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Fixing early T3 seats?
Gibbo - November 18th, 2004 at 07:56 AM

Hey all, am I flogging a dead horse thinking I can fix my squares seats?

They dont move forward, one doesnt flip forward, both slip around a bit, can all this be sorted?

Has anyone else fixed some like this and can share the secrets?

Cheers


PurpleT3 - November 18th, 2004 at 08:25 AM

No, you're not flogging a dead horse. Are these are the seats mounted on a rail either side? If so, see below.

Assuming that nothing is broken, I have found that generally it's just a matter of removing 30 odd years of old grease, fluff, coins and all the other crap that accumulates on the floor of a car.

If you are going to do a seat overhaul, count on at least a couple of days. Before you start, buy a set of the plastic seat rail covers. They are available on ebay quite regularly, and possibly even a local supplier. These will fix the slipping around problem.

Remove the all the carpet on the floor, I found it makes life easier if you remove the steering wheel as well.

Pull up the lever on the door side of the seat and slide the seat as far forward as it will go, when it stops look on the otherside of the seat for the locking tab. This is a bent bit of metal which protrudes from the top of the seat rail, push it down with a screw driver while pulling up the other lever and pushing the seat forward. You have to keep the seat straight, as without the plastic rail covers the seat will tend to skew and jam.

Guide the seat forward to the end of the rails and lift it out. Now you can look underneath and check that everything is there and not broken.


Gibbo - November 18th, 2004 at 08:28 AM

Cheers for that. I will have a look tonight.

Are these special vw seat rail covers or are they a generic thing?

Thanks.


vw54 - November 18th, 2004 at 08:29 AM

if there slipping around on the tracks you need to get new plastics strip runners.

I found these on Ebay about $40.00 all up from a guy in California

have a look this is the only place you will get them I bought 2 sets

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=79...


for the seat that dosent flip forward perhaps the lock is jammed

the cam adjuster is proberly frozen as well try n remove the seats from the car to repair much easier


vw54 - November 18th, 2004 at 08:30 AM

they have slots in them that only allow them to fit into the rails on a Type 3

so u really need these to make the seat sit in the car properly


Stanley - November 18th, 2004 at 08:33 AM

I had exactly the same prob with my notch.

What PT3 says is dead right, but when you get them out have a good look at all the mechanisms. Usually the are just worn and some well placed shims can be applied to correct things. Also had some broken pins which I replaced
My seats in the fully forward position used to almost lay into the back seat.
I just checked and adjusted the mechanisms and shimmed untill things were tighter.


Brad - November 18th, 2004 at 10:29 AM

mick motors usually has the plastic seat runners