Being someone who likes to fix problems for the cheap unless necessary to replace the parts, I have wanted to tackle fixing my lumbar motor in my driver's seat.
I initially thought it to be the switch. In order to test the switch undo the back slide connector for the leather. Along the back frame of the seat there is a connector that goes between the switch and the lumbar motor. Pull it apart and test to see if 12v is present when the switch is depressed. I would imagine that in 90% or greater the switch is not bad, but could be hanging out of the seat.
Next remove the seat. Four 14mm bolts and one connector and the seat should come out. Once removed lift up the back of the leather that covers the seat and on the right there is a housing for the lumbar motor. Getting it out is no picnic.
Two things absolutely necessary are Mechanix gloves (or similar padded ones for the seat frame is sharp!) and a long 10mm ratcheting wrench (unless one wants to remove the leather from the back. I'd also say a magnet on a swivel in case screws get lost.
There is an adjusting metal lumbar frame that holds the lumbar motor housing (white plastic) to the seat frame (I lost some pics here folks but it is pretty straight forward). You want to loosen it (metal lumbar frame) from the seat frame but do NOT remove the two gold 10mm bolts (you want to have some wiggle room to remove the motor housing) that are located on the right side frame of the seat. Next take a phillips head screwdriver and remove the three gold screws from the motor housing that attaches to the lumbar frame. I would also remove the plastic piece that rests against the seat and clips to the lumbar frame rod that runs the length of the seat. Also pull the leather up as far up as possible to aid in pulling out the lumbar motor housing.
Here is the lumbar motor housing, gears, and motor ( with the cover off and electrical connector removed):
Now take off the little gear cover by removing the three black screws and pull out the motor. Remove the white cap of the motor by bending back the two tabs.
Here is what you should see. Pay close attention to the little gold ring on the shaft and the brushes on the connectors on the white cap. More than likely they are soaked with something Denso used to prevent the motor from rusting so there isn't any electrical charge to turn the motor when the switch is depressed. Clean both the ring and the brushes well (I used electrical cleaner and then a Dremel wire wheel):
In addition I took compressed air and blew the motor out to try and dry it.
Using a battery I'd performed a couple of test runs along with adding a little grease to the gears. Worked well.
Now just everything is the reverse for butting it back up. The hardest thing for me was to get the lumbar frame to line up with the motor since the frame has teeth on it that mesh with the teeth from the motor (no pic of it).
As I told fellow member A.Wilson I just don't think the motor has enough power to move the lumbar frame well. In fact I'd only recommend adjusting it with the engine running.
I also got my switch to stay in the seat now by drilling two holes in the switch housing, placing the switch inside the seat, then with a long set of 90 degree pliers I inserted two little aluminum tubes in the holes so they can rest against the seat frame and hold the switch in place, albeit more that likely tighter than it was before from the factory.
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