'05 power driver seat won't move

[Sparkss]

We have am '05 Eddie Bauer 4X4 expedition with heated/cooled power seats. The driver's seat has not moved forward/back in ages and is locked in the furthest most back position. It has been a major issue and I finally decided to do something about it. All other seat movements work (up, down, tilt, etc.), only the horizontal movement does not. When I push on the switch (forward or back) I can hear what sounds like a relay clicking, but no motor sounds and the seat does not move. I also tried to manually move the seat forward while pushing the button, still nothing. I had read that most others who had this issue needed to replace their motor, so I purchased one and just finished installing it. It came with all of the linkage, motor and what looks like a gear box, but possibly a limit switch sensor as it has it's own wire/plug, separate from the motor.

So, I am posting here because it did not work. After reassembling everything and re-installing the seat (and all 3 plugs underneath) it behaves the exact same. When I push the horizontal seat switch I hear a distinct click, but nothing else. I get this for both forward and backward movement attempts. I double checked all fuses and per the manual the fuse for the motor is shared by all of the other accessories in/under the seat, and they all work.

I tried to manually move the tracks while I had the seat out, but it was locked into the screw gear and I did not see a way to manually spin it (like a nut on one end or anything like that). I would like to confirm that the track is not frozen for some reason. Although I did my best to do a visual inspection and could not see anything lodged in the tracks and shook/tamped the seat and rails to try to dislodge anything that might have been stuck in there. But that seemed to not offer any results.

Is there another limit switch that could be causing a problem?

These are also memory seats, could the memory module be having issues and thereby not allowing it to travel? I felt that was less likely as I could move the seat up and down.

What am I overlooking? I am at whits end and my wife needs to use the truck and cannot drive it like this.


Thanks in advance for any help or guidance!

EDIT: After some more searching it appears that the "little gearbox" that I noted was the seat position/potentiometer (5L1Z-14547-AA). So it shipped with a new one (I ordered from here: https://www.fordpartsgiant.com/parts/ford-motor-assy-seat-adjuster_5l1z-14547-ba.html). It looks like this: https://www.amazon.com/5L1z14547aa-Position-Sensor-Potentiometer-Ford/dp/B0042HHEEM

I checked and the potentiometer assembly is discontinued. Maybe because it comes as part of the motor kit?

 

[Don Hall]

May help to manually move it (?):

https://carfromjapan.com/article/car-maintenance/how-to-manually-move-a-power-seat/

 

[David E]

Hi Sparks,
Have the exact same issue on a 2005 King Ranch. During my search for a solution I found some resolution through cleaning the contacts which at some cases get dirty and require good scrubbing with something like Deox spray and a brush or cloth. (This will require to take apart the switch) I did get the cleaning spray and plan to do it soon (keep you posted). In my case the chair does move every now and then yet mostly won't. Let us know when you get it solved.

 

[Sparkss]

Hi Sparks,
Have the exact same issue on a 2005 King Ranch. During my search for a solution I found some resolution through cleaning the contacts which at some cases get dirty and require good scrubbing with something like Deox spray and a brush or cloth. (This will require to take apart the switch) I did get the cleaning spray and plan to do it soon (keep you posted). In my case the chair does move every now and then yet mostly won't. Let us know when you get it solved.

Ok, so you are talking about the switch on the side of the seat that we use to initiate the seat movement? (not some switch under the seat somewhere). Odd that I do hear a clicking noise, like a relay triggering, when I move the switch. Do you get that noise also?

And yea, back when it first started there was intermittent periods were it would work, then it just stopped all together. I would hate to think that all that effort and $150 in parts was wasted and all I needed was to clean the switch contacts .

I am going to search, but is there a way to get at the switch w/o taking the seat out? It would be great to be able to check power and continuity on the load side of the switch. When I pull the east out I lose the ability to check for power .

Thanks!

 

[Sparkss]

May help to manually move it (?):

https://carfromjapan.com/article/car-maintenance/how-to-manually-move-a-power-seat/

Thanks. I did not see anything on/under our seats like the rod that sticks out in the picture . I will do some searching for Expedition specific manual manipulation, if the switch "clean" doesn't provide the relief needed.

 

[Aspen03]

You mentioned you hear a click, thats probably the switch itself, the click it makes is just not very loud. All the parts in the world won't solve it if you aren't getting power, definitely check voltage, continuity, etc.

In all of the vehicles I've owned, only one didn't have power seats and of the issues I've had its never been a motor/track. It has always been a switch or power/wire issue.

The side panel of the seat should be minimal effort to remove. I believe its just pop off the front trim piece and then a screw or two...maybe a clip and you should be able to get at the switch.

 

[Aspen03]

.

Duplicate post

 

[David E]

Ok, so you are talking about the switch on the side of the seat that we use to initiate the seat movement? (not some switch under the seat somewhere). Odd that I do hear a clicking noise, like a relay triggering, when I move the switch. Do you get that noise also? Yes, that is the one. The switch that moves many directions. back to fwd closes two circuits that control that movement of the seat and others as you know closes other circuits and at its turn does another function. *up/down/tilt. I get the same noise that you are describing as well. The idea from the research is that the contacts make due but not enough to transfer the amount of energy required to actually move the seat.Hence cleaning it really good helps when the power is neede to be pulled. Similar to a car battery that at times connected loose and everything works till one tries to crank and the amp pull with the low quality connection creates havoc. (had that happen to me too)

And yea, back when it first started there was intermittent periods were it would work, then it just stopped all together. I would hate to think that all that effort and $150 in parts was wasted and all I needed was to clean the switch contacts . I am trying to go from the easy first hence that theory came up after doing some research. Luckily I have a parts Expy (same year EB version) that will help me problem solve.

I am going to search, but is there a way to get at the switch w/o taking the seat out? It would be great to be able to check power and continuity on the load side of the switch. When I pull the east out I lose the ability to check for power . From what I looked online there is no need to take the seat out. You take all the notches out then the trim piece (one in the fron and the side one as well) then you chouls have access to the contacts unit (no idea how its called)
Round piece pops out with some force, there is a screw in the front of the seat that holds the side panel, the switch piece has two scres that attaches it to the panel which I believe you should be able to take out and then just slide the trim piece fwd and out.
-- this is a link that shows some of the disassembly.
Good luck and keep us posted. Today was working on the Harley all day for a big trip so no time for the beast (my expedition)

 

[Sparkss]

Ok, so you are talking about the switch on the side of the seat that we use to initiate the seat movement? (not some switch under the seat somewhere). Odd that I do hear a clicking noise, like a relay triggering, when I move the switch. Do you get that noise also? Yes, that is the one. The switch that moves many directions. back to fwd closes two circuits that control that movement of the seat and others as you know closes other circuits and at its turn does another function. *up/down/tilt. I get the same noise that you are describing as well. The idea from the research is that the contacts make due but not enough to transfer the amount of energy required to actually move the seat.Hence cleaning it really good helps when the power is neede to be pulled. Similar to a car battery that at times connected loose and everything works till one tries to crank and the amp pull with the low quality connection creates havoc. (had that happen to me too)

Thanks, that makes sense. I was starting to think it was not the switch since I would hear the (louder than the switch) about a half-second after I initiated the switch. But with your explanation that does make perfect sense. I have the contact cleaner in hand and am going to pull the switch and clean it today.

Thanks for the video. I am pretty sure I saw it before (when first researching this issue) but I couldn't find it again for some reason. So the link was very helpful!

 

[Sparkss]

Pulled the switch out and did my best to clean it. Could not take it apart for fear of not being able to put it back together. I was able to open it up, but not safely remove the switch itself. I did pull one side up (unclipped and pried it up) to get better access to spray the contact cleaner. But it did not resolve my issue. Still just get a loud click under the seat, although it sounded louder than before. But that may just be because the plastic trim was no longer over the motor area. I had to put it all on hold as I was trying to bypass the switch by shorting the contacts on the board and managed to short the wrong set, blowing the fuse. I will pick up more fuses later and continue working on it. For now it is parked.

I also am considering taking the switch from the passenger side to see if that fixes the problem on the drivers side. But TBH I have not even looked to see if they are the same switch or not yet.

 

[David E]

Pulled the switch out and did my best to clean it. Could not take it apart for fear of not being able to put it back together. I was able to open it up, but not safely remove the switch itself. I did pull one side up (unclipped and pried it up) to get better access to spray the contact cleaner. But it did not resolve my issue. Still just get a loud click under the seat, although it sounded louder than before. But that may just be because the plastic trim was no longer over the motor area. I had to put it all on hold as I was trying to bypass the switch by shorting the contacts on the board and managed to short the wrong set, blowing the fuse. I will pick up more fuses later and continue working on it. For now it is parked.

I also am considering taking the switch from the passenger side to see if that fixes the problem on the drivers side. But TBH I have not even looked to see if they are the same switch or not yet.

So sorry for that. I was really hoping this would work for you. I would then suggest that maybe you can find a car junk yard (we have several around us) and just remove a chair that's in working order. (you will need to have a battery and possible a key to make sure the chair moves)
Problem solving it with a multi-meter to see that the commands get where they need might be the best option without breaking the bank. You can also test with load to confirm nothing fails on that part.
I will keep you posted as I go through my problem solving!

 

[Sparkss]

So sorry for that. I was really hoping this would work for you. I would then suggest that maybe you can find a car junk yard (we have several around us) and just remove a chair that's in working order. (you will need to have a battery and possible a key to make sure the chair moves)
Problem solving it with a multi-meter to see that the commands get where they need might be the best option without breaking the bank. You can also test with load to confirm nothing fails on that part.
I will keep you posted as I go through my problem solving!

Thanks, I have the fuses now, so I can identify and replace the one I blew . I do have the wiring diagram for the seat motor circuit, so I will try to do some troubleshooting. I have several multi-meters and more than a basic understanding of circuits (was a licensed electrician for 12 years before changing careers to computer engineering). It is just a PITA to get to the contact points and/or hardness plugs while the seat is installed in the truck, and don't have a good setup for delivering power to it while it is out. The switch is $40 from Ford, could have sworn I saw it for around 4@0 after market. I will take a look at the passenger side to see if it will work to test with, if not then I may just buy a switch. I am still thinking it is something with the tracks, so I started looking at what it takes to remove the seat from the tracks and/or to manually move the seat (manually spin the spindle gear). I have taken the seat out several times, so I am an old pro at it now, not that there is really that much too it to begin with .

For replacing the seat, even with a used one, would probably be expensive. It is a heated/cooled power seat with memory. So it includes every option that I am aware of .

 

[Tom Aldridge]

Check to see if this applies to your truck.
https://workshop-manuals.com/ford/e...05/interior_drivers_power_seat_will_not_move/

My 2004 EB falls in the affected date range and has the reported issue if the seat is run all the way back and left in that position for too long.
Attempts to set/calibrate the 'soft stop' position haven't resolved the issue so mine likely has the potentiometer issue described in the TSB. (I did see your note about the motor kit and pot but didn't know if you'd replaced it. Obviously, if you can't move the seat, you can't calibrate the soft stop position)

If the seat is stuck, I find that I can get the seat to move if someone in the back seat will repeatedly push forward at the bottom of the seat frame while I repeatedly try to move the seat forward using the switch.
I also find that I move the seat occasionally, that appears to prevent it from sticking.
Based on how mine behaves, I'd think it was a mechanical issue but with the info in TSB 05-18-14, it may be the position sensing pot.

I keep the seat in the full back position because of slop in the gear/screw/track mechanism.

As I read this, I realized that it's been some time since I moved the seat so I just tried it....and it was stuck.
Used the 2 person method described above to get it moving again today.

Hope this helps some.

 

[Sparkss]

I had reviewed that TSB and am not 100% if it applies to me or not. The seat motor (that I pulled out and the new one I put back in) both had a straight bar (not bent). However I am thinking you may be right about it getting stuck. Ours had the feature that when the key was turned off the seat would move all the way to the rear position to make it easier to enter/exit the vehicle. Only after putting in the key would the seat move to it's designated (memory) position. So not driving it is the same as leaving it all the way back (although not purposefully).

So I did some more troubleshooting this morning. I took the driver's side switch and plugged it into the passengers side front seat. It worked just fine, up/down, forward/back, etc. I then took the old drivers seat motor assembly and plugged it into the passenger side wiring harness. The switch would operate the motor no problem. However the passenger side does not have a pot and no connection for it, so I just plugged in the motor for the test.

Next I am going to remover the plug from the pot on the drivers side to see if it will allow the motor/seat to move. However I first need to find the fuse that I blew the last time I tinkered with it . The manual PDF I had specified fuse #19, but according to the fuse box panel there is a 10 Amp fuse in that location and it is not blown. In my research I recall it should be a 30 Amp. Once I get that sorted I will do the test w/o the pot plugged in, then if that works I will plug it back in to see how it operates. If that test doesn't work I will get my wife to help with pushing from the back while I try to run the seat forward.

Lastly, I am trying to decide what to do about the motor assembly I bought. It appears that it is not needed, however it did come with a new pot, which seems to be a common failure point. And when I checked the web site this morning (to read up on the return policy) I noticed that the part is now $50 more. So maybe I will just hold onto it for a spare. Or more specifically leave it where it is and keep the orig one for a spare).

 

[Sparkss]

I just double checked and the drivers seat motor is fuse #109, not #19. And it is a 30 Amp "Maxi" fuse. Luckily I also picked up some spares of those too .

 

[Sparkss]

ok, so fuse #109 is intact. Even pulled it and checked it with a meter for continuity. However the drivers seat (and both power mirrors) are still dead. I think I saw fuse #3 that might be what I blew

#3
7.5A
Power mirror switch, Power mirrors (non-memory), Driver seat switch (memory), Memory module (logic power)

 

[Sparkss]

It was fuse #3. I swapped it out (definitely was burnt) and put a fresh one in. I now can move the seat up/down/tilt again and can hear the relay click when I try fwd/rev. I did pull the connector out of the potentiometer, still no movement. Then I pulled the plug out of the motor under the seat (the new one) and plugged it into the one I had removed. The switch would make the motor spin no problem, both FWD and REV. So I am up to the point of trying to force the seat forward, as recommended by Tom (the other Tom, my name also happens to be Tom, go figure ). Or pull the seat out and take it off of the rails to see if there is anything binding up on the tracks. Guess I will give the "push" idea a try first . Just am worried that if something was wrong in the tracks then I could make it worse, but then again it hasn't moved in years, so it may well be stuck. I did try sitting in the seat, activated the switch and pulled as hard forward as possible, but that is not the same as getting behind and putting my weight into it while pushing with my legs. That will be next .

 

[dhindsa95]

Did you have any luck? I have read the TSB and turns out I had the bent motor bracket so I ordered a new one and that took a month to come in and I installed it today and still I am just getting a click. I also replaces the switch same deal. I hear a click and I can feel the motor try or shake a little before it stops. I don’t know what else to try so wondering if something else worked for you. Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chris032188]

So I fixed this issue on mine. It would click but not move. I removed the seat from the vehicle, disconnected the connector to the horizontal motor and potentometer right next to motor. I used an external 12v battery directly wired to seat motor (reverse polarity to change directions). I moved the seat all the way forward then centered it. I reconnected the connections reinstalled seat, and evrything is working now.