# Electric seat jerks in small steps rather than moving smoothly

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-seat-jerks-in-small-steps-rather-than-moving-smoothly/22932>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [December 4, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-seat-jerks-in-small-steps-rather-than-moving-smoothly/22932 "2008-12-04T13:13:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ddtennis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba8739/32.png) [@ddtennis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ddtennis)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-seat-jerks-in-small-steps-rather-than-moving-smoothly/22932/1 "2008-12-04T13:13:18Z")

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A mechanic checked the track and said it was clean. The seat sounds as though it’s jerking along a gear, one gear at a time. Any ideas? Thanks.

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**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-seat-jerks-in-small-steps-rather-than-moving-smoothly/22932/2 "2008-12-04T15:11:13Z")

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The seat slides on the track, and clean is good, but the gears that drive the seat may be worn, dirty, or broken, which could cause the symptoms you describe. I believe further inspection is needed, and I’d imagine the seat will have to be removed to access the drive mechanism.

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**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 7:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-seat-jerks-in-small-steps-rather-than-moving-smoothly/22932/3 "2008-12-04T19:32:19Z")

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Many power seats transmit the power from their seat motors via cables that look like speedometer cables,these cables coulds be damaged,the sockets for the cables can be damaged,you could have a motor failure,or the motor could be falling off its mount

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**Author:** ![meaneyedcatz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meaneyedcatz/32/692_2.png) [@meaneyedcatz](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meaneyedcatz)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/electric-seat-jerks-in-small-steps-rather-than-moving-smoothly/22932/4 "2008-12-05T02:27:55Z")

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You should have stated yr/make/model. Recently I have seen publications from GM stating if this happens on a new car the slide assembly needs to be burnished. To do this have a person about 200lbs. sit n the seat and operate it fully back and forth about 30 times.  
Hope this helps.