OK, so I bought a new Camry (2004) and realized after the fact that the lumbar was all the way forward and not working.
So, like an idiot, I pooped the switch/button off, and tried to make a jumper to see if that would get the motor going.
Well, it sparked and now none of my electric seat controls work.
I have looked at every fuse in both of the fuse boxes and none of them are blown.
Have I just fried my entire electric seat?
Thank you in advance for any help.
Update: Found the fuse. It was one of those fusible links, well hidden.
So, back to the original problem: Anyone know anything about the lumbar only going out? Everything else works fine, except the lumbar. Thinking of just taking the motor and assembly out.
You might want to try unbolting the rails, lifting the seat, and checking if the connector plugs are all properly engaged.
http://www.toyotapartsoverstock.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_assembly=484756&ukey_make=1060&ukey_model=15428&modelYear=2004&ukey_category=21641
The lumbar motor and assembly in my Toyota are under the seat back upholstery. The seat would need to be disassembled and upholstery removed to get to it. Then, something else would need to be put back to fill the void. Not sn easy project.
Before taking things completely apart, use a DVM to make sure there’s the proper voltage going to the motor when the switch to move the seat is turned on. Do you have the electrical schematic for the circuitry?
If not, you can get a copy from the dealer’s parts department. Get the “wiring diagram” as well as the schematic. I’d suggest checking the voltage at the plug under the seat… assuming that reseating them doesn’t solve the problem (see my earlier post).
Also look on toyotanation forum. I know someone had posted a fix for the power seat being stuck/not going back. Not sure if there are any for the lumbar support. Might want to check a local Junkyard and see if they have a seat.
This is why I don’t like power seats but they come in more “basic” cars nowadays.
@galant
I suspect a seat would supremely expensive
I have a 2005 Camry . . . exact same body style as OP . . . and my seat has an airbag inside. That can’t be cheap
By the way, a Camry isn’t considered by most to be a “basic” car. Most people consider it typical, though.
A “basic” car would be a Sonic, Spark, Aveo, etc.
@db4690; My 2005 LE doesn’t have side airbags but only driver power seat. Not sure what is basic transportation any more (hence the quotation mark above). The base model Ford Focus has bluetooth/sync system which is pretty fancy IMHO. I come from when having a radio used to be an option.
@galant
That is strange that your 2005 Camry LE doesn’t have the side airbags in the seat, because my 2005 Camry LE has them
I also have the power driver seat only, with electrical lumbar. The passenger seat is manual controls
Speaking of those “basic” cars . . . on some of my cars from the 1980s, the radio was optional. On one of them, the console had a “radio delete” plate and a cover where the antenna would have been. Yet the car was prewired for the radio
In Germany, for years the price of a new car was set. Not negotiable. That said, the haggling involved what you would get extra. And that was sometimes a radio. But nobody had good sound systems back then, not even the luxury brands
One of my tricks to selling a car was installing a decent (at the time) radio/cassette player in a used car to sell it. I guess that practice gave me the courage to gut out my Mazda CX-9 to install an indash nav with rearview camera.
I grew up with cars that did not have AC either. I am not sure if I can drive one now.
As to the OP’s problem (I see he/she has posted on the Toyota forum and hasn’t gotten much response), I am not sure how expensive a Junkyard seat would be. Gotta say though, even having a bad back, I don’t find the lumber much help. Maybe it could be pulled back to neutral position and then use pillows if needed.
Yeah, I’ve got scoliosis, so I’ve obviously got a crooked back
Yet, all the vehicles I’ve driven without lumbar seem to be okay for me . . . so far
Thanks guys. I ended up just removing the lumbar motor. The seat feels fine without it.
Galant, thanks for the advice. I actually found several used seats in a junkyard that match, for 100-200 bucks. May go that route down the road, but for now, all is fine.
Thanks again guys, I really do appreciate it.
Inspect the wiring harness underneath the seat. Sometimes it’s not mounted properly or whatever’s holding it to its mount breaks, and then the wire lays on the seat track and gets cut when you move the seat back and forth.
If that’s not it, then your motor is probably dead or jammed, and it’s going to involve seat surgery to get at it.