2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission 99 seat motor problems revisted.. YES i searched... for hours

[josh]

Ok guys & gals,



Spent most of last night reading about all the problems w/ the 99 driver side seat motors failing. Mine unfortantely have failed, I am going to rebuild them today, but what I noticed about last nights searching & countless post is that they were all quite a few years old. Anything new on this front? Are there solid aftermarket seat alternatives that people have had success with etc? Aftermarket motors etc?



I took a visit to the junk yard this morning. . nothing. . nada. . zipp.



Thanks. . Josh

 

[WilsonF]

I found this on one of the truck forums.

Dodge - Ram Truck 94 - 97 - Items - Two Men One Garage

Floyd

 

[BK]

the motor that lifts the rear of the seat, on my 99 is not well.


The problem is the built in breaker that is in the end house.
Not the actual motor itself.

I shorted it out and the motor woke up.
Measured the current and the current of the "happy motors" and it's the same. So I have a strong educated guess that the cheapo rube goldberg designed internal breaker just isn't acting as it should.

I've locked the seat/motor into the highest position and then pulled the plug on the that motor.

For the last 3 years, I have planned on,(but haven't done it), to buy an inline breaker, and install it in series with the motor, and take the motor out and short the internal breaker. . just haven't done it!...

 

[Joe Mc]

I found this on one of the truck forums.



Dodge - Ram Truck 94 - 97 - Items - Two Men One Garage



Floyd

Floyd - I wonder if the motors in the link you provided would work on a 99? That's what Josh is looking for - me too mine have been screwed for years, the front to back motor only works (sometimes) in the front mode, the up down motors don't work at all.



A bit of a funny story - My wife had to take the truck one day, when she gets home she calls me over to the truck, "get me outta this thing"!!! As I'm walking over I notice she's sitting real close to the steering wheel. Well the story she tells me after I ask "What the heck are you sitting so close to the steering wheel for", :-laf I already figured out what happened. She tells me "I moved the seat up a bit after leaving, then decided it was too far forward, I tried to move it back and it wouldn't work" #@$%!. "So then I figured I'd run it all the way forward and maybe it would work going back afterwards" #@$%! I almost asked her this "so that idea didn't quite work out like you planned":-laf - I used my better judgement (a rare occasion) and decided to just help her get the seat back so she could get out. The good news is - she refuses to drive my "trap" of a truck anymore Oo.



Thanks for the glimmer of hope with seat motors.

 

[bluewingron]

I have 3 motors out of my old 95 clubcab would that be any help to you.

-- email address removed --

 

[WilsonF]

Not sure about the 99, they have a "Contact Us" you could ask.


Floyd

 

[josh]

Thank you!

Guys I appreciate all the responses & so far my research shows that the motors from "2 men 1 garage" are not compatiable. I have pulled the seat & I will get into the motors tomorrow. BK your probably right about the breaker as I measured current ranging from 4. 6V to 12. 13V with no consistency. This seems to be a problem for everyone w/ a 99'. Does anyone know if there was a manual seat version for that same year? I have leather etc, but I could swap seat frames maybe? I also have a brand new set of brand new Bride racing seats for a Porsche... but I have a feeling my fiance (who loves to drive my truck) will red flag that idea!



Bluewingron. . I really appreciate the offer, but I have a 96' w/ electric seats & the motors appear to be very differnet than the 99's. Doesnt look like they will interface the same way even w/ modification.



Thank you again guys & I look forward to more progress on this issue!

 

[Wooter]

Seat Motor(s)

Remove the seat cushion, clean and lube the motors (take them apart and do the whole thing), put it all back together and it should work. I had the same trouble and this worked for me. 98 w/6 way pwr seat. The seat is held on with 4 screws (below each corner of the seat cushion)

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I have a '98 with a weak seat motor and cleaning/lubing did nothing. I think I'll try bypassing the internal breaker like BK did and try that.

Another problem is they get grease worked inside of them, take apart and clean the grease out. It's a bit tricky getting it back together with the brushes but not too hard.

 

[BK]

It's been a few good years since I did it, I think there was an access hole in the end housing where you could probe in and short out the breaker. .
Again, probably been 3-4 years since I tinkered with it and discovered it was the little crappy internal bi metal breaker.

 

[budnate]

hey guys... the next guy who cracks a motor take some good macro hi res pictures and post them up. . I think if a guy just serviced/cleaned the motors inside and checked the brushes and streched the springs a tad about 80% of the guys having dead ones would be back in business.



B.

 

[BK]

not going to say that wont be someone else's problem, but it wasn't mine.
It was the cheapo built in breaker. . mine was clean on the inside.

And defeating the breaker brought it back to life. Measured the current and it was fine.

Again, been a few good years since I did it, but iirc, there was a little hole in the end cap to defeat the breaker... push the two parts together or short 'em. noticed it after I took the whole darn thing apart.

 

[krtcummins]

So do the later year Gen 2 trucks have the same problems? Like my 2001? So far I've had no problem, but wish I had a manual seat since I bought the truck new. Less stuff to go wrong. Just wait till the motors go obsolete from Dodge. Then what? That usually happens after ten years.

 

[BK]

I think they all have the cheapo built in breaker... . and somewhere I read it was a common problem... motor ok, breaker going south making it look like a bad motor

 

[krtcummins]

After reading this thread and seeing as how I'm the only one that drives my truck, I put the seat in the position I want it in and unplugged the motor. I would imaging the motors go out when the seat is in the wrong position most of the time. This will cure that problem right now!

 

[BK]

That's what I did 3-4 year ago when I first trouble shot mine and found it to be the cheapo breaker built into the housing. . got it into position and unplugged it. . been fine ever since.

 

[krtcummins]

I never really liked the "Six way" power seat anyway. I wish the truck would have came with a manual seat, but it didn't. As time rolls on the seat parts will become "Obsolete" from Chrysler. Then we will really have problems!

 

[BK]

I could swear there was a version with just manual for the 99s.

 

[krtcummins]

There was. It was the base trim level. Mine is the SLT Laramie. If I was ordering a new truck now, I would get the base trim level with crank windows, rubber floor mat, Etc. I would put my money into HD drive train stuff and of course, the best factory radio system they offer. I'm a music guy that likes a great sound system. Country Western of course!

 

[MarkMiller]

Ok guys & gals,

Are there solid aftermarket seat alternatives that people have had success with etc? Aftermarket motors etc?



Thanks. . Josh

DO NOT BUY QUALITEX! I ordered one and then went through a war with them to get them to take it back. The seat was flimsy at best and since mine is a QC I had the seatbelts built in headrest. The qualitex unit had the seatbelts in the middle of the headrests so they came out right behind your head. Awful product.



These are the people that made the seat:

Lear : Leading global supplier of automotive seating systems and electrical power management systems



Call and harass them. Might be able to get some parts...