body and interior Seat Cable Frayed, Soldering Broken

[Cartorious]

Woohoo more problems.

 

I am 16 years old and this 1975 BMW 2002 is my first car, but this isn't by any means my first problem with it.

 

The problem is that the old cable that runs through the seat has popped out of it's place, and no longer functions.

 

It's purpose was as follows. When I pull a latch on the side of the driver seat, two cables lift two hooks below the seat, which disconnect it from the bottom portion, and allow the top half of the seat to be move forward. You would do this in order to let someone into the back of the car.

 

i was wondering how I could repaid this problem, maybe some kind of wire crimp but I don't have one large enough, is there another way?

 

I tried soldering it but to no avail, metal just dripped down and never stuck well enough.

 

Thanks,

   -Carter

[John_in_VA]

You need to be able to crimp or swage the cable end.  You could try the cable for the E21 320i, or find a good used one from a 2002 owner here.

[Cartorious]

You need to be able to crimp or swage the cable end.  You could try the cable for the E21 320i, or find a good used one from a 2002 owner here.

Awesome thanks for the quick reply! Hopefully someone does respond who has an extra cable otherwise I could look on Ebay, figured I'd try here fist though.

 

Thanks,

  -Carter

[esty]

tie a knot in the end of the cable that won't slip thru the lever it pulls

[Cartorious]

tie a knot in the end of the cable that won't slip thru the lever it pulls

We'd like to do that but the cable is too short.

Another problem is that we cannot seem to get the metal hook out of its socket below where the cable popped out of.

 

I'll stop by somewhere and find a cable I can use and will probably just use a drimmel tool to cut through the elbow bracket thing that I can't get out

 

Thanks again,

   -Carter

[John_in_VA]

Hopefully someone does respond who has an extra cable otherwise I could look on Ebay, figured I'd try here fist though.

 

There is a Want to Buy section on this forum - check it before eBay.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/classifieds/category/4-parts-wanted/?sort_key=date_added&sort_order=desc

 

You might check the Parts for sale section first - maybe someone has some interior/seat parts available.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/classifieds/category/2-parts-for-sale/?sort_key=date_added&sort_order=desc 

 

Good luck!

[jimk]

If there is a good motorcycle shop near, they often build cables.  They should be able to fix you up with a long enough cable.  I had them make a throttle cable for me once.

[BLUNT]

I have a cable in this junk seat im using until I install my new interior..... Have you got a few days??? Ill pull it and send it to you but I wont get to it for 3 or 4 days as I have other things I have to complete

[Conserv]

And although it may not be the optimal solution for these particular circumstances, many of the seat release cables were still available new from BMW as recently as a year ago! Contact BLUNT.

Steve

Edited November 1, 2014 by Conserv

[bento]

I have a 320i seat that has a broken frame. I'm planning to trash the seat but could pull the cable out if it will work. No idea whether they're same/similar/compatible. Yours for postage if you want it.

[Conserv]

The standard seats on at least the early e21 cars were visually identical to the '75-'76 2002 seats but for the fact that the e21 seats had only 4 "ribs" across the seating area whereas the '75-'76 2002 seats had 6 ribs across the seating area. So I'll bet the seat-back release mechanisms are the same.

Steve

Edited November 1, 2014 by Conserv

[Mike Self]

If you can't find a cable from a parts seat...

 

Don't laugh, but if you have a big tackle shop near you--especially one that has saltwater tackle, you may be able to find a really heavy duty wire leader with a loop in each end.  Or if you can't find one the proper length, buy the highest test wire leader they have and some swedge fittings and make your own.  

 

Another thought would be an aircraft supply company--they make up cables with swedged ends and sell bulk control cable...

 

cheers

mike

[zinz]

I used an electrical wire connector to splice my broken cable. It was very simple and allowed me to take up the slack in the old, stretched out cable. I doubled the cables back through the connector before I crimped it, just to keep them from slipping. Worked like a charm. While you're there, go ahead and shoot some spray lubricant on the pivot points and seat hinges.

Ed

[bluebmw]

Get some steel wire rope from Lowes, rip out the old seat cable, thread the new stuff through the pulleys, loop it around, and crimp it. Voila! Only takes a couple of minutes and you can trust it much better than some used e21 cable. No need to get anything online, my local Lowes had everything needed to do 2 seats worth and it was only $10. Just remember to get more than you think you'll need!

 

Here's an example of the type of wire I'm talking about:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_348173-30129-CA6006B_0__?productId=3462060&Ntt=3%2F16+steel+cable&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3D3%252F16%2Bsteel%2Bcable&facetInfo=

 

And get a handful of these to loop around:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_147730-37672-881692_0__?productId=3013830

 

And some of these to crimp the ends:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_446393-37672-322220_0__?productId=4460781&Ntt=hillman+group+cable&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dhillman%2Bgroup%2Bcable&facetInfo=

Edited November 1, 2014 by BMWnKTM

[Cartorious]

I have a cable in this junk seat im using until I install my new interior..... Have you got a few days??? Ill pull it and send it to you but I wont get to it for 3 or 4 days as I have other things I have to complete

Yes I am willing to wait however long it takes!

 

How much for parts and postage?

 

Thanks,

   -Carter