My passenger side seat recline has broken!! Has anybody else experienced this issue. I pull up on the latch and it seems to bind. My wife put it back a couple of weeks ago and wahlaw, no workie!!!

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Ed

 

Below is the 'fix' posted in this thread, along with the experience of some NAMmers in implementing it.


Here's the BMW service instructions for recalibrating a MINI seat that gets out of wack (found in SI M52 03 02):

"If the customer has gotten the backrest operating mechanism out of synchronization, the backrest may not set in position. This can be corrected by utilizing the following procedure:

Ensure that the inboard and outboard levers are parallel with each other. If they are not parallel, the operating mechanism has probably been twisted out of shape, and the backrest frame (part number 52 10 7 111 527 left/528 right) will have to be replaced.

From outside the car, move the seat into the full easy entry position by pressing down the outboard lever and sliding the seat into the full forward position. The easy entry position is the home position for the inboard and outboard backrest latch mechanisms.

Sit in the other front seat, pull up on the inboard operating lever of the seat being worked on, and move the backrest to the fully reclined position before releasing the lever.

The backrest should now move to the desired position and latch in place when the inboard lever is operated.

 

I have read and reread the articles now. I did not do the actions documented here. I pushed pretty hard, but in a different order and I did not push the outboard lever DOWN (pulled it up!).

I will go give this a try and let you know.


-Ed

 

My seat got stuck in an almost fully reclined position & no amount of upward force would make it budge. At this point I figured the seat was already broken so we can't break it more ehhh so a friend literally bounced up & down on his knees with all his weight on the seat back while pressing the recline lever. We heard an awful crack , the seat fully reclined, & poof the seat has worked perfectly since

p.s...I do not endorse this method to fix your seat but it worked for me

 

You will hear "an awful crack" when the seat pops, but it will be fine. I did this about a year ago and it's been working fine ever since.
I thought I broke it, the crack sounded so bad.

 

IT WORKED!!!!!!!

You guys are AWESOME. I figured I was stuck with a broken seat!!


WOW! It took alot of force. I weigh 210 and do rows 3x a week at over that. it was all I could do to get it to come back. Ironically mine did not make a very loud pop..... but it gave way!!!

Again: Many Thanks to all here.

 

Theres a BMW TSB on similar seat problems:-
Front Seat Difficult to Recline

 

any tips on this? I tried fixing it, but it just got stuck even furthur forward..
It also reclines back and forth a couple inches on its own, so it's just a wobbly seat now.

When pulling on the inboard lever, there's nothing really to pull, it doesnt move at all.. Is this how it is supposed to be?

 

THANK YOU !!! Option #2 (The Not Recommended One)
My daughters Mini had the passenger seat stuck in a 3/4 fully reclined position. After spending about 45 minutes trying to figure out if I could find the problem and giving up I read this site. I figured, "what the heck", they were going to have to get a new part. I might as well apply my 6'1", 225 lb. frame to the top back of the seat. About the third try, with a little momentum and a knee placed high, the "magic click" happened and it was fixed. I was pulling "UP" on the inboard lever. I wasn't clear what bamatt meant by "pressing", but assumed he meant "UP".
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. My daughter was very pleased and I'm still, "Mr. Amazing"

 

i brought my car to Mini of San Francisco with this same problem. The SA came out and body slammed my seat until it went back on the track. Not exactly the behavior i wanted to see from a dealer employee, but it worked.

 

Lol body slam, i need to try that on my passenger seat!

 

Passenger side seat back was jammed/stuck in 3/4 reclined position.

After reading these posts I tried the the BMW fix but that didn't work, also tried pushing back on the seat while kneeling on the seat, then I tried pulling it from the back seat none of it worked.
Sitting on the seat while pulling up the inner lever and pushing back with extreme force on the seat is what worked.

I would have never thought of any of these methods on my own, I owe this fix to this forum.

Thanks a million

 

THANKS!!! You guys just saved me $250.00. I was ready to order me a new seat but thought I give some of these suggestions a try. Voila it worked.
Got tough with the seat an CLICK! Yeepie!

 

I used the brute force method and um, BROKE MY SEAT lol.My drivers seat still doesnt recline but it has about 10 degrees of play in it all the time. But I deal with it cuz it just so happens, it broken in a comfortable driving position..But now bmy passsenger side one is stuck.Im gonna try the factory approved method now =].

MyKE

 

First off thanks guys for this thread. I've just unlocked my fully forward drivers side seat. but I couldn't do it from the passenger set or from the back seat. It needed more of an impact.

My seat was so badly misaligned the seat back was popping out on the inside.
The seat back has a ratchet mechanism on each side if they get out of alignment the seat back is twisted which jams the ratchet. By putting a LARGE amount of force on the seat back the back twists and allows the ratchets to POP back.

All this being said If pulling or pushing on the seat back doesn't get it to work stop for a second and see if you can determine which side is further forward.
Now with an assistant holding the back recline lever up push on the most upright side hard. I finally resorted to sitting in the seat and slamming my upper torso backward until I broke it loose.

1)first push down on the other lever swinging the back into the easy entrance position
2) Slide the seat all the way back on the track with the back still down
3) Have an assistant pull up on the inner handle while you bring the seat back upright
4)Have your assistant continue to hold the lever up. Determine which side is twisted forward
5) Have your assistant continue to hold the lever up. Sit in the seat and slam body HARD against the most upright side of the seat.
6) repeat 5 until the seat fully reclines (Yes it does suddenly recline so be prepared).

Thanks again

 

THANK YOU GUYS!!!
I bought a used Cooper S which I LOVE......and have had it only a week when I was vacuming it out and the driver seat recline was stuck all the way back.
I tried the suggestions from BMW, none of which worked....so late last night I body slammed the seat for about 15 minutes, heard the loud sound you all told me to wait for, then it adjusted back to normal for me.
I was so proud and laughing so loud I think I think I woke the neighbors. LOL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the suggestions.
Kel

 

You aren't kidding that was an awful crack, but the not recomended solution is the best solution ever!!!!
Thanks!

 

HAHAHAHA.....too funny.

Now if someone will tell me how to fix the drivers side door handle. I have to roll the window down and open the door from the outside.

I also can't figure out how to hook up the IPOD adapter, since it didn't come with instructions.

I love the Cooper S and all, but it is falling apart awfully quick for me only using it a few times a week.

 

I was conditioning the leather and reclined the drivers seat all the way back. Of course, like some of you, it wouldn't return to the upright position. Now... the seat already had more play than I thought it should *and* it had been finicky recently during adjustments *and* I took it to the track a few weekends ago and used the Schroth harnesses for the 1st time. I think the added tension did the backrest frame and mechanism in...

I tried several variations of the fixes here and got the seat to move forward some after a couple of cracks but... now it has even more play won't come and further forward than about 1/2 way reclined.

Sigh... I guess it's time to install a new frame. MINI of Pitt wants full boat MSRP. Classic in Cleveland knocked $56 off the $275 that MoP wanted. MoP won't even give a discount for MINI club or BMW CCA (which I am) members.

I considered picking up a set of Sparcos or Corbeaus but... I'd have $800 in that, minimum, lose the airbags, etc.

On the bright side, my passenger door window stopped working too but... the "free" fix found here did resolve that issue. A few well placed thumps on the door and it's working again.

 

to add to the archive of seats that needed a little negitive reenforcement.

I couldn't figure it out or do it till I got mad and pictured those little lines you see in that old school game ninja gaiden when hes running so it was like that as i reared up and body checked the poor mini seat that though I was bluffing just below my headrest slight cracking but my seat was more or less stuck in the take a nap at lunch position. Worked like a charm. next time Il sleep under a customers desk.

P.S- Made sure both handles were parallel and then pulled up on inner most lever as I did this kinda akward to do without help but doable.

 

I employed the first thread method to my broken passenger seat and walla! I moved the seat full forward pulled on the inboard latch and then got on the seat and pushed back applying more pressure as I went. Without too much fuss I heard a mild pop and all was well! Thank you forum Gods!!!

 

Brought the car home from the dealer, last night, to find out that the seat was not just reclined but stuck as described in this thread. A little google search lead me here. I attempted the first method without avail. Figuring that I got something wrong I went back inside and reread the instructions and tried again. FAILED. Following suit I attempted the "Magic Pop" method and booya!!! It worked! Thanks!

Now to fix the glove box...

 

whoooot!!! just read this and fixed my passenger chair and if u dont know what the outboard and inboard levers are, they're the levers on the right and left side of the chair that makes the chair recline back and forth btw

 

I've worked on cars all my life and ended up doing something like this, NOT ON PURPOSE, only to kick myself. I tried and tried to find a more "dealer approved" fix, but to no avail. Tried this more "brutal" approach and by the third try when I really gave it my all, seat "cracked," went all the way to the back seat (fully reclined), and now works perfectly. THANKS to the gutsy guy who tried this first.

 

just did the "full force" technique, worked out perfectlyy!!