I'm having a problem with the controls on the drivers door that control the position of the seat. The lower "joystick" section that slides the whole seat forwards or backwards is doing something screwy: When you slide it forwards, the seat slides forwards. When you slide it backwards, the seat slides forwards!! There's no way to make the seat slide backwards! Just gets closer and closer to the steering wheel.

Anyone heard of this before? Or know how to remove this little panel to see the back side of it?

TIA

__________________
'98 E300 turbodiesel

The little knobs come off by gripping them with pliers and pulling out until they pop off. Don't twist, just pull straight out. Then you can remove the door skin and get at the switch. Earlier cars (124, etc.) have switches that can be taken apart and repaired; don't know about the 210, never had that problem with mine. There are threads, maybe even a DIY on this forum, on how to take the switch apart and repair it.

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

You might also have a sync problem which can cause weird issues. Try pushing the switch to forward until it reaches the stop and keep the switch pushed for a few seconds which should re-sync it. Of course if this doesn't fix it you will be stuck with the seat all the way forward so be prepared for a plan B, like taking the switch apart, if that doesn't work.

I can tell you my sunroof had done similar strange things until it was re-sync'd. From time to time it will forget the settings and just take on a mind of its own regardless of which direction you push the switch, but once it reaches the stop and resets itself it is usually OK until the next time it happens...can be months to years before it happens again.

__________________
Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

Does the memory button move the seat back? If so, it is a problem with your switch. If not, it could be the motor or controller. Possible sync problem, but I doubt it.

I have the exact issue on mine (passenger side), pushing switch either way causes it to go forward. The only thing that saves me is that the memory switch will take the seat backwards to a reasonable position (which shows that the motor is able to move it backwards). I was going to take switch apart and clean it, but I might try the reset method described above first. Let me know if you figure it out.

Since the memory works, synchronization is not the problem. Your switch is the trouble.

My passenger's seat does this exact same thing, and I've had the driver's seat do it once. Resyncing does the trick. The last time I did the passenger's seat it took several tries of pushing it forward for a couple seconds while the seat was already fully forward, and then testing the other direction.

__________________
Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

Good tip, thanks!! I'll give this resync procedure a try...
Yes, the memory button does move the seat back to the original position, so that proves the motor and mechanicals are working.
Sounds exactly like mine, 100%.

__________________
'98 E300 turbodiesel

Me too, now that I think of it, when I first got the car I almost got myself stuck in it because I was adjusting the seat and it would only go forward. I had to move the wheel in so I could get out, then I realized I needed to re-sync it and it worked fine ever since. The procedure to resync them is in the owner's manual, just follow that which is how I got mine to work correctly.

__________________
Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

I tried the re-sync procedure and it worked! I just moved seat all the way forward, then I was able to move seat back and forth. Thanks to the forum members again.

I am still having problems with the recline function though. Sometimes it doesn't want to incline forward or back. I don't know if there is some type of re-sync for this one. This may actually be just a switch issue.

Good to hear the simple re-sync helped. As for the recline, if it won't move in either direction then I'd first check the switch, then the motor and connections. I don't remember how many motors each seat has but I am almost positive the recline function has its own separate motor.

__________________
Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

My passenger seat recline does the same thing, no matter which way you push the button it wants to move the seat back forward. Fortunately the memory buttons are so that I can use them to readjust the seat back.

__________________
Dennis
2006 E320 CDI Black/Black Leather. Nav, HTD Seats HK stereo 32000 miles.
2000 VW Passat 1.8t 300,000 miles as of Dec 09, 2009 original owner
1997 E300d Silver 300,000 miles As of Jan 05, 2010
3rd owner SOLD

His complaint on the recline was that it didn't work in either direction...yours sounds more like a sync problem than what he has.

__________________
Marty D.

2013 C300 4Matic
1984 BMW 733i
2013 Lincoln MKz

How can it be a sync problem if the memory works?

Sounds to me like the sync procedure is freeing up the switch.

Hit the nail on the head Rick.

__________________
#dieselFLEET
---------------
'97 E300
'99 E300