I’ve seen quite a few discussions about what to do when the recline button breaks off the FZJ80 seat control unit; generally, the consensus seems either:
(1) replace the seat control unit; or
(2) if enough stem remains, try to drill a screw into the remaining stump of the stem that can either work as a makeshift knob itself or be used to attach a replacement knob of some sort.
I chose to replace the unit, although now that I’ve got a spare unit with the broken stem, I suppose I could give the screw-in knob method a shot as well and stick the old mechanism on Mud for someone who doesn’t want to have to pay for a new unit or mess with fashioning a makeshift knob themselves.
Below is a short DIY for those who are considering swapping out their control unit. There are gaps in my photos, but this is my first attempt at a DIY post, so my apologies. Also, I searched and searched for a DIY thread on this, but couldn’t find on. If this is a redundant thread, I apologize for this in advance.
Instructions:
I found it easiest to completely remove the seat from the Cruiser and work on it inside with a strong light on it, as much of the job involves hunting dark phillips screws inside the upholstery.
Seat Removal:
1. Remove the four bolts that hold the seat to the vehicle.
2. Disconnect the wire harness for the seat at the male/female connector where it emerges from the carpet under the seat.
3. Carefully pull the seat out of the Cruiser. Use care, it’s heavy and the four seat brackets are bare metal and can easily catch and scratch your paint.
Old Seat Control Removal:
1. Pull the seat bottom/ front-back adjustment bar from the seat control unit. It will pull right off the stem with some force. Do not attempt to remove the rear lumbar adjustment button, this is unnecessary.
2. Next, insert a slot screwdriver in behind the plastic cover plate to press in the four plastic tabs that hold the plate in place. Most MUD posts I’ve seen say it’s nearly impossible to remove this part without destroying one or more of the barbed tabs that hold the plate to the unit. It is possible to press the tabs in to allow them to be removed unharmed, but it’s difficult to keep them from snapping back in place unless you can pull more than one at a time. It may be worth trying two screwdrivers on two tabs at the same time. Mine was already cracked and the new unit had a new cover, so I didn’t have to be careful. Once removed, the seat will look like this:
3. Separate the Male/Female connection between the seat control unit and its’ connection to the car wiring harness.
2. Using a long slotted screwdriver or something similar, pop open the underseat clip that holds the seat control wiring harness bundle tightly to the underside of the seat. Your control unit wiring harness is now loose and can be pulled out freely-ish (carefully) when you remove the seat control unit from the seat frame for replacement.
3. Using a slotted screwdriver, lift the metal tabs that hold the seat cushion cover to the seat frame. It is not necessary to do this all the way around the seat, nor is it necessary to fully remove the cover, so don’t be too nervous. It will all go back together. I loosened the seat control side of the seat, and a couple extra prongs as the cover wraps around the corner towards the front of the seat. This gives you room to maneuver the unit out through the gap between the loosened cover and the seat frame.
6. The control unit is held to the seat frame by two phillips head sheet metal screws, one on each side of the unit. I had to stretch the seat cover material to reach these two screws, but removal was not difficult. A needle nose pliers was sufficient to reach one of the loose screws when it dropped into the gap in the seat between the frame and the upholstery.
7. Once the two screws are removed, and the control unit is free, you can carefully pull the unit out and thread the wiring harness out with it.
8. Reverse instructions for installation. I’m handy, but not familiar around upholstery and electronics. Going slowly and carefully and second-guessing everything, I finished this in about an hour.
