Chrysler Repair: chrysler van :power seat stuck forward, structural supports, trunk area


Question
QUESTION: my mom pushed her electric drivers seat as far foward as it would go now it won't go back. is there any way to release it. the seat goes up and down and reclines so there is power to the seat.

ANSWER: Hi Steve,
Do you hear any sound when you try to put it in reverse? Please tell me the year of the van so I can check the wiring diagrams, etc. and give you a more informed answer. One way or the other we will try to get this fixed for you.
Roland
PS Please 'rate' my answer and consider giving me a nomination to be
expert of the month for Decemeber. Thanks

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi roland
my moms van is 2005 town and country stow and go. you can see the motor and the two rods or cables trying to move but act like they are stuck.

Answer
Hi Steve,
If the motor is attempting to move the seat but it is mechanically restrained that is possibly a good sign because the manual otherwise states that each of the 4 motors has a built-in self-resetting circuit breaker which if too often challenged by the motor being driven to its limit will fail. And if it fails the '05 manual seems to say the motor isn't sold separately and the entire drive unit has to be replaced! So keep your fingers crossed on that.
There is nothing about servicing a mechanism that is mechanically stuck. So my thought would be to remove the seat which would give you much better access to examine the mechanical situation to see if you can relieve the bind-up.
The structural supports for the seat are called risers and they are attached to the floor. There are nuts under the floor pan that you remove to release the risers and thus the seat can be removed (after disconnecting wiring connectors as well). There is some setup for raising the vehicle that involves a winch which I hope is covered in the owners manual. There is an access plug in the trunk area to a winch access hole, and it suggests dropping the spare tire 18" before raising the vehicle. I don't picture that situation but maybe owner's manual does.
Once the nuts are off the riser studs you should be able to tilt the seat backwards to access the electrical harness disconnects, then you can remove the seat entirely.
Before working on the seat it is advised to disconnect the battery -post clamp for avoidance of setting off safety devices in the process.
I hope this will give you a start on it. If the problem is the motor not responding then you might try tapping on it while trying the rearward action switch to see if you can get the limit circuit breaker to re-set itself.
I wish there were instructions about your exact situation but none is shown in the manual.
Roland
PS:Thanks for the rating and nomination, already!