How to fix an inoperative lumbar support in a Dodge Truck
The lumbar support in my '03 hadn't been working in months. I figured while I was fixing my sagging front seat foam that I would tackle this one too. I tried to get a new lumbar support from the Dodge dealer, but as it says in the service manual, the lumbar support can't be replaced as a separate part. It is considered part of the seat back assembly and they must be replaced as a unit - a $268 unit! This is unfortunate as the lumbar support can be removed as a separate unit in about 5 minutes. First, in order to repair the lumbar support, you must be able to hear the motor running in both directions when you press on each side of the lumbar rocker switch. As long as the motor is running, you have a chance at fixing it. To get to the unit, you must hike up the upholstery on the seat back. Where the seat back meets the seat bottom, there is a plastic union where the front surface upholstery and rear vinyl upholstery meet. This is concealed at the base of the seat back. To get them apart, find the end of the channel and simply pull them apart. These pics were taken with the seat removed from the truck, but it can be accomplished with the seat installed.
Once the upholstery is lifted up to reveal the lumbar unit, you can remove it from the seat. This pic is upside down because the seat is removed from the truck. Here's what it will look like:
The unit can be removed by reaching into the sides of the seat and pushing the ends of the lumbar support towards the front of the seat. The support clips onto a "U" shaped bar that is welded to the seat frame. Unplug the motor and take the unit to the workbench. This is what it looks like removed from the truck:
If the bearing on the end of the motor's shaft is sticking up out of the retaining clips on the plastic housing, this is why your motor isn't turning the adjuster screw. The bearing has to be seated in the plastic housing for the worm gear to turn the adjuster shaft. The whole assembly can be taken apart easily by cutting the zip tie that holds the motor to the frame.
Push the bearing back down into the housing. You may have to turn the worm gear inside to line up the shaft with the motor to get it to seat back in. Place the gear into the plastic housing and re-assemble the motor onto the frame. Once the motor is mounted back in the frame and zip tied, you can keep the bearing from popping out of the clips. Drill a hole on either side of the motor's plastic housing using a drill bit that will fit in the square framework around the motor.
Place the zip tie through the holes you just drilled and secure the motor's bearing with a new zip tie. Re-install the unit into the seat back and enjoy the benefits of a working lumbar support!
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