OK, here you go, some stuff about our 190D: November 22, 2006
On my wife's road trip yesterday she complained that the passenger seat would go back but not forwards, she ended up putting our boy in the front 'cause she'd managed to eliminate his legroom in the rear. So this morning I removed the seat. (I don't think it was any more stuck than usual, she just wasn't persistent/forceful enough.) Standard 5 10mm bolts, four on the seat feet and one holding in the seat belt track. Pops right out then. I found some kind of webbed brace, two mounting holes, under the seat, along with six cents. Wonder what that brace is from? I didn't see anything obviously missing on the seat bottom. Looks like something that may have come from within the seat back, though it's not wide enough to span the back's width, maybe I'll have a look later. Anyway, I got all the plastic hinge cover bits off without breaking any and removed the track mechanism from the bottom of the seat. (Unlike most earlier seats I've experience with, the track assembly is held on with only two Phillips screws, and four 13mm bolts. It's actually easier to take apart, once you have the plastic covers off.) I put it in the solvent tank to start loosening up, and then ran out of time. I did get the height tracks to start moving. I'm thinking I ought to liberate the pressure washer from its nest and blast this thing off, it's so filthy. There was only one of the two front seat mount covers, plastic, that are so often missing. I've not seen one at the boneyard yet. I checked, and the trunk is still leaking around that light. Crap. I want to find some kind of goopy non-drying putty to seal this kind of stuff. All I have is rope putty. It's a bit stiff, but I may have to try to make it work. November 23, 2006 Got out the pressure washer and blasted off the seat track mechanism. (That wasn't easy, everything like that has been winterized, and the old fireplace inserts are in the way of getting the washer out of the garage. I just ran it in place.) Then I blew off and out the track with compressed air, and put it in the shop oven at 200 deg F to dry. Came out nicely, and the tracks all moved fairly easily. I then lubed the tracks with white lithium grease and reassembled the seat. While I was in the area I took the seat back panel off, there was nothing inside to indicate that the strange extra brace had come from this seat. Since I was there I removed the cargo net from the back and tightened it up. It really needs a new shock cord, but I couldn't find the extra piece I know I have. It comes apart easily enough that this will be no big deal to do at some later time. With the seat reassembled and reinstalled it works _much_ better than before, and the height adjustment now works. Mission accomplished! I would have done the driver's seat today too, since I had all the tools out, but dinnertime is approaching and I have many other things to do first. Happy bird-burning day! Ours is just about to go into the pot. Deep-fried, yum! Takes about 45 minutes. -- Jim