FRporscheman

That black lever on the side of the front seat, which allows the seat to fold or tilt forward to give access to the back seats, isn't working. It's just stuck in the up position, yet the seat won't fold forward and backward, it just stays locked back, as though the lever were down. Anyone know what could be wrong or how to fix? I just got these seats and they have very nice vinyl on them - it is possible they were recently reupholstered, if that makes any difference.

1987na

Maybe try spraying Wd-40 underneath the seat/on the rail?

inactiveuser92616

does the floorside lever still work? What about the other top side lever? It may free up the stuck one. WD40 into the slot and also on the seat back pivot is your next bet.

FRporscheman

Well the lever by the floor, that lets the seat slide back and forth, works fine. The **** on the bottom corner that adjusts the seat back works OK too. It's just the upper lever on the side of the seat back. It's not jammed or frozen - it wiggles a little. It just seems to be broken or something, so that it stays up. Therefore I have no way of tipping the seat forward any farther than the large **** will allow.

I'll try the wd-40 regardless. Thanks,

FRporscheman

Has anyone had/fixed this problem before?

KuHL 951

Arash,
Theres a cable that connects to a lever. It's either come unhooked at the top lever or at the recline release latch near the hinge. Since they were just recovered I would bet it's at the lower end. Look on the inside of the hinge for a loose cable. You might have to remove the seat and take the hogrings off the bottom rear edge to get the fabric back far enough to see anything. Good Luck, this happened when I redid the seats in the 86. Luckily I tried all the controls before I remounted the seat to the floor.

Granite 944

Cable, or connectors to such. Steve has my vote. Strip 'er down, and find out. Yep. I have had the "problem".

FRporscheman

Thanks for the responses. Removing the seat isn't a problem. But I've never taken the upholstery off a Porsche seat before. What is a hog ring, and will I need a special tool to take them off, or can I get by with the regular tools I have?

KuHL 951

Hogrings are staples used to attach the upholstery to the bottom of the seat. Use a pair of wire cutters to cut them off, they are a one time attachment to keep the seat cover tight. Most good hardware stores sell hogring pliers and the staples which you will need to reinstall new ones after the repair. If you can't find them try an uppolstery supply store. If you end up taking the cover all the way off be sure to run a dowel or your hand along all the seams to make the welt edge come out at the right spot; nothing looks worse than a twisted seat cover and it's so easy to fix before you pull it tight with hogrings.