Got a 06 Limited with power third row option. The rear Pas. side seat is stuck down and when I push the button you can hear the motor running but the seat does not move. I have tried shaking the seat while pushing the button with no luck. Any advice?

 

Nobody has had this problem?

 

I've never heard of it. I would think that if the mechanism is broken, then you could just pull the seat up. Makes me think the motor/mechanism/something is jammed. Maybe try the shaking while pushing the button again, maybe with more vigor.

Mike

 

I have a 2006 Explorer Limited.

When I press up or down on the switch, I can see and hear the motor work, but the seat back does not move.

When I look at the seat mechenism/structure, I think that the entire seat is one complete unit.

I guess I will go to the Ford dealer, ask for the part(s) to repair, and hope to get an idea of the pieces needed to repair. Then I can go to a wrecking yard and, hopefully, find the pieces to make the repair.

 

Did you ever find a solution? We have this same issue.

 

I have removed every part from the rear seat area, with the exception of the rear hatch door (slight exadgeration). It appears to me that there is a single mounting frame for both third row seats. The left and right motor/screw mechanisms are both rivited to the frame and cannot be removed from the frame. I find it hard to believe, but it appears to me that the frame and both motors/screw mechanisms must be replaced as a single unit. I shudder to think of the cost of such a part.

I am stumped. And I am surprised that more FTE forum readers have not responded.

 

I have the same problem with our 06 Mountaineer. Haven't pulled it apart yet but, when I do, I'll post pics.

 

I have the same truck with the same issue. I have not had time to look at
mine
Bill

 

Went to my local Ford STEALERSHIP to inquire about the part/parts to repair my broken third row power seat mechanism.

The part is called a "Latch Assembly". Includes electric motor. Costs about $250.

Problem seems to be epidemic. Very common in "06 models. More often than not, the failure occurs on the driver's side seat. Visit www:explorerforum.com. Ford/Mercury must have known they had a recall situation on their hands. But, since this does not appear to involve a safety issue, Ford decided to ignore it.

On my '06 Limited, the plastic/nylon gears are completely stripped, so the seat back is easy to raise and lower by hand. I have put together a nylon strap with hooks on each end and an adustment buckle (just the right length) which hooks to a head rest upright and to one of the rear cargo hooks. It holds the seat back in an upright position, very well. Plus, when a passenger is strapped in with the shoulder/lap belt combo, they are not going anywhere.

Untill something compels me to do otherwise, I am happy raising and lowerering the seat back by hand. I am confident that replaceing the broken latch assembly with a new or used unit would only result in the replacement unit's failure, in short time.

Thanks Ford.

 

How are you putting the seat up and down by hand without cutting the shaft?

 

tlallen59:

I apologize for taking so long to reply to your December 11, 2011 question. Your email slipped under my radar, when it was first received. I discovered it, today, while I was deleting old messages.

In my August 10, 2011 thread entry, I failed to mention the following.....

On the threaded screw shaft, there is what I call a "traveler nut". The nut attaches to the seat bottom (remember, this is the driver's side/left third row seat) by way of a swivel arm bolted/rivited to the seat bottom. As designed, when the screw shaft turns, the seat bottom will move forward (raising the seat back), or move aft/back (lowering the seat back).

The swivel arm was spot welded to the traveler nut in two places. In addition to the plastic/nylon gears on the motor stripping, both of the spot welds attaching the swivel arm to the traveler nut cracked. So the seat bottom is no longer attached to the screw shaft.

When I inquired at the dealership about purchasing separate parts (gear assembly, traveler nut/swing arm assembly, whatever), the answer was "You gotta buy the Latch Assembly" (which is everything except the seat).

I have thought, several times, about going to a salvage yard to locate a latch assembly from a junker, but the thought of the whole task just tires me out.

In the meantime, the strap that I use to raise/lower the seat back and secure it in an upright position works well and shows no signs of stripping gears or weld breaks.

 

Greenetruck,

The spot welds are not cracked on the traveler nut and swivel arm on my
seat. Do you think cutting the threaded screw shaft would allow me to
manually raise and lower the seat? I don't want to buy the latch assembly. The seat is locked in the upright position and the traveler nut is
located at the front of the seat. Where would be the best place to cut the threaded screw shaft if that is my only option?

Thanks for any suggestions that you may have.

 

Chetski22:

Your question is way above my pay grade. I hate to recommend that you break something that is not broken.

You did not mention what might be preventing your seat from raising and lowering. If it is something as simple as a blown electric motor fuse, that is easy to fix. If you break the welds on that traveler nut or cut that threaded screw shaft, and then find that your problem was just a blown fuse, you are SOL.

In my case, I did my due diligence to determine that everything was in working order (seat motor, plastic gears, sliding seat tracks, etc.) When I found that the traveler nut had broken off fron the swivel arm, I made the decision that the repair was too much trouble. My "super strap" system works well, for the time being. If I do decide to have the traveler nut welded back to the swivel arm, I know that everything still works.

If you were to take a hammer and cold chisel and give those two weld spots on the traveler nut a good bash, I'm sure they would both separate. And, that would free your seat to be raised and lowered manually. However, I am not recommending that you break those welds, or hacksaw that threaded screw shaft in half. Either action would be a last resort. If it were me, I would want to explore all other methods to repair my problem, before my last resort.

If you have not already done so, do your due diligence first.

 

Greenetruck,

Thanks for the quick response. Since I can hear the motor running I am
assuming it is getting power and there is no problem with the fuse. Based
on a large number of posts on the internet the problem seems to be with the plastic gears being stripped.

Do you know if the threaded screw shaft is part of the latch assembly that comes with the motor and gear box? Do you know how the spot welds crack on your truck?

Thanks

 

Chetski22:

My threaded screw shaft still turns, so I am pretty sure that the electric motor and plastic gears are still working.

As to how the traveler nut became seperated from the swivel arm, well, several of my grandkids (ages 5 to 10) were playing in the back of the Explorer. My guess is that they were playing with the control switches, raising and lowering the third seat backs. One, or more, of them were on the left seat back, while it was in the lowered position. Somebody hit the up switch, and the torque from the screw shaft broke the two spot welds on the traveler nut. Heck, they may have gotten lucky and got a fun ride during some earlier attempts. You know how kids can be. My guess is that those two spot welds were done by a robot and were not much stronger than Elmers Glue.

I guess I'm lucky that the spot welds gave, instead of the plastic gears stripping. I still may take the Explorer to a welding shop and see if they can spot weld the traveler nut back onto the swivel arm.

According to what the guy at the Ford "stealership" told me, everything that's bolted/rivited to the floor and the seat (including the screw shaft) is part of the "latch assembly". You have to buy the whole thing. And, it is not cheap.

Knowing how weak those spot welds were on my Explorer, my guess is that it would not be too difficult to break them loose with a hammer and chisel.