BMW Electric Seat Broken - Flexible Shaft

a4drk · Post by **a4drk** » Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:33 pm

The electric seat on my 335d Coupe is twisting when you move it forward & back
One side isnt moving - it pivots & twists
The seat is out & the motor is off it
There are 2 flexible drive shafts which pop into either side - one is 100mm & the other is about 200mm
(200mm one is fine)
Pic below of the broken 100mm one.
There is a 3mm square end which pops into the motor & the cog on the runner

BMW dont sell these separately -you have got to buy a complete new subframe / runners for the seat @ £700 !
I'm was thinking if this could be repaired ? - Brazed maybe ?

Or does anyone know of anywhere that makes / supplies these ?

It needs to be flexible as the seat goes up & down too
any help much appreciated

Thanks
David

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Doc883 · Post by **Doc883** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:41 am

a4drk wrote:The electric seat on my 335d Coupe is twisting when you move it forward & back. One side isnt moving - it pivots & twists
BMW dont sell these separately -you have got to buy a complete new subframe / runners for the seat @ £700 ! Thanks David

Sorry can't help on your seat problem but the complexity of modern cars has to be a real worry for future owners years down the line.
My brother in law had a Tdv8 RR Sport that cut out on the Stonehaven by-pass. Aberdeen LR had the car for weeks trying to diagnose the fault including hoisting the body off the chassis

In the end an expert from the factory was shipped to Aberdeen to help. Luckily for him he had a LT extended warranty as the bill was north of £10k. The car broke down again days later with same symptons so he rejected the car and LR took it back.

a4drk · Post by **a4drk** » Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:23 pm

I found the company who makes these for BMW.
The are based in Switerland & are called
www.suhner-transmission-expert.com

Basically I got an email back from them saying that they are contracted to only make & sell them to BMW !!!

anyway, also found another place.
not heard back yet

http://www.biax-flexwellen.de/en/Einsat ... eugbau.php
theres a photo there of exactly what i'm after - so fingers crossed
and also fingers crossed its going to cost me less than £700 !

David

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:21 am

Breakers?

a4drk · Post by **a4drk** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:43 am

Tried that Sanjoy ,
Sent enquiries thro all the major breaker website / search engine websites

Thinking of getting something made - along the lines of a thick piece of cable
And welding 2 blobs on each end and filing it down to fit

Where's Rich from Preston ? This is up his street....

David

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:32 am

It looks like the flexy stuff you get with power screw drivers if that helps at all ?

a4drk · Post by **a4drk** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:34 am

Yeah, got one of those, but I think it needs to be thinner

ryallm · Post by **ryallm** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 8:36 am

Can't help you on the problem, but curious to know how you like the 335d. Been pondering buying a 335 or 330d (later 245 version) for a while now.

Mark

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 8:44 am

Scrappies ?

a4drk · Post by **a4drk** » Thu Apr 25, 2013 8:58 am

@mark - remember the 335d only comes in auto (with the flappy paddles)
The 330d comes manual and auto

This is my first auto that I've owned & love it.
335d is 286bhp & 428 lb ft torque

However the 330d is still a quick car too - the newer 245bhp with a remap takes it up to 335d figures

Still gets 35mpg horsing it !

If you want a shot of it you are more than welcome

David

a4drk · Post by **a4drk** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 6:27 pm

I think Ive sorted it !

I had some 10mm Twin & Earth Cable - which is the heavier than normal stuff you use for electric showers (for 10.8kw)
anyway, cut a bit off & cut 2 strands off
Each strand is about 1.5mm thick

Then i dipped it in flux & coated it in solder. I filed it down on a bench grinder till it fitted in the motor.

When i got to the other end, I took the sleeve off & just removed the 2 unused strands.
sleeve back on and soldered & filed.
It fits in & the turns the motor & its flexible !

Car is booked in on Monday to get put back together - so fingers crossed - i'm £700 better off for 15mins work.

David

j2 lot · Post by **j2 lot** » Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:54 pm

Well done- got to love Heath Robinson fixes that cost nothing but ingenuity and save £££££

neil · Post by **neil** » Sun Apr 28, 2013 11:16 pm

Top bodging!

Dominic · Post by **Dominic** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:41 am

neil wrote:Top bodging!

ClarkyBoy · Post by **ClarkyBoy** » Mon Apr 29, 2013 12:09 pm

Cracking engineering there,

well done

glad to see there are still people out there with some ingenuety

(and hopefully there are a good few spellists out there that can deciper my spelling

)

Scottish Elises