Does anyone know how to take apart the seat? After one of the accidents the seat was broken and something got replaced and ever since the seat is squeaking and driving me up the wall.
Front or rear? There is a video on u-tube showing the front seat and there is a picture how-to for the rear on Outmotoring. Jim
I found it, but all it showed was how to disconnect the airbag. I had never watched the entire thing, so I thought it showed more. Sorry. Jim
Why not follow the approach of a 10 year old? Find a screw, remove a screw, repeat. If that fails to yield the desired result, move to a different tool... I like crowbars, hammers, chain saws and plasma cutters.
Don't know if this helps as far as taking your seat apart but Batrugger did a nice "How To" that might help? http://www.motoringalliance.com/forums/interior/2583-diy-remove-rear-seat-cover-recover.html
I forgot Wes did that. Good info. Looks like I might not need to take the back apart, unless I want to look into why my lumber support doesn't do anything.
Try this. It's a Google cached page of a recent NAM thread that I saw, which seems to have been deleted. It has a link (hopefully still alive) to download pages from the BMW service manual. The download includes a 15 MB PDF for servicing the seat.
Well, for me, I can take anything apart with a big enough hammer and chainsaw. Short of that, there are a collection of seat threads here..... Hope this helps. Mini Cooper Car Interiorl -- SooperCooperInfo.com
I think I have enough info now to seriously mess some things up. Gonna look at my non-functioning lumber support while at it.
Thanks all for the tips. Got to the seat today. Low and slow took about half hour to take appart. Drank some beer till the wife got home. Had her jump up and down in the seat till I found all the squeaks and got them greased with some spray on white lithium ... grease. Couple of laps around the block seem to confirm that noise is gone, although I am not hearing other stuff. Found the lumbar support mat busted to hell. What a flimsy piece of equipment. Thin, flexing plastic membrane. How the hell they ever expected this to last with a 200 lbs red blooded american of a russian decent falling into the seat? Thankfully the part itself is about $75, so I will be taking the seat apart again as soon as I get it.
Thanks all for the tips. Got to the seat today. Low and slow took about half hour to take appart. Drank some beer till the wife got home. Had her jump up and down in the seat till I found all the squeaks and got them greased with some spray on white lithium ... grease. Couple of laps around the block seem to confirm that noise is gone, although I am now hearing other stuff. Found the lumbar support mat busted to hell. What a flimsy piece of equipment. Thin, flexing plastic membrane. How the hell they ever expected this to last with a 200 lbs red blooded american of a russian decent falling into the seat? Thankfully the part itself is about $75, so I will be taking the seat apart again as soon as I get it.
Since you're replacing the lumbar anyway, you might consider replacing it with the adjustable lumbar that normally only comes with factory leather seats. There's a writeup on NAM for retrofitting it on an R56 seat. The author thinks the same procedure would apply to a 1st gen seat as well. http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/how-to/172353-interior-exterior-retrofit-adjustable-lumbar-support-to-a-sports-seat.html http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/stock-problems-issues/182186-oem-lumbar-support-is-failing.html
I do have leather seats and the adjustable lumbar. What they call a spring mat is actually plastic. I'll post pics when I get it out.