Seat Locking

[JoKing]

Hi 

Sometimes when moving stuff it's useful to have the middle seats with their backs folded down. But when I do that they are free to slide up and down the rails which they do even with gentle acceleration and braking. Is there anyway to have them locked when folded?

 

Thanks. 

[Rojie]

5 hours ago, JoKing said:

Hi 

Sometimes when moving stuff it's useful to have the middle seats with their backs folded down. But when I do that they are free to slide up and down the rails which they do even with gentle acceleration and braking. Is there anyway to have them locked when folded?

 

Thanks. 

 

Hello Joanna,

 

I have a later version than you; but find it difficult to believe that Toyota would engineer your seats this way.

 

Are you sure the seats are fully locked when in the seatback upright position; but unlocked when the seat backs are lowered ?

 

If so, hopefully other members can help you out  with advice.

 

Have you had the van for long.

 

Or are you just JoKing ?    Sorry, couldn't resist !

[dezufo]

6 hours ago, JoKing said:

Hi 

Sometimes when moving stuff it's useful to have the middle seats with their backs folded down. But when I do that they are free to slide up and down the rails which they do even with gentle acceleration and braking. Is there anyway to have them locked when folded?

 

Thanks. 

No, when the back is folded forward it raises a pin that usually locks into the rail so that the seats can swivel round to face towards the rear, if the back is folded backwards the pin locks into the rail, you could get some door wedges and use them to prevent the seat from moving

[Neil_c]

There's two plastic levers on the side of the seat. The bigger lower one unlocks everything so you can move the seat around and recline it. There's a smaller one above it on the seat backrest which will allow you just to fold the back flat but leave everything else locked in place 

 

With the back folded down, if you then want to slide the seats on the rails you need to use the handle on the front, the big lever on the side won't do anything with the back folded down.

 

This is probably easier with photos...

[dezufo]

9 hours ago, Neil_c said:

There's two plastic levers on the side of the seat. The bigger lower one unlocks everything so you can move the seat around and recline it. There's a smaller one above it on the seat backrest which will allow you just to fold the back flat but leave everything else locked in place 

 

With the back folded down, if you then want to slide the seats on the rails you need to use the handle on the front, the big lever on the side won't do anything with the back folded down.

 

This is probably easier with photos...

Wrong, there is one lever to release the back so it can be folded forward which then allows the seat to swivel, the other larger lever on the side allows the seat to slide on the rail, there is no handle on the front of the seats in the middle row, the seat only locks into the rail when the back rest is up right

[Neil_c]

1 hour ago, dezufo said:

Wrong

Very presumptuous

There certainly is on mine, but perhaps there's some variation between different trim levels?

 

This video shows the three different levers I was talking about

https://youtu.be/L-qAIC0UMTc

[dezufo]

9 minutes ago, Neil_c said:

Very presumptuous

There certainly is on mine, but perhaps there's some variation between different trim levels?

 

This video shows the three different levers I was talking about

https://youtu.be/L-qAIC0UMTc

I think you where the one being presumptuous, I have a preface lift as well, a 2003 MS model and the seats do not have that handle at the front and the other levers are actually on the base of the seat, so yes there are variations

[Rojie]

Hi Guys,

 

Are we referring to the two middle row seats (Captains seats) or the two and a half seats (as shown in the video) ?

 

There were several seating options.

My conclusion is that you do not have the same options fitted.

 

It is ot clear from Joanna's question which option she has in her van.

 

So,

On 11/19/2022 at 2:11 PM, JoKing said:

Hi 

Sometimes when moving stuff it's useful to have the middle seats with their backs folded down. But when I do that they are free to slide up and down the rails which they do even with gentle acceleration and braking. Is there anyway to have them locked when folded?

 

Thanks. 

 

Joanna, do you have a seven seater or an eight seater ?

[JoKing]

We have a 2003 modal. It has five of the original seats because the rear ones were removed for a camper conversion.

 

So the ones I am talking about are the double and single one behind the driver and front passenger. With the seat backs upright they are locked on the rails. But each has various levers for folding the back down 45 degrees and to rotate them to face rearwards. And I recently discovered a smaller lever which folds the back right the way down for a flat surface. But in any position apart from back up they appear to be free to move up and down the rails. 

[Rojie]

11 hours ago, JoKing said:

We have a 2003 modal. It has five of the original seats because the rear ones were removed for a camper conversion.

 

So the ones I am talking about are the double and single one behind the driver and front passenger. With the seat backs upright they are locked on the rails. But each has various levers for folding the back down 45 degrees and to rotate them to face rearwards. And I recently discovered a smaller lever which folds the back right the way down for a flat surface. But in any position apart from back up they appear to be free to move up and down the rails. 

 

Hello Joanna,

 

It would appear you have the seats as per the Video that Neil so helpfully included.

I have included another here, which may be also helpful.

 

So we need to establish whether your seats(s) is broken, or just that you have not yet figured out how to operate it properly.

I have a seven seater, with different seats, but do just so happen to have a single swivelling seat in my garage.

 

Both these videos show that the slider movement is released (and relocked) by the lever at the front of the seat.

 

From your description you appear to have full functionality except for the relocking function. Am I right ?

 

The only help I can offer is to suggest some small jiggling of the seat position and waggling of the lever in the hope that the seats will find a locking position.

 

It is possible that that both seat mechanisms are broken; but that, to me, seems very unlikely as they are independent of each other.

It could be the rails, but as both seats are mounted on independent rails; that seems very unlikely also.

 

If all else fails, the seats can be removed for inspection quite easily, but they are very heavy.

Just four coach bolts for each.

 

I'll check my seat in the garage, and my copy of the JPNZ Owners Manual (which you should get if your don't have one already).

[JoKing]

Thanks Roger, that is the seat type that we have and video is very useful. But if you note what he says, after rotating the seats he puts the seat backs up and says "and lock in position", and that is the essence of my my question, can we lock in position with the backs folded down? It's possible I need to jiggle the front levers - I will try that later. 

Cheers

[Neil_c]

Assuming you have the same seats as I have (don't want to be presumptuous), make sure the seats are completely locked in position with the backrest up before you use the small lever to fold the back down. This shouldn't unlock the rails. Apologies if you've already tried this, just checking all the obvious things are covered.

[JoKing]

Solved it! Sorry if it's obvious to everyone else, but it wasn't to me until this morning! 

 

There are 2 levers on the side of the seat, labelled A and B in the first picture. Lifting "A" does two things: it allows the seat back to fold a bit forward, and releases the seat on the rails. I presume this is to allow people to get to the rear seats if fitted. Notice that the lever stays up so that in that position the seat is free to slide. If you then lift "B" you can fold the back right down, but as "A" is up the seat still slides. This is what I was doing.

 

But if you don't lift "A" at all, and just use "B" you can fold the back right down but "A" is down and the seat remains locked on the rails. Hooray!  As shown in the second picture.  

 

As we normally have the seats facing backwards the levers are in the middle of the vehicle which is why it was difficult to see what they did.

 

[JoKing]

I think that is what Neil_c was trying to explain above - thanks Neil.