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Seat - Front, Manual Bucket: Disassembly

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Ford RV Cutaway, 2003 Ford Econoline, 2003 Ford E550 Super Duty, 2003 Ford E450 Super Duty, and 2003 Ford Cutaway. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
WARNING: Always wear safety glasses when repairing an air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) vehicle and when handling an air bag module. This will reduce the risk of injury in the event of an accidental deployment.
WARNING: The belt and buckle assembly pretensioner is a pyrotechnic device. Always wear safety glasses when servicing an air bag-equipped vehicle and when handling a belt and buckle assembly pretensioner.
WARNING: The belt and buckle assembly pretensioner is a pyrotechnic device. Never probe the connectors on the belt and buckle assembly pretensioner. Doing so can result in belt and buckle assembly pretensioner or air bag deployment and can result in personal injury.
WARNING: The restraint system diagnostic tool is for restraint system service only. Remove from the vehicle prior to road use. Failure to remove could result in injury and possible violation of vehicle safety standards.

    Seats equipped with a safety belt buckle pretensioner  .

    WARNING: To avoid accidental deployment and possible personal injury, the backup power supply must be depleted before preparing or replacing any front or side air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) components and before servicing, replacing, adjusting or striking components near the front or side air bag sensors, such as doors, instrument panel, console, door latches, strikers, seats and hood latches.
    Please refer to AIR BAG RESTRAINT SYSTEMS to determine location of the front air bag sensors.
    To deplete the backup power supply energy, disconnect the battery ground cable and wait at least one minute. Be sure to disconnect auxiliary batteries and power supplies (if equipped).
  1. Disconnect the battery ground cable (14301) and wait at least one minute. For additional information, refer to BATTERY, MOUNTING AND CABLES .
  2. WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, read and follow all warnings, cautions, notes and instructions in the supplemental restraint system deactivation/reactivation procedure.
  3. Deactivate the supplemental restraint system (SRS). For additional information, refer to SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) DEACTIVATION AND REACTIVATION .
  4. ALL SEATS 

    WARNING: To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, read and follow all warnings, cautions, notes in the seat removal and installation procedure.
  5. Remove the affected seat. For additional information, refer to DRIVER SEAT  or PASSENGER SEAT .
  6. NOTE: If removing the seat back pad adjuster, removal of the seat cushion is not necessary. For driver seat, proceed to Step  20. For passenger seat, proceed to Step  19.
  7. Remove the armrest.
    1. Pull back the Velcro® fastened armrest cover to expose the bolt.
    2. Remove the bolt and crown washer.
    3. Remove the armrest.
      Fig 1: Removing Armrest
      G01441089Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  8. SEATS WITH MANUAL LUMBAR 

    NOTE: Passenger seat shown, driver seat similar
    Fig 2: Pulling Front Seat Back Pad Adjustment Knob From Right Side Of Seat
    G01441090Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  9. Pull the front seat back pad adjustment knob from the right side of the seat.
  10. ALL SEATS 

  11. Remove the bolt from behind the seat back latch handle.
    Fig 3: Removing Bolt From Behind Seat Back Latch Handle
    G01441091Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  12. Remove the front seat back latch lower cover bolt underneath the seat.
    Fig 4: Removing Front Seat Back Latch Lower Cover Bolt Underneath Seat
    G01441092Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  13. Disengage the front seat back latch lower cover clip from the seat track.
    Fig 5: Disengaging Front Seat Back Latch Lower Cover Clip From Seat Track
    G01441093Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  14. Remove the front seat back latch lower cover from the seat.
    Fig 6: Removing Front Seat Back Latch Lower Cover From Seat
    G01441094Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  15. Remove the front seat back pivot side inner cover screws from underneath the seat.
    Fig 7: Removing Front Seat Back Pivot Side Inner Cover Screws From Underneath Seat
    G01441095Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  16. Rotate the front seat back pivot side inner cover upward to disengage the front and upper hooks.
    • Pull the inner cover inboard to clear the belt and buckle assembly pretensioner (if equipped).
      Fig 8: Pulling Inner Cover Inboard To Clear Belt And Buckle Assembly Pretensioner
      G01441096Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  17. Remove the front seat back pivot side inner cover from the seat assembly.
    1. Rotate the front seat back pivot side inner cover upward to release the rear pin-type retainer mount from the key slot.
    2. Hold the front seat back pivot side inner cover in one hand and release the retaining clips holding the belt and buckle assembly pretensioner boot (if equipped) to the front seat back pivot side inner cover.
    3. Remove the front seat back pivot side inner cover.
    Fig 9: Removing Front Seat Back Pivot Side Inner Cover From Seat Assembly
    G01441097Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  18. Remove the rear pin-type retainer from the upper seat track mounting flange.
  19. SEATS EQUIPPED WITH BELT AND BUCKLE ASSEMBLY PRETENSIONER 

  20. Remove the belt and buckle assembly pretensioner. For additional information, refer to SAFETY BELT SYSTEM .
  21. SEAT WITH MANUAL LUMBAR 

    NOTE: Make sure the front seat back pad adjuster is in the fully retracted position
  22. Remove the front seat back pad adjuster.
    1. Remove the screws from the seat.
    2. Disconnect the front seat back pad adjustment cable from the front seat back pad adjuster and remove the front seat back pad adjuster.
      Fig 10: Removing Front Seat Back Pad Adjuster
      G01441098Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  23. ALL SEATS 

  24. Remove the bolts from the front seat back latch.
    Fig 11: Removing Bolts From Front Seat Back Latch
    G01441099Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  25. Remove the front seat back.
    1. Remove the bolt.
    2. Pull the front seat back pad adjustment cable through the button of the seat back.
    3. Lift the front seat back from the seat cushion.
      Fig 12: Removing Front Seat Back
      G01441100Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  26. PASSENGER SEAT 

  27. Remove the seat back assist handle.
    1. Remove the screw covers.
    2. Remove the screws.
    3. Remove the seat back assist handle.
      Fig 13: Removing Seat Back Assist Handle
      G01441101Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  28. ALL SEATS 

  29. Remove the front seat back cover.
    1. Unfasten the J-clip at the bottom of the front seat back.
    2. Lift the front seat back cover up over the seat back, disengaging the Velcro® fasteners (not shown), and remove the front seat back cover.
      Fig 14: Removing Front Seat Back Cover
      G01441102Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  30. Remove the front seat back pad from the front seat back frame.
    Fig 15: Removing Front Seat Back Pad From Front Seat Back Frame
    G01441103Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  31. SEATS WITH MANUAL LUMBAR 

  32. Cut the wire ties fastening the front seat back pad adjuster cable to the front seat back frame.
    Fig 16: Identifying Wire Ties Fastening Front Seat Back Pad Adjuster Cable To Front Seat Back Frame
    G01441104Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  33. NOTE: Removal of the seat back pad adjuster is easier when the seat back pad adjuster is fully extended
  34. Rotate the plastic washers 60 degrees until the slit is facing the edge of the front seat back pad adjuster grid.
    • Rotate both the top and bottom washers.
      Fig 17: Rotating Both Top And Bottom Washers
      G01441105Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  35. NOTE: If only removing the seat back pad adjuster, proceed with Step 24, then proceed to seat assembly
    Fig 18: Removing Front Seat Back Adjuster Grid From Front Seat Back Frame
    G01441106Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  36. Remove the front seat back adjuster grid from the front seat back frame.
  37. ALL SEATS 

  38. Remove the front seat back latch from the front seat back frame.
    1. Remove the bolts from the front seat back latch.
    2. Remove the front seat back latch.
      Fig 19: Removing Front Seat Back Latch From Front Seat Back Frame
      G01441107Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  39. NOTE: Use the fastener access holes to reach the support nuts.
    Fig 20: Removing Four Nuts Retaining Seat Support To Seat Track
    G01441108Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  40. Remove the four nuts retaining the seat support to the seat track.
  41. SEATS WITH SAFETY BELT BUCKLE PRETENSIONER 

    NOTE: Note the connector location when removing the connector from the seat support
    Fig 21: Pulling Seat Belt Connector From Seat Support
    G01441109Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  42. Gently pull the seat belt connector from the seat support.
  43. ALL SEATS 

  44. Remove the seat support from the seat tracks.
    Fig 22: Removing Seat Support From Seat Tracks
    G01441110Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  45. NOTE: For the passenger seat, place the seat track to the mid-position to remove the seat track bolts
    Fig 23: Removing Bolts Retaining Seat Tracks To Seat Cushion
    G01441111Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  46. Remove the bolts retaining the seat tracks to the seat cushion.
  47. Remove the seat tracks from the seat cushion.
    Fig 24: Removing Seat Tracks From Seat Cushion
    G01441112Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  48. SEATS WITH SAFETY BELT BUCKLE PRETENSIONER 

    NOTE: Examine the plastic fasteners on the safety belt wiring assembly and install new fasteners if worn
    Note the locations of the plastic fasteners when removing the wiring assembly
    Fig 25: Removing Safety Belt Wiring Assembly From Seat Cushion
    G01441113Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
  49. Remove the safety belt wiring assembly from the seat cushion.
  50. ALL SEATS 

  51. Remove the front seat cushion cover.
    1. Unfasten the J-clips on all four sides of the front seat cushion cover.
    2. Remove the seat cushion from the front seat cushion frame.
    3. Remove the front seat cushion cover from the seat cushion, disengaging the Velcro® fastener (not shown).
      Fig 26: Removing Front Seat Cushion Cover From Seat Cushion
      G01441114Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.