if your lucky and the front section is bad, just slice 1 inch of the black tube off without removing chair. then push wire into motor and done.
Yes, that is another method but eventually the seat will go bad once again because the rubber had been sliced in the middle and it has no support where its been sliced.
The50calKiller1
not true, it never messes up and if you put some tape even better.
Thnx for the directions bro
your welcome, glad to help
Hey. Great video. I'm thinking about trying to do this myself. My driver's seat is twisted bad. When I remove the seat, how do I realign it so it's straight before cutting the rubber? Is this done manually with no electronics? Thanks so much for your vid. Much appreciated.
So do you think an impact drill would get the job done easier on the screws with swivel socket and extension? Or will it be necessary to use a manual ratchet wrench?
Hey 50cal, I've got my drivers seat out and 3 of the 4 cables have plenty of length protruding from the end of the metal fitting. Do I need to trim the cable covering on all 4 or ONLY the one that is flush with the end of the metal fitting? Thanks!
Hi! Do you think this would work to repair a driver seat that isn't working?
Any thoughts to what else could be hanging up and causing seat twist? Seat is currently stuck fully reclined. We did what you showed in the videos, but it's still twisted.
Did you trim all of the four cables? Or just the one you thought might be causing the trouble?
If you did trim the all, there might be two other reasons why the problem wasn't solve.
1st. The motor might be blown and need to be replace.
2nd. The gear on the recliner is striped. Which would be the worst and most expensive scenario. This part is tiny and supper expensive. Is a plastic gear, about 3/4 of an inch big. The problem is that no one sells this gear. You would have to buy the whole assemble part which is located where the recliner meets with the seat. Now the other problem is that the dealer only sells them as a set. The set is the left and right side for one seat and it cost about $1,800 last time I called the dealer.
So before jumping into conclusions, make sure that you trimmed enough rubber off the cable. The cable must stick out about 1/2 inch after you put the metal part back into the rubber so it makes good connection with the motor.
Let me know how it goes. Best of luck.
good job. thanks!
Great video
Thanks.. =)
I'm glad this video has been helpful.
Good job brother
Kraig Le Fevre Thanks. Hope this video was helpful.
Great DIY video man! Thanks a million! I guess I should do similar job for the seat slide mechanism?
One question: what was more difficult working on the driver's seat than the passenger's? The job looks the same to me.
For some reason the driver side was more difficult for me. The bolts were tighter and the plastic panels that cover the bolts were also difficult to remove.
The50calKiller1 my car is E32, but the issue is quite the same.
Thanks again, your video gave me confidence, and I have fixed that myself!
Cheers!
How do I know what cable is to what side of the seat?
Great video!Is it possible to manually adjust a twisted seat back? I have a 1994, 740il with a badly twisted seat back. The seat was like this when I got the car and whoever had it before me tried to fix it by taking the control switches apart. I'm trying to make the car more comfortable to drive until I can afford to properly fix it.
You can adjust it manually by turning the clock wise of counter clock wise the cable. Will be faster if you have a drill and attach it to it.
good video
Dud o get frustrated while watching it lol. Got 2000 bmw 323 ci and both seat goes forward but not backwards
You are the best!!!
Thanks Pal
question, would it be just about the same for a 92?
thanks super helpful
Was cable ends the problem or mot out of sync
Next time go purchase you a long extension and it will eliminate all your front seat headaches.
your welcome man.
A simple LIKE on the video will be appreciated. =)
If you haven't found someone let me know. I also live in the LA Area.
How much do they charge you for doing that?
I cant access my front left bolt either on the driver side but im scared to pull up on the plastic cover cause i didnt want it to break. did yours break ?
+jonathanarguelles9
mines didn't break. But you have a decision to make, either have a broken cover or a broken seat.
I think I stripped a gear on the rear motor (gear box, where the cable connects to recline the backrest), I fixed the cable but while I was untwisting it with a drill I heard a Pop from the rear gears. Do they sell them sepparatley?
No. Get the new seat from junk yard
You can. I just don't think is worth doing all that work just for one cable. Mindless well do all of them since you have to remove the motor in order for you to remove the cable. That way you know you'll be good for few years to come.
What if in a year from now the other side goes bad? You'll have to remove the seat just for that other cable you didn't do.
Ok so how do you set the seat straight before you disconnet it if one side does not move at all? It is supposed to be straight before you fix the cables, if you cant get it straight, what to do?
try your best to align it at any possible position, if this is not possible you can align it once you remove the motors by hand or with a drill.
lol.. Oh man.. that suck. well, you can try filling it down and making the end you cut square. thats If you didn't cut that much off.
My 530i 2006 moves everywhere except the recline pls help
Is your husband handy?? If he is he can fix your seat just like I did mines.
It sound like you have the same problem I did. Meaning you have will have to do this same steps in order for your seats to work like they used to. Keep in mind that the seats will be a bit different than mines do to the change of model and year. But is still the same concept.
Best of luck Melanie.
Let me know if you need further assistance.
My driver side seat totally stopped responding, is the problem the same thing or is it something else!???
+Ji'Samu Abdur -Rahman You need to figure that out your self. First you need to find out if is a electrical or mechanical problem. Try unplugging the hardness under the seat, with a voltage tester test all the wires and see if you get any power on any of those wires. If you don't check the fuse box for blown fuses.
How do u put the seat back on when your done?
I show how to on Part 1, but the same way you remove it, just backwards.
what if your seat dont move, like at all ?
Does it move back and forward? (i'm not talking about the recliner)
If they do that's all you need.
Mines did not tilt nor lift or lower.
I have a 93 740il with the same problem. This solution will work with mine too, right?
To be honest with I'm not sure, but it doesn't hurt to take a look.
Estuped lids too.
hey i have the same problem but, i'm looking for someone to do the work and more any suggestions..
+Budgeted Carrot
what state and city do you live?
Thank u buddy..
My driver seat reclines fine but does not slide back or forth. Will doing this process also fix that issue?
Take a wire a run it from your passenger line that moves the seat back or forth depending on which way you're trying to go, and connect to wire that goes to driver side motor.. (this trick is only if your solenoid is busted. Wont work if your seat motor is busted) hopes this helps.
How did you remove the actual cable?
When you remove all of the bolts it will set the motor free. Till you remove the bolts you'll be able to remove the cables. I show how on my first video. Part 1
Okay, thanks.
Sandra Byer
Your welcome. Good luck.
Sorry I didn't had that footage on this vid, I didn't even notice till you posted your comment.
I did mine yesterday and it is still not fixed
Better method is to just cut the insulation and remove a portion and slide in without removing the assembly at all.
That method does not apply to this type of seats. There's barely any space to get the bolts out. I don't recommend that method, once you cut the insulation you are not able to put it back together and down the line it will come loose
The50calKiller1 That would depend on the quality of the labor and understanding of the issues at hand with this actuating mechanism.
I wondering how many times you stuck your hands everywhere because of those bracelets..lol..