New question - S80

[Pat Durkin]

I don't find much helpful info on my driver's side power seat at
Brickboard.com, so maybe somebody here can give me some advice.

The seat's electric control buttons were fully functional at all times from
the day I bought it new until a few weeks ago, when they became kind of
balky.

Now, when my wife drives the car and moves the seat all the way forward I
don't have any trouble moving the seat back before I try to sit down as long
as the car has cooled off a little since she parked it. I can open the door
and run the seat base aft as far as I like. Then I can sit down and close
the door and start the engine and it won't move any more.

This troubles me because sometimes my guesstimate is not accurate when I
first position the seat. If I sit down and start it up and then find that I
really need a little more leg or belly room or maybe the seat back angle
isn't quite right, the seat won't move at all when I reach for the controls.

Actually Volvo's owner's manual encourages people NOT to move the seat when
the vehicle is in motion however despite all that, mine worked fine at all
times before this started happening, so I know it's not because the seat was
programmed at the factory not to move if the ignition is on.

Since the seat DOES move under some conditions there's apparently nothing
mechanical wrong with it but there must be some sort of electrical glitch.
Is this a common thing? And what should a non-electrician such as myself
check first?

Pat

 

[Mike F]

I don't find much helpful info on my driver's side power seat at
Brickboard.com, so maybe somebody here can give me some advice.

The seat's electric control buttons were fully functional at all times from
the day I bought it new until a few weeks ago, when they became kind of
balky.

Now, when my wife drives the car and moves the seat all the way forward I
don't have any trouble moving the seat back before I try to sit down as long
as the car has cooled off a little since she parked it. I can open the door
and run the seat base aft as far as I like. Then I can sit down and close
the door and start the engine and it won't move any more.

This troubles me because sometimes my guesstimate is not accurate when I
first position the seat. If I sit down and start it up and then find that I
really need a little more leg or belly room or maybe the seat back angle
isn't quite right, the seat won't move at all when I reach for the controls.

Actually Volvo's owner's manual encourages people NOT to move the seat when
the vehicle is in motion however despite all that, mine worked fine at all
times before this started happening, so I know it's not because the seat was
programmed at the factory not to move if the ignition is on.

Since the seat DOES move under some conditions there's apparently nothing
mechanical wrong with it but there must be some sort of electrical glitch.
Is this a common thing? And what should a non-electrician such as myself
check first?

Pat

These glitches can be usually be cured with a software patch, but often
just powering down the affected body computer will reset everything and
you'll be fine for the next little while. I can't tell you which fuse
(or even which computer!), but obviously disconnecting the battery will
do it. (Make sure you have your radio code.) My father had a problem
with the rear door and tailgate locks on his new style V70 (front doors
still worked) that was cured by resetting the rear body computer.

Also, can't you put a seat setting into memory so you can get it right
before you get into the car?

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

NOTE: new address!!
Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)

 

[Rob Guenther]

I was thinking the same thing - seat memories... There should be three.

 

[Pat Durkin]

These glitches can be usually be cured with a software patch, but often
just powering down the affected body computer will reset everything and
you'll be fine for the next little while. I can't tell you which fuse
(or even which computer!), but obviously disconnecting the battery will
do it. (Make sure you have your radio code.) My father had a problem
with the rear door and tailgate locks on his new style V70 (front doors
still worked) that was cured by resetting the rear body computer.

Also, can't you put a seat setting into memory so you can get it right
before you get into the car?

Thanks Mike. I'll look into both the software patches AND the possibility
of just disconnecting the battery. Hmmmm. Wonder where I could locate my
radio code. And then when I've found it, I wonder what I could do with it.
How would I re-set the codes? A sequence of button pushes?

Okay. Next item --- the seat memory: Yes. There is a memory system.

It works sometimes. Not all the time. But even if it functions perfectly
when I come out to get in my car after she's driven it, I still have the
problem of not being able to reposition my seat after I've driven a while
and just want to slightly change my body position. I really need to get to
the bottom of this seat thing.

Pat

 

[Mike F]

Thanks Mike. I'll look into both the software patches AND the possibility
of just disconnecting the battery. Hmmmm. Wonder where I could locate my
radio code. And then when I've found it, I wonder what I could do with it.
How would I re-set the codes? A sequence of button pushes?

Okay. Next item --- the seat memory: Yes. There is a memory system.

It works sometimes. Not all the time. But even if it functions perfectly
when I come out to get in my car after she's driven it, I still have the
problem of not being able to reposition my seat after I've driven a while
and just want to slightly change my body position. I really need to get to
the bottom of this seat thing.

Pat

That's a good question about the radio code. I've never needed to punch
in a radio code on the new type radios without preset buttons. Let us
know when you figure it out!

--
Mike F.
Thornhill (near Toronto), Ont.

NOTE: new address!!
Replace tt with t (twice!) and remove parentheses to email me directly.
(But I check the newsgroup more often than this email address.)