Front Seat Problems T3 3-Door

[okapi nibbles]

hello, I’ve just bought a 2004 Toyota Corolla 1.6 VVT-i T3 3dr but both front seats have problems with the mechanisms.

The passenger front seat does not go up or down, it does tip forward but does not slide forward to allow rear seat access properly.

The drivers seat does tip and slide forward but does not go up and down in height. It is stuck at the high position and does not go down. It’s alright for the mrs who is 5' 4" but I’m 6' so its too high.

I presume I’ll have to get replacement seats from a scrap dealer eventually but I’ve got it booked in with a mechanic in a couple of days time to have a look at the mechanisms first.

I’ve read about disabling the Battery first to stop the seat belt alarm and to look for the Bowden Cable,

could the Bowden cable be the cause for the passenger seat not sliding?

is there anything advice wise that could help?

[oldcodger]

Its likely your model has an airbag on each seat, so before attempting to remove a seat, you must disconnect the Battery and wait 5 mins before disconnecting the airbag and seat belt wiring connectors; according to the Haynes manual ( that book does not contain anything more on the seats, though still a good book to have)

For the seats not sliding, that seems a straight forwards enough slide and lock mechanism, so think it should be easy enought to inspect and if simply jammed you could free them off, unless some of the parts have been badly damaged.

As for the height adjuster, no experience of that, but its possible the ratchet mechanism teeth are damged or jammed ..?

Parts, yes, scrappers, unless your local Toyota dealer has something new at a decent price, worth enquiring first.

[okapi nibbles]

thanks Codger, much appreciated I’ll pass that on to the mechanic, I’d already warned him about disconnecting the Battery.

The problem with the seats is a shame as the only other thing wrong was replacing two tyres and headlight bulbs…..

….until today, when the drivers wind shattered!