insecure driver's seat

[Custom88]

I noticed during some spiritied driving like fast turns, or hard acceleration/braking, etc, the driver's seat seems to 'slide' a little bit in each change of direction. (the entire seat actually moves) It kind of throws you off. Is this a common problem with a common fix or am I going to have to check all the seat connections to see what might be wrong? and no, I'm not big either.. I'm 195 pounds.

[Custom88]

*cough* anyone? after re-reading the topic I think a more accurate description would be that the seat shifts, not slides.

[kobalt]

Perhaps this is a common problem. I had the same exact issue with mine. I attributed it to the car being a bit "beat-up" since yours is in great condition it could be commonplace...

[scottydl]

Hmm, this sounds like it could be a safety issue the more I think about it. What is causing the "shift" mentioned? Where is the seat hardware is it occurring? What would happen if a thousand pounds of pressure were forced on the seat from any direction (i.e. a crash)?

Who knows; it could be designed and crash-tested that way for some reason. But you might want to check this out in a bit more detail, just to be sure.

[Custom88]

where do you go to check to see if this might be a dealer service bulletin or maybe even a recall? I would have sworn I heard someone else mention this exact issue at one time or another but for the life of me I can't remember where.

[scottydl]

I know the NHTSA website has a database of recalls & such. There's always AllData too, but I think you need a subscription.

[erw38]

Maybe a call to Oldmobile would be in order here. Tell them the problem with the driver's seat and then let them recommend a way to go about repairs.

[Isnibs]

Custom88 said:

*cough* anyone? after re-reading the topic I think a more accurate description would be that the seat shifts, not slides.

Did you check out your nuts?
The ones that hold the seat in the car. They may have come loose over time and allow the seat a small amount of movement.

[JimW]

Interesting thought, but I've never heard of this problem in a Classic Aurora, and if anything, if time was an issue the Classic would be affected by loose seats before the 2nd Gen.

Must be some kind of other problem, but disconcerting considering seats shouldnt move like that.

[kbpickle]

Custom88 - About a year ago I took my 2001 3.5 to the dealer with a very small movement, and I would agree with your term - a sort of "shift". In my case it was very small - felt like 1/4" - 1/8" movement along the chair track. It was also inconsistent - sometimes I would feel it, sometimes not. The service rep looked at it and explained that its common on GM's power seats. I didn't understand exactly, but I got the picture that the gearing or motor that moves the seat has a little play in its final position, and that every time I adjusted the forward-backward position of the chair, there was a chance that that little bit of play would appear. I was skeptical at first, but a year later, it's still inconsistent, and still very small. So, I'm ignoring it.

I don't know if this is what you've got, but I thought I'd share, just in case it's the same kind of thing.

[Custom88]

kbpickle said:

Custom88 - About a year ago I took my 2001 3.5 to the dealer with a very small movement, and I would agree with your term - a sort of "shift". In my case it was very small - felt like 1/4" - 1/8" movement along the chair track. It was also inconsistent - sometimes I would feel it, sometimes not. The service rep looked at it and explained that its common on GM's power seats. I didn't understand exactly, but I got the picture that the gearing or motor that moves the seat has a little play in its final position, and that every time I adjusted the forward-backward position of the chair, there was a chance that that little bit of play would appear. I was skeptical at first, but a year later, it's still inconsistent, and still very small. So, I'm ignoring it.

I don't know if this is what you've got, but I thought I'd share, just in case it's the same kind of thing.

thanks for the post. That sounds exactly like what happens. Guess it's 'normal' then in a sense. I just haven't had a car that did this before.

[OldsMike]

This idea may/may not be the root cause but I'll throw it out there anyway...
Many safety items require assembly with "torque limiting drivers". These are very special air tools with a electronic feedback system. They monitor the torque as the fastener is driven and when the specified torque is met, it stops. The problem with this system is that it isn't infallible. Newer drive systems used today also monitor the number of turns the driver makes because older systems only monitored the torque. The problem was the torque was met but due to fastener size or other quality issues, the fastener never made its full travel. In short, the bolt was still loose....

You might want to check the bolt or the nut for looseness, if it is loose it may solve your problem by tightening up the fastener. Let us know what you find out.

[Isnibs]

Just a quick disambiguation post
Jim maybe the second gen Auroras have a diferent seat clampdown arrangement.

Custom88 does your seat move in all directions EG 360 degrees (clampdown arrangement) or only front to back (chair track)?

[Custom88]

Isnibs said:

Just a quick disambiguation post
Jim maybe the second gen Auroras have a diferent seat clampdown arrangement.

Custom88 does your seat move in all directions EG 360 degrees (clampdown arrangement) or only front to back (chair track)?

it moves in all directions it feels like.

[Aurora40]

I have never noticed that to happen!

I have had the stability system kick in on my a few times on dry roads, though...

You might try to push it around while you are looking at it, see if it gives on the seat mounts or if the base stays put and the rest of the seat moves.