I'm upset and just need to vent.


Took the 6 in for a smog check at Purrfect Auto in LV. As always, park in the parking lot which is literally 20ft away from the plug that needs to be inserted to read the computer. Hand the key to the grease monkey so they can drive it into the service bay when ready. No problems, we do this all the time!

Everything checks out fine. Get back into the car. Hey, I'm driving like frankenstien... he moved my seat back a little bit... no problem.

WRONG! I reach down to touch the forward seat adjustment, and instantly my seat begins with this sickening GROAN, plastic from the bulkhead starts POPPING, and SPRINGS forward from all the pressure.

Turns out Mr. I Need To Drive Like a Cholo Even If Its Only 20ft adjusted my seat so far back it compressed into the bulkhead hard enough to crunch some plastic and bend crap in the seat assembly causing slop (which I had replaced under warranty last year).

Now, I'm aware that our crossfire lacks some little taken-for-granted things that normal cars have, like a max seat adjustment stop so that torquey little motor doesn't sent your *** through the hatch. I know this, and I know others DON'T, so I tell valet drivers not to F with my seat. But I thought since this guy was going to drive my car for 10 seconds I could rest easy. Crunch! Not the case!

Although I'm pissed at him, I can't blame him for getting some leg room and assuming our power seats worked like OTHER vehicles where you can just back it up all the way without damage$.

NEXT PROJECT, seat adjustment motor kill switch.

 

Seems to be a common issue.

"Hey mang, you gotta ride in style!"

 

I know that sound. Unfortunately I'm probably a foot shorter than the guy at Chrysler, and I already have to remind them that the car will happily lock itself with the keys inside, so I'm afraid that if I tell them to be careful with the seat then they'll forget what I said about the key!

 

I have had this happen a few times but nothing was damaged. I like the kill switch idea!

 

Maybe its a fuse and no rewiring needed??????Woody

WEEKEND
WEEKEND
WEEKEND
WEEKEND

 

I wonder if installing a lower amperage momentary circuit breaker in line would work. Place a stop(clamp, bolt, tie wrap,etc...) on the track and when the seat stops that point the additional load on the motor trips the breaker?
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/d28.html[/FONT]

 

The trip current would be hard to set or get. CB's carry like 140% current for minutes and higher currents trip progressivley faster.

Just pulling the fuse would be a better bet so that they could not move the seat. If they dont fit you got to acquit, had to get that in. Any way you then tell them to let you drive it in........

Iam suprised that there are not limit switches????????Woody

ENJOY THE WEEKEND

 

Maybe there is something that can be clamped on to the track to stop it from going any further back.

Oops! that was already covered in post #6

Not sure but I don't think a breaker needs tripped. The only reason the seat stops other then taking your finger off the lever is it runs out of track, so shorten the track travel.

 

maybe you should just run the seat all the way back before letting anyone drive it....most people above 5'8" want it all the way back anyway....just a thought...and hell of lot less engineering....

 

Just guessing here, if it is run all the way back before hand then when the mechanic gets in he'll crush something when he leans back. That would make it the owners fault.

 

How tall was that mechanic? I'm 6'2" and drive with the seat all the way back, and it is more than enough room for my arms and legs. If my wife was driving (she's 5'4") I move the seat back all the way to the bulkhead, and if I keep moving the seat back after it touches the bulkhead the seat upright moves forward - it doesn't keep compressing into the bulkhead. Now, I've never kept pushing the seat back to see what would happen at the extreme, I stop after the the upright moves forward about a quarter inch or so.

 

This guy was about as tall as me, about 5'10".

There's two problems here which are interrelated and pertain to people who don't drive a crossfire.

1. the seat doesn't stop when you back it up. it crushes itself until it stops.

2. the interior of the xf is cramped in comparison to regular passenger vehicles. this makes an unfamiliar driver want as much room as possible, as indicated that when he reached full adjustment it was obviously not enough.

I like the fuse idea, I'm going to poke around for it. That, or I can install a small switch on a wire near the bottom of the seat and just flick it off for valets or mechanics.

 

I remember when I bought my h2 sut the previous owner was 4'6 and the key was coded for him, every time I turned on or off the ignition I would get squashed to the steering wheel. (not fun) but eventually I got her figured out.
sorry to hear about your misfortune

 

Leave it to a "squirt" 4'6" to have to drive an H2.
They usually have a "bad arss" dog too.