Help!!! | FerrariChat

Help!!!

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by Bart, Oct 29, 2005.

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  1. Bart

    Bart Formula 3

    Nov 1, 2003
    1,522
    Orange County, Calif
    Full Name:
    Bart
    I cannot drive my car (550). Today is Saturday. Since I am going to a Ferrari function tomorrow, I vacuumed the car. First, I moved the right seat forward so I could clean behind it. Then I moved the right seat to the back to clean the front. Then I moved to the driver’s side. After moving the seat to the front position, I vacuumed the back. Then I tried to move the seat back. Nothing happen. Yipes! The seat is as far forward as possible and as high as it gets.

    There is no way I can drive it and today is Saturday. Every shop is closed and I must have it by noon on Sunday.

    Does anyone have any ideas on how to move the seat back so I can drive it?
     
  2. whart

    whart F1 Veteran
    Honorary Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 5, 2001
    6,558
    Austin, TX
    Full Name:
    William Maxwell Hart
    Bart- this happened to me shortly after I bought my first 550 (used). Exactly the same situation- but i was stranded up in Maine, and figured I was ****ed to get home. My recollection is that the problem essentially fixed itself by jiggling the power switches repeatedly- i also recall checking to see if I accidently disconnected a wiring harness under the seat, but i don't think i ever found anything loose. The other thing to check (I'm operating on memory here, this was back some years ago) is the fuses, but I don't think that was the problem, either. Ultimately, I think the dealer who diagnosed it when i got home concluded it was a funky ECU and simply replaced it. Don't know what's involved in that, or whether you could swap out the passenger one for the driver's one. But, I know i did solve the problem after several hours of repeatedly going back to the car, and monkeying with the seat adjustment switches. Good luck. Drove me crazy when it happened, but it's a dumb thing.
     
  3. Dom

    Dom F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Nov 5, 2002
    8,489
    I don't know if this would apply to the 550, but for the Alfa 164, the problem was related to:


    "If seat is in extreme position (fully forward or fully back) the
    motor can stick. Tip in use is to back off a bit before leaving the
    seat (e.g.) fully back for access to footwell or console. Getting
    them unstuck is a matter of tapping and wiggling things to find a
    non-null point on the motor commutator... Try gently tapping on the power units under the seats. Gradually increase
    the force of the taps. This may free up the seized power unit. Don't be
    too aggressive with the tapping, though."

    Don't know if this will work on your car, but may be worth a try.

    Also, make sure you check that you haven't disconnected anything.

    Also, maybe try some contact cleaner on the switch.

    Hope this helps.

    Dom
     
  4. ylshih

    ylshih Shogun Assassin
    Honorary Owner

    Mar 21, 2004
    20,435
    Northern CA
    Full Name:
    Yin
    I'm only speculating, but it's probable there are limit switches at the extremes of seat motion that tell the ECU/controller to stop further motion. There may be some dumb/broken logic in the ECU which is keeping it from working based on some combination of position and limit signals. If you applied some light pressure (don't force anything) to the seat (toward or against the limit positions) that might change the inputs to the ECU logic and allow the ECU to move the motors.
     
  5. jaturon

    jaturon Formula 3

    Oct 25, 2004
    1,599
    Bangkok Thailand
    Full Name:
    Zane
    It's awful isn't it? Preparing the car for an event and something happens preventing it to be driven! Awful sitting there staring and can't do anything about it. Can't help but if I were you I would just flicking the switch back and forth and hope it works!
     
  6. h00kem

    h00kem Guest

    Dec 15, 2004
    734
    Texas
    Did you check the fuse for the power seats. My 575 did the same thing and the dealer said the fuse was blown because the seat had been installed at the factory with one of the wires over the track and when I moved it forward it slice it shorting it and blowing the fuse. Dealer property installed the seat wires, replaced the fuse and it hasn't happened again.
     
  7. MarkPDX

    MarkPDX F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Apr 21, 2003
    15,111
    Gulf Coast
    Drive 12 or walk? :D
     
  8. matteo

    matteo F1 World Champ

    Aug 1, 2002
    13,748
    On a plane somewhere
    Full Name:
    Heir Butt
    How long have you been holding on to THAT one :)?
     
  9. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 6, 2003
    25,992
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Ryan Alexander
    Looks like someone else was king of the road on Sunday.
     

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