SL/R129: Tilted seat not going all the way back
12-30-2017, 10:14 PM
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Mercedes SL 500 1997
Tilted seat not going all the way back
Hi All, reaching out seeking some wisdom. My sl500 (1997) has both seats stuck in an upright very uncomfortable position and can't get them to go where they should.
I must say that I locked the car with the passenger seat tilted fwd because I reached to my back pack that was behind that seat. The next morning I try to put it back and it does not go all the way. When I tested tilting the driver seat forward and then back again, it got to the same position as the passenger.
Needless to say that my car never gave me any seat issues. I read these seats need to be resynked but I am unable to find out how.
any ideas fellow benz enthusiasts?
Thank you very much and happy new year!
I must say that I locked the car with the passenger seat tilted fwd because I reached to my back pack that was behind that seat. The next morning I try to put it back and it does not go all the way. When I tested tilting the driver seat forward and then back again, it got to the same position as the passenger.
Needless to say that my car never gave me any seat issues. I read these seats need to be resynked but I am unable to find out how.
any ideas fellow benz enthusiasts?
Thank you very much and happy new year!
01-01-2018, 08:35 PM
#2
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If these seats have a memory function, then I would activate all three and see if any cause the seat back to recline to its proper position. Apart from that, I suggest you remove the bottom seat cushions to access the seat controllers and troubleshoot the relevant electrical signals. Reply back if you need assistance with that.
01-01-2018, 09:05 PM
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Mercedes SL 500 1997
Hi bobterry99. Thank you very much for your input. So I rediscovered that the actual problem with the seat is that the back rest is all pulled forward (all the way) and that is the actual problem. The tilting system latches ok. I ve removed both cushions (bottom and back) and this is what I ve found. Large amout of coins and other garbage that slipped through the side. All 3 memories work but they do not change the backrest nor move the seat forward or backwards . So all mirrors, steering wheel and bottom cushion change when selecting a memory. The bottom cushion will go up and down only.
But here is the interesting part, among all the coins I found a little metal ball, very similar to a shotgun pellet (00).
I got on the phone with a so called mb retired mechanic and he told me that usually small coins get in the seat's rails and messes up the system. And that "pellet" I found is part of the seat's regulation system.
The fix here, he told me, was to take the seat from the car, clean and reasemble the rails.
Does that make any sense to you?
Thank you very much!!
But here is the interesting part, among all the coins I found a little metal ball, very similar to a shotgun pellet (00).
I got on the phone with a so called mb retired mechanic and he told me that usually small coins get in the seat's rails and messes up the system. And that "pellet" I found is part of the seat's regulation system.
The fix here, he told me, was to take the seat from the car, clean and reasemble the rails.
Does that make any sense to you?
Thank you very much!!
01-02-2018, 05:24 PM
#4
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I would apply 12 volts DC directly to each seat back motor and see if you can move it to the desired position. There are 5 motors with each seat, and each motor has a small 4-wire connector. Each connector contains a red wire and a brown wire, and those go to the motor. The polarity of the voltage on the red and brown wires determine the direction the motor turns (and the cushion or seat move). You can discover which of the 5 connectors goes is for the back rest through trial and error. Apart from the motor connectors there is one which you can use for a source of 12 volts and chassis ground.
01-02-2018, 10:13 PM
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Mercedes SL 500 1997
Thnx again Bobterry. I will definitely do that but will have to wait for the weekend. In the meantime, I took a look at the fuses to make sure it is not a blown fuse that is causing this. Would you know which fuse should I check? Could not find a "power seat fuse" in the main nor auxiliary fuse box. A I missing one fuse box? Per the manual, there are only 2 of them. Thanks again, Roy
01-03-2018, 10:39 PM
#6
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If at least one of the seat movements work, Roy, then I don't think the back rest problem could be a blown fuse.
There are 7 fuses associated with the seats: 19-23, 26 and 27.
There are 7 fuses associated with the seats: 19-23, 26 and 27.
01-29-2018, 11:09 AM
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Mercedes SL 500 1997
Hi there, finally resolved the problem. Decided to take it to a old guy who calls himself an expert on these cars. He does know them very well and resolved the problem. The only catch was that he lied saying that the rails of both seats (?) were damaged and needed to be replaced. He did not replace them. But whatever he did solved the issue. He did charge almost 400 bucks!!
Lastly, just wanted to share my reasoning on having this fixed by this guy that works at his home as opposed to taking it to the stealership. This guy was the first one I called, from day one he told me the problem was on the seat´s rails. The three dealerships that I called had no clue, and told me that the motors might be the problem. They charge 150$ an hour of labor. And they all let me know that a 97 car is "a bit" old and they are not so familiarized with my car.
Lesson learned, the only thing I can do is get a repair manual and try to mitigate any further repair expense. Which one would you recommend? I see there are a bunch of them out there that apply to all models. Any specific one for R129 SL500 97?
Thank you very much,
Roy
Lastly, just wanted to share my reasoning on having this fixed by this guy that works at his home as opposed to taking it to the stealership. This guy was the first one I called, from day one he told me the problem was on the seat´s rails. The three dealerships that I called had no clue, and told me that the motors might be the problem. They charge 150$ an hour of labor. And they all let me know that a 97 car is "a bit" old and they are not so familiarized with my car.
Lesson learned, the only thing I can do is get a repair manual and try to mitigate any further repair expense. Which one would you recommend? I see there are a bunch of them out there that apply to all models. Any specific one for R129 SL500 97?
Thank you very much,
Roy
