Position of seat tllt levers

[batman]

The levers that allow each seat to be tilted forward (tilt levers) are positioned on the INSIDE of each of my seats. This is OK but means that I have to reach across each seat to access the lever. I recently noticed them on the outside of the seats on another 280. Is this correct? Which is correct or were both positions used in production? The round seat back positioning knobs are on the outside of my seats and the under seat lever to allow forward and back seat positioning is also on the INSIDE of the seat near the transmission tunnel. is this all correct? Thanks for any comments.

[jaymanek]

I think just the tilt levers are the wrong way around.

Mine are on the outside. Although I managed to snap the black end off one of mine recently.. that was a gut wrenching moment... I need to find another one!

[batman]

Hi Jaymanek,

Do you think that a previous owner changed the lever position to the other side of the seat? Is that actually technically possible or I wonder if the  seats been changed/swap positions at some point?

[jaymanek]

Hi Jaymanek,

Do you think that a previous owner changed the lever position to the other side of the seat? Is that actually technically possible or I wonder if the  seats been changed/swap positions at some point?

There are some real experts on here, but from my experience, I would bet that the seats have been apart at some time and they have been reinstalled incorrectly. If the entire seats were mixed up the adjustment knob and pull lever would be on the incorrect sides.

[scoot]

Did someone swap your left seat and your right seat?  The cushion bottom - does it bulge out towards the door on one side of the seat buttom and straight on the tunnel side?  Or does it bulge towards the tunnel and straight on the door side.  It should have a bulge towards the door side of the seat.  If it doesn't, your left and right seats are switched, probably because the cushion was more worn on the passenger seat and someone switched it to be the driver seat.

[garymand]

Which side is the big black knob on? 

[scoot]

The big black knob and the seat back release lever are both on the door side of the seat.  See attached photo.  Notice also how the seat bottom slightly curves outwards on the outer side (door side) but not on the inner side (tunnel side). 

[49er]

 See attached photo. Seats are original and never been out of the car

John

Ooooops, sorry for being redundant  Scott, I should have looked your post first.

[Jonny B]

The seat backs are interchangeable, but the seat bottoms are not, as pointed out in the posts already made. When I had the seat pads replaced a couple of years ago on my 280 SL, we decided to swap the seat backs. The levers and knobs are as shown in the photos, on the door side.

[batman]

I attach a photo of my seats {not the best as the car is at the repairer at the moment}.

I have circled the seat tilt lever.




Both seat back adjustment knobs are on the outside or door side and but the seat back release levers are both on the inside of the seat.

The seats are slightly curved out on the door side and straighter on the transmission tunnel side meaning that they are in their correct position. This means that someone decided to reposition the seat back release levers to the inside for reasons that don't seem obvious.

Even though they are fixed on the inside of the seat, they seem to work OK.

I would prefer to have the release levers with the adjustment knob and so I will look through the Technical Manual to see how to dismantle the seat back, gain access to the mechanism and try and reposition it to the correct side.

If anyone has done this or knows the process your input is very welcome.

[scoot]

Yeah, well someone probably intentionally changed the position of the levers for some reason then.  The down side is that the logical place for the levers to be is on the outside since you are using them when you open the door and want to put something on the back parcel shelf (or a kid in the kinder seat or whatever) and having the seat release levers on the tunnel side isn't convenient for that.   I will say though that on more than one car besides mine I see levers that have been destroyed by someone accidentally standing on them or hitting them, breaking the threads that the knob screws onto, etc.  So that might be why someone did this.  

I have no idea how you switch the sides but I'm sure someone else who is more accomplished at seat repair than I will chime in on this.

Scott
ps - FWIW I think you failed to attach intended photograph.  If you want to fix that, go to your post and click "modify", then clicked the "advanced" function to handle attachments and upload the photograph.

[batman]

Thanks Scott for your comments.

I have attached a photo

[scoot]

Yup.  That's wrong.

[jaymanek]

If it works, id be inclined to leave it there... as above mine snapped off very easily and now I have to come up with some solution to fixing it..

[Paul & Dolly]

.. as above mine snapped off very easily and now I have to come up with some solution to fixing it..
[/quote]

I am interested in how you fix this, as one of mine has snapped off at the threaded part, I bought a new
plastic handle in Germany last year, but now need to try and fix it on...

Paul

[scoot]

I didn't know so many had broken ones.  From what I have seen, they snap at the threads that hold the little handle on - that is the thinnest part of the shaft.  The shaft itself I think is rectangular until the end where it becomes round and threaded.  The previous owner said that his was broken (and the lever bent) as the result of a grand child standing on it.

I ended up replacing the entire part that includes the lever, which runs the width of the seat as I recall.  It's a part common to 113 and 111 coupes only so not that easy to find.  I'm pretty sure there is one on ebay right now. 

If I were to "fix" it instead, I would probably experiment with a lousy knob and try to expand the interior of it enough to get it onto the lever and then epoxy it in place, but I doubt this would be a very good solution.

I have a couple of extra seats and people have asked me to sell that part off of a seat, which so far I have declined to do.

[batman]

thanks all, i will leave mine in their incorrect but working position for now and reassess moving them when i refurb the interior/seats next year.