DeeJayDready Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 (edited) My driver seat has stopped moving forward and back all of a sudden. I used to move the seat while driving once or twice a week to ensure that the mechanism got a bit of use and didn't seize up. But all of a sudden the forward and back switch is having no effect. After about a week of this it suddenly sprung to life while holding the switch for a while on the motorway. I moved the seat forwards and back as far as I could a couple of times and all seems magically repaired. But the next morning it was stuck again... The switch for the seat-back still works fine, as does the forward/back switch for the passenger-side, as well as the heated seats (so power is still getting to the seats ok). In one sense this isn't a huge issue as it is currently stuck as far back as it goes, which is where I have it for driving. I also have no plans to sell the car (though £570 p/a road tax would make you think twice!). But if someone smaller than me had to drive the car in an emergency or something we'd be screwed! Has this happened to anyone else before? Any ideas? Edited November 9, 2019 by DeeJayDready Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 Common issue, as crude gets stuck in the switch. Simply clean this up and all should be golden. However, if this fails to work and the wiring is all good, then a replacement switch will be required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricochet Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 (edited) I have had intermittent trouble with mine , but I couldn't figure out how to get it off the seat , seemed very close to the centre console. jc. Edited November 9, 2019 by ricochet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 Mine stopped when I had my zed...a good clean out and tapping the switch with a screwdriver handle and they sprang back into action Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 Well, I tried to give it a clean out today (while in situ) with a paperclip followed by a bit of a bash with a screwdriver, as above, to try and dislodge any crude. But no joy sadly. To be honest the switch itself feels like it should work ok. It isn't stiff or anything and doesn't feel gacked up. I saw a guy on YouTube saying that a chewing gum packet got lodged in one of his runners and it would only go back and not forward. I don't think that's the issue in my case but you never know. I suppose my next move should probably be either to try and remove the switch unit from the seat, if that can be done, or remove the whole seat. God knows how to do that though given that the seat is stuck back as far as it goes, blocking the rear bolts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fijifixit Posted November 11, 2019 Share Posted November 11, 2019 11 hours ago, DeeJayDready said: Well, I tried to give it a clean out today (while in situ) with a paperclip followed by a bit of a bash with a screwdriver, as above, to try and dislodge any crude. But no joy sadly. To be honest the switch itself feels like it should work ok. It isn't stiff or anything and doesn't feel gacked up. I saw a guy on YouTube saying that a chewing gum packet got lodged in one of his runners and it would only go back and not forward. I don't think that's the issue in my case but you never know. I suppose my next move should probably be either to try and remove the switch unit from the seat, if that can be done, or remove the whole seat. God knows how to do that though given that the seat is stuck back as far as it goes, blocking the rear bolts. I had this issue a couple weeks back with my passenger seat. I sprayed some WD40 into the switch and gave it a few slaps. Started working again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted November 11, 2019 Author Share Posted November 11, 2019 9 hours ago, fijifixit said: I had this issue a couple weeks back with my passenger seat. I sprayed some WD40 into the switch and gave it a few slaps. Started working again Did your switch feel stiff before you tried the WD40? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fijifixit Posted November 11, 2019 Share Posted November 11, 2019 3 hours ago, DeeJayDready said: Did your switch feel stiff before you tried the WD40? Not as far as I remember. It would go forward but not back. After the wd40 and a smack it started working. Most likely just grime built up over the years inside the switch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted November 17, 2019 Author Share Posted November 17, 2019 (edited) Working again! I tried some WD40 in the switch today and gave it and general area another couple of good wallops, but still nothing. As a last resort I held the switch forward with my left hand and grabbed the front of the seat (right round to the metal bar underneath) with my right. I then proceeded to rock manically like a crazed baboon, forward and back and up and down shaking the seat. Then I suddenly realised that I was moving forwards! I think this method is known as the 'rage fix'. But I definitely think whatever was causing it to stick was freed up by the violent rocking of the seat. I got out and moved the seat fully forward and back a few times and it did still seem a bit stiff (going forwards in particular), but having now sprayed a bit of WD40 as far into the front and back of each runner as possible, it seems to be moving more freely again. I also give the passenger-side runners a spray for good measure. Anyway, fingers crossed that it lasts. And thank goodness for WD40 (how many times can one product save the day...) and of course for random bouts of rage. Edited November 17, 2019 by DeeJayDready Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 Well, so much for that. It stopped working again a couple of days later. I suspect that either there is something more sinister stuck in one of the runners (that was temporarily freed up) or that the switch has gone and will need to be replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted January 28, 2020 Author Share Posted January 28, 2020 Thought it would be worth pointing out that I decided to chance it with the MOT this year (no service etc.) and it did indeed failed on the drivers seat not being able to move forward or back (as well as a suspension arm bush). So just a heads up to anyone else with this same issue. I mechanic fiddled about with the switch and blew an air compressor into it and eventually the seat sprung to life again. Whether it will hold up until my retest is anyone's guess. I'm not sure what to do to be honest. A replacement switch (seemily P/N 87066-CD001) is likely to cost £90> it seems. Also all the pictures online have the wires coming out of the wrong side (as if these are for LHD models). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted January 28, 2020 Share Posted January 28, 2020 The WD40 might only be a temporary fix, maybe some proper spray grease would help? I just regreased both runners on my VX and it made a big difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted February 9, 2020 Author Share Posted February 9, 2020 Well the switch held up for the retest ok and is still working nicely. Very odd. But fingers crossed I can avoid having to replace it, as I'm not sure the ones that are available online aren't LHD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 ......aaaand it's gone again. Starting to think I'll need to replace the switch, as clearly this one is only going to work sporadically at best. Any thoughts regards sourcing a replacement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 Bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 Decided to just bite the bullet and ordered a new one today from Charles Hurst Nissan... P/N 87016-CD411, for anyone who finds themselves in the same boat. Cost me £86.27 all in. Hopefully that'll do the trick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted July 20, 2020 Author Share Posted July 20, 2020 For the benefit of anyone in the same boat as me down the line, I ended up just fitting the new switch myself. Fortunately my old one sprung to life again after holding it down for a while as I was driving; so I managed to drive home with the seat pretty far forward (I'm almost 6' 2"..) and got those pesky rear bolts out. If you have the seat forward a bit they can be accessed easily enough, and the rest is a pretty easy job with and extra pair of hands to hold the seat at an angle for a bit while you do the doings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GW252 Posted August 8, 2020 Share Posted August 8, 2020 Thank you to everyone involved in this thread, this is so helpful. I was hoping someone might be able to help me. Cars are not my strong point and as a woman researching how to fix the issue on my own I feel like every mechanic I walk into seems to see flashing ££ signs before I've even said a word. The driver seat motor on my 2005 350z has broken in a position too far back for me to legally drive it - so that's the first issue. The switch doesn't work at all whether I push it forwards or back. My latest mechanic has said that it's definitely the motor after he charged me £35 to run a computer diagnostics test - although not sure I believe him. He also said: "The motor comes with the seat, and the seats are sold as a pair" which sounds utterly ludicrous to me. He's quoted £360 for parts and approx £140 for labour. From researching forums and YouTube videos for the last week and seeing so many of you fix the issue yourselves, I was hoping someone could give me a dummies guide to fixing it myself? When you say you used WD40, where did you actually spray it onto? Do I need to remove the seat somehow? Sorry for the ignorance but I'm sick of being taken to the cleaners just because it's clear I know nothing about cars! Thank you all in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeJayDready Posted August 11, 2020 Author Share Posted August 11, 2020 The WD40 would be for the seat runners. In my case, and in most cases it seems, it was the switch that had become faulty rather than the motor. Replacing my switch fixed mine. There's a motor on eBay (see below), but give Nissan a try for the part as well. Charles Hurst Nissan sourced me a new switch for less than the second hand ones that were on eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-03-08-NISSAN-350Z-POWER-SEAT-TRACK-MOTOR-DRIVERS-LEFT-SIDE-Forward-Reverse-/372165207217 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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