Hair dryer helped to get my 1964 power seat working

[Norman Silverman]

Hello All

My 64 Cadillac sits in storage most of the time-amazingly no matter how long I leave it no boost or extra gas is required to start it, even after several months. (yes, the battery is still connected). But that's not the point I want to share. 

When I first got the car the power seat motor hummed but the seat did not move, so I took apart the transmission, cleaned it and lubed it, reinstalled it and the problem was solved. Until recently, that is. 

Now, after the car has sat for a few months it goes back to the seat not responding, which is usually resolved with repeated switch actuations till it finally "catches." Not today, however. Today, no matter how many times I pushed the switches the motor turned but the seat did not move. Rather than take out the seat and take apart the transmission again I came up with an alternate (and successful) solution: I used a hair dryer on the transmission to heat it up and get the lubricant in it to be in a more liquid state so that it was not holding the solenoids in place: It worked!

Just thought I'd pass that little tidbit along to any who might be able to benefit by it. 

Norm

[Jason Edge]

Norm, That is an innovative way to attack the problem. Congrats on the simple fix. My best guess is there may still be some dried residue on the shafts those gears slide back and forth. When you take the transmission apart you really have to make sure those shafts and gears that slide back and forth are clean as a whistle then well lubed. It seems like the gears are still sticking a bit on the shafts even when the electromagnetic mechanism is activated but the heat is loosening it up to the point the gears slide on the shaft.  Jason.