This may not be for all seat problems but it may cover most. Based on the Service Bulletin procedure if you tap the motor the seat will operate again so I thinking it may apply in general.
Well after some trouble shooting and fault isolation is appears that the problem is not in the motor but in the rear stop. The seat mechanism stop on resistance and switched the motor off. I verified this by placing an open end wrench against the stop and the motor stopped as soon as it hit the wrench. I also verified that a stopped motor can be restarted by loosing and tweaking the seat track mounting bolt. This proved that the motor brushes were not the issue.
Cause -
When ever you move the seat all the way to the rear the motor drives the rear stopper into the Seat track mounting tab. At the "full speed" it binds the stop which causes a torque overload and stops the motor in both directions. When you strike the motor is just releases the tension and the motor works again.
Test -
Moving the seat all the way to the rear stopping just short of the full extension the motor operates just fine. Slowly tapping the switch until it reaches its full stop will allow continual operation. Moving the seat at full speed will bind the seat and require the stop to be tapped loose.
Fix --- .21 cent
Got the washer from Home Depot.
Take a 1/2" lock washer and twist it open. This will allow you to place it in front of the stop. The lock washer will act as a spring and keep the stop from binding into the rear stopper and "seizing" the motor. I had this issue on both seats and just placed the washer on and it seem to have eliminated the problem.
Twisting the washer close again is somewhat of a challenge but a larger pair of channel lock will make it easier. Close the washer where it's a little bit off (original position) as you want it to act as a spring to keep the stop from drilling into the stop so to speak.
Get to the stop without removing the seat - is to move the seat all the way forward. this will allow you to access and see the stop and seat mounting tab. It will also allow you to place the washer onto the worm gear.
This view is from the passenger side. Now I just used the channel locks to squeeze the washer close. The washer is larger than the worm gear and just spins freely.
I'm 95% sure that this is a good fix action I wont know for a few days or so. I don't move the seat that often so its will take a while but I moves the seat 10 times already......
let me check again if its going to fail it should do it now as it will make me look stupid........let me go check.............OK exercised both seats 5 more times and its good.
Theory
Unlike the power windows the seat do not have a limit adjust. The sliding action is fixed and there is no adjustment to prevent the seat from binding into the stop. The lock washers prevents the stop from contacting each other eliminating the binding.
Try it out and let us know.
Inobu
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